Questions tagged [tools]
Tools include any physical devices or artifacts used in the writing process, as well as software tools (which should additionally include the Software tag). For questions regarding process, methodology, or organization, use the Technique tag.
239 questions
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emacs for creative writing
Does anyone know a good emacs configuration for creative writing? I'd be looking for the ability to write, edit, and export to libre office or word (so the less technical people get edit/view). I'm ...
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4
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Format + Editor for book writing
A friend of mine is going to write a book. Therefore he is looking for an easy WYSIWYG solution. First I recommended latex, but this would be a bit to hard to learn. A big part of the book is finished ...
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Cheap ways a young person can get paper books printed/bound from their manuscript? (Please incl sample costs)
Some budding authors (school aged young people) want to see their creative works in print, as books. I'm prepared to do some of the pubisher's tasks (eg, get some ISBN's for each book, if required; I'...
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Best tool to create ebooks?
What is a recommended tool for turning a completed manuscript (a Word document) into an ebook (specifically, an EPUB file or Kindle-compatible Mobipocket file)?
I would prefer something that:
...
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2
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1
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Organizing text snippets for creating different variants of a document (customized for the reader)
I'm searching for a tool/strategy to do the following:
I have a lot of text snippets (informations) which are available for creating a document in different variants.
The document has a standard ...
- 139
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3
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Any experience with Serenity Editor software?
Has anyone had any experience with Serenity Editor editing software? What's the difference between the Standard version or the Word add-in? What kind of results can it get?
If nobody has used it, ...
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The importance of monitor size/distance for writing productivity?
I've been thinking today that my writing station's monitor screen set-up is much worse than I had previously thought, and can be partly blamed for productivity problems.
I write on a 2004 laptop with ...
- 413
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1
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What is the new Google Author markup?
What is the new Google Author markup, and how can I use it to build up a reputation as an online writer?
How could it possibly work? Using self-declared information has been tried before and of ...
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How can I manage screen shots and other graphics for maintenance?
Our ~1500-page documentation set contains numerous screen shots and related graphics (schematics, flow diagrams, etc). Sometimes the user interface changes and we have to update all the affected ...
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2
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Is there a way to improve Endnote record consistency?
I am required to use Endnote to manage citations. When I find an article, I am expected to create an Endnote record for it, and we have some internal guidelines as to which fields we consider ...
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Is there any tool which points out the common mistakes in a piece of writing?
It will point out mistakes like:
Use of bad constructs.
Use of repeated words.
etc.
(On a side note: if you happen to be a C programmer, I am looking for lint for writing).
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Is there any point in learning to write in cursive?
I remember learning it as a child, and I remember I was told it was important and every kid in the class had to learn it. But now that I think about it, I haven't used cursive for years.
What was ...
- 377
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1
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English writers IDE [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is there a special software for writers?
What IDE's do writers typically write in? I'm aware of Microsoft Word, but surely that is not something that a professional writer ...
- 161
6
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2
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LaTex + version control writing package
This should be probably cross-posted to tex.stackexchange.com. However, since my question is more oriented towards writers who also have a firm grasp of technology, I'm posting it here in hopes of ...
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Tools for science-based world building?
I tend to lean towards science-fiction and fantasy, so world building matters a lot to me. A while ago, there was a question which asked how to go about organizing your universe, which was interesting,...
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Do you use a pop-up dictionary/thesaurus on Windows? What are your criteria?
I used to use WordWeb as a pop-up dictionary/thesaurus while I wrote, but I found it lacking, particularly in its inability to let me define my own terms per context (for example, when writing about ...
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How to practice location descriptions
When trying to strengthen my writing on how to correctly describe a location I try to write a small text on each location I am. (These are then saved in Evernote so that I can search for them) I found ...
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What is a good OCR program?
I keep a writing journal that I enjoy writing in. I also have a lot of old journal with writing that I'd love to digitize but am too lazy to retype. What is a good, accurate, OCR program that would ...
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5
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What's your favorite keyboard? [closed]
After using a Logitech Internet Pro keyboard for the past several years, as well as an Acer OEM keyboard occasionally, I'm seriously thinking about getting a new keyboard. I write upwards of 7,000 ...
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How many writers use fountain pens/dip pens today? [closed]
How often are fountain pens and dip pens are used today by writers, and why do they use them? Or, if applicable, why not?
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Software for analyzing a manuscript?
I would like to get a better picture of a manuscript I've written, especially in regards to word usage patterns and potentially overused terms.
I'm curious whether anyone can recommend a document ...
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14
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Are there any good tablets out there for writing/editing?
I like being able to take my work anywhere with me, but sometimes my laptop is just too big to take with me. Battery life on tablets seem to be much better than laptops as well. Are there any tablets ...
- 8,726
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3
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I'm an editor who generally uses Word to communicate changes with my authors. Is Adobe's InCopy better for this task?
For all of my editing work I'm currently using Microsoft Word. But I've heard a bit about Adobe's InCopy being good for editing and publishing. Is it really better? What makes it better than Word?
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Are there any free programs for screen writers
Screenwriting has a very strict format that Microsoft Word cannot fully match. Are there any good screenwriting word processors out there that are free?
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What's a good program for tracking submissions?
What's a good program or technique for tracking submissions? I need something that'll keep track of who I've submitted to, when, if they've replied, and preferably tell me how long it's been out. Any ...
- 8,726
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Do fullscreen writing environments help for writing? Why? [closed]
I recently found out about full-screen writing applications like OmniWriter and DarkRoom and I'm interested in using them, but I'm skeptical as to whether or not these are actually useful for ...
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Good Outlining Solutions For OSX?
I write technical non-fiction and find that I cannot write well without first constructing a detailed (10-20 page) outline. Are there any good outlining solutions for OSX? Apps? Templates in Microsoft ...
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Keeping track of multiple plot lines
How do you track several plot lines woven together?
I usually run 2 or 3 plot-lines in parallel, so I detail those plots each in a separate document. But as the book goes on, it is sometimes ...
- 1,411
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3
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Which edition of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style?
I'm interesting in picking up a copy of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style. Unfortunately I'm a little overwhelmed by the minor variations. Amazon lists 12 different paperback formats, plus a ...
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Is the iPad a convenient medium for writing work?
Does anyone here write on an iPad at all? The iPad 2G is due this summer and I have waited since March 2010 already, so I am planning to purchase one. However, I don't really need an iPad at all; ...
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Is this character generator useful?
After some feedback from this site and a training course, I developed a little tool to help with character generation. It's called "20 Questions" and works just like that: It picks 20 questions (or ...
- 1,523
25
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7
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How can one effectively organize scenes and snippets?
I tend to write bits of stories out of order. If I have a great idea for a scene, I want to get it down it while I have it, even if it doesn't come until three chapters later than the part I'm on ...
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Can someone explain set pieces?
I was using a book in a writing group that talked about set pieces, but I never really got a clear idea of what it is or how they're supposed to appear in writing. My impression was that you have a ...
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Tools for generating characters' names
I found this name generator:
http://www.fakenamegenerator.com
And I'm wondering if maybe there are others? Has anybody found this kind of tool useful? What about tools for fantasy names? Should I ...
11
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6
answers
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What makes a great writer's space?
If you have a usual or favorite place to write at home, what makes it so good?
I like having multiple places to write -- sometimes I find a change of scenery helps break a block -- but my most-used ...
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18
votes
7
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969
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How do you track submissions to publishers/markets?
What tools (software or otherwise) or procedures do you use to track the progress of submissions to publishers or other markets? How do you reduce the chance of accidentally (and embarrassingly) ...
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Are "morning pages" useful?
I've found an interesting private online journaling website: 750words.com
From "About" section of the website:
I've long been inspired by an idea I first learned about in The Artist's Way called ...
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16
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7
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Should I start writing on paper first or start directly on the computer?
If I have an excellent idea for a story, would it be wiser to write on paper first or start directly on the computer? There are many different reasons for beginning stories on paper as well as on the ...
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6
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Are there any places to have community story development?
Are there any places or ways a group (general public or individually invited) of people can individually contribute to a communally developed story?
For example, a website or collaboration tool (...
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