Writing Corner: How I Write - Writing Tools and Other Technology
First up, a new episode of my podcast "An Indie Author's Life" has been published. Feel free to check it out.
Now on to the topic at hand. I am by no means a writing technology guru. I've tried Scrivener but I became frustrated not knowing all the tips and tricks to get the software to do what I wanted it to. I felt that I was wasting valuable time trying to look up how to do something rather than writing. My time is first dedicated to school and my studies, then friends and family with only a limited amount of time remaining for writing. I am sure that with further use, I would have felt more comfortable using Scrivener, I just didn't have the time to devote to learning how.
So, I decided to use what I know best, Microsoft Word. I am very familiar with Word from university as well as years in the business world. I know basics of how to use the Navigation Pane, hyperlinks inside the document, tracking changes, comments, etc. I have the formatting I use saved as a template so I don't have to recreate this from scratch each time I start a new book. In addition to Word, I also use a Notepad document with research notes and other writing elements. I tend to have characters and the basic outline of the book in the Notepad too, so I can make sure I am on track with the story. I also have a spreadsheet with the 13-month calendar in place. Each year has its own tab and I highlight the dates each book takes place in with different colors. Finally, I am very old-school. I usually have several blank pages with handwritten notes. This includes the days the book occurs, so I can keep track of what events happen at which time in the book. I also jot down characters, especially if I am having to block a scene. When I am finished writing the book, I scan all my handwritten notes in for an electronic copy, then file the originals away in an old manila folder.
Finally, videos and recording equipment. Confession, this was my sharpest learning curve. For narrations, voice recording, or podcast episodes, I originally tried to just use the voice recorder on my phone, but the various systems didn't like the file type. It took me time to convert the file to one that was compatible, time I didn't have. I then resorted to using my ancient computer's sound recording app plus an old gaming microphone attached to headphones. Quality was not great, but it was usable. The draw back was that I had to speak in one take, there was no editing. I normally had to do multiple takes, again, time consuming. It was only recently, as in mid-April, that I purchased a podcast microphone and downloaded Audacity. The microphone is decent and Audacity is easy to use, though it doesn't have many bells and whistles, which is fine since it is a free program. The best part is being able to edit, hallelujah.
For video creation, again, I use what I know. I just create the background in PowerPoint and record voice over as detailed above. I then insert the recording and set the timing of voice and slides, then export it to a video. The most time consuming thing about this was the voice recording. Now, with the new recording equipment, I should be able to create these in half the time.
What writing software do you like to use? What additional items do you use to help you write? Feel free to comment on this post. Or, you can reach me via Twitter or submit a Contact Me form.
Now on to the topic at hand. I am by no means a writing technology guru. I've tried Scrivener but I became frustrated not knowing all the tips and tricks to get the software to do what I wanted it to. I felt that I was wasting valuable time trying to look up how to do something rather than writing. My time is first dedicated to school and my studies, then friends and family with only a limited amount of time remaining for writing. I am sure that with further use, I would have felt more comfortable using Scrivener, I just didn't have the time to devote to learning how.
So, I decided to use what I know best, Microsoft Word. I am very familiar with Word from university as well as years in the business world. I know basics of how to use the Navigation Pane, hyperlinks inside the document, tracking changes, comments, etc. I have the formatting I use saved as a template so I don't have to recreate this from scratch each time I start a new book. In addition to Word, I also use a Notepad document with research notes and other writing elements. I tend to have characters and the basic outline of the book in the Notepad too, so I can make sure I am on track with the story. I also have a spreadsheet with the 13-month calendar in place. Each year has its own tab and I highlight the dates each book takes place in with different colors. Finally, I am very old-school. I usually have several blank pages with handwritten notes. This includes the days the book occurs, so I can keep track of what events happen at which time in the book. I also jot down characters, especially if I am having to block a scene. When I am finished writing the book, I scan all my handwritten notes in for an electronic copy, then file the originals away in an old manila folder.
Finally, videos and recording equipment. Confession, this was my sharpest learning curve. For narrations, voice recording, or podcast episodes, I originally tried to just use the voice recorder on my phone, but the various systems didn't like the file type. It took me time to convert the file to one that was compatible, time I didn't have. I then resorted to using my ancient computer's sound recording app plus an old gaming microphone attached to headphones. Quality was not great, but it was usable. The draw back was that I had to speak in one take, there was no editing. I normally had to do multiple takes, again, time consuming. It was only recently, as in mid-April, that I purchased a podcast microphone and downloaded Audacity. The microphone is decent and Audacity is easy to use, though it doesn't have many bells and whistles, which is fine since it is a free program. The best part is being able to edit, hallelujah.
For video creation, again, I use what I know. I just create the background in PowerPoint and record voice over as detailed above. I then insert the recording and set the timing of voice and slides, then export it to a video. The most time consuming thing about this was the voice recording. Now, with the new recording equipment, I should be able to create these in half the time.
What writing software do you like to use? What additional items do you use to help you write? Feel free to comment on this post. Or, you can reach me via Twitter or submit a Contact Me form.
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