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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4
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147
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Comparing two files for similarities not differences (inverse-diff)
I need to compare two documents for common sentences and phrases. I cannot, however, find a tool that does this, and I have tried so many at this point: Word, Acrobat Pro, Araxis Merge, BeyondCompare, ...
0
votes
1
answer
139
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How can I optimize the story tags of my Kindle Vella story?
How do I know what are the best story tag words/phrases to use?
I want to "drive" potential readers to my Kindle Vella story. Kindle Vella's web says very little about this.
If feels like ...
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1
vote
2
answers
181
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What's the best way to visually sort data about characters?
I have a couple of characters that I want to group together on multiple pages. Each could be about different information.
Another example would be, with 1 page for each period of time.
Year 1: Alive:...
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votes
2
answers
142
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Are there some ways to use wiktionary to find related terms more easily?
https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Search&limit=500&offset=0&profile=default&search=insource%3A+ship&ns0=1
I was trying to use insource to find all terms related ...
user36239
1
vote
1
answer
201
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Can Word be put in Writing Mode?
I think the title of this question deserves some explanation.
For a number of reasons I am using Microsoft Word, Office 365 version.
I subscribe to the writing versus editing technique. I clear my ...
- 113
3
votes
1
answer
254
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Thesaurus for metaphors?
I have been managing with only thesaurus dot com when yearning to add layers in my work, but it and all the other thesauri(?) I have tried exhibit a fatal flaw: they lack quality metaphorical synonyms ...
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1
answer
1k
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Is there a map generator for space?
https://azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator/
I found this fantasy map generator that's very cool and useful, but I want one that allows you to generate a map for the universe. I am not sure if ...
user36239
3
votes
1
answer
525
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How to organize memoirs for a biography?
I'm about to start organizing someone's life story to eventually send to a biographer to write a book and would like some suggestions on how to start and organize the process, please.
As they are ...
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3
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5
answers
468
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Any programs useful for writing? [closed]
Which programs would you recommend for writing? Whatever they possess general functions to correct your texts and grammar, and/or functions specific for storytelling/worldbuilding (characters, places, ...
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0
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1
answer
46
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Is there a better search engine than Google Book for book citations?
Is there a better search engine than Google Book for book citations? When I try to search for a particular phrases, Google give me a lot of empty results, and not only that but they keep giving me ...
user36239
2
votes
3
answers
108
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Kanban Board with protagonists as employees
In my professional life, I am a software engineer in a small agile company, and we use kanban boards to track the developers activities, like that:
Succumbing to my latest urge in creative writing, I ...
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4
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3
answers
134
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Free Gallery of Human Faces [closed]
I am working on a comic book script right now. Nothing of my draft (except dialogues) will be read by readers; the only purpose of my draft is to narrate the story to my friend, the illustrator.
...
- 767
4
votes
2
answers
99
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Visual collaborative platform to plan a book
I have searched and found some tools for writing, but I need a platform to be able to plan a book - can anyone point me in the right direction? This is for a group of people who want to plan and ...
0
votes
2
answers
138
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Use of the word "implement" discouraged in writer's workbench. Why?
I'm using the writer's workbench, which is a collection of tools that helps identifying errors in my writing.
One tool, 'Diction', tells me that the word "implement" shouldn't be used, and ...
- 103
4
votes
1
answer
97
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Are there any tools for writing Wiktionary articles?
I am evaluating tools and platforms for a one-way dictionary project. One possibility is to expand an existing Wiktionary, but rather than creating and editing entries with its markdown. I wonder if ...
- 141
2
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3
answers
186
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What is the most environmentally safe medium of modern storytelling?
As an aspiring storyteller, I have a lot of stories that I wish to tell. I say storyteller because I am still not sure as to which medium of storytelling I should pursue, be it books, comics, or ...
3
votes
1
answer
2k
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Similar words/phrases random generator
I recall using a website where a user could input a set of words or phrases and the website would generate similar words or phrases, which "felt like" (but didn't repeat) the original words/...
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1
answer
94
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What software do they use to create textbooks or board game manuals? [closed]
I'm wondering if there is some free software in which I could quite easily compose a book with a lot of images, something like textbooks for children for learning foreign languages (an example: https:/...
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3
votes
1
answer
2k
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Is Grammarly's "Engaging" metric trustworthy?
Grammarly has an "engaging" metric on its web page when you submit a document for autocorrection.
Is this metric trustworthy?
What is it based upon? Is there an objective theory behind it or is it ...
- 1,185
1
vote
3
answers
76
views
What is the best way to move a regular writing workshop online?
Given the ongoing efforts to reduce close personal contact with others due to COVID-19, I am seeking suggestions for the best way to conduct writing workshop groups online. This is usually a physical ...
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0
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2
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2k
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Which tool to use for creating visual illustrations in poetry book?
I am working on ebook that is a collection of poems. I want to create illustrations according to poem (similar to something shown in below image). But I don't know which tool to use. I tried Amazon ...
- 1,987
2
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5
answers
795
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Are there any free offline outlining tools?
I'm looking for a tool, that lets me enter and rearrange plot points into an outline and link them to other events and storylines in a graphical way.
Traditionally done with post-it's on a whiteboard....
- 139
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2
answers
148
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What is a publishing service for both blog and book?
I am planning to start writing material online. I need a single platform to host the following
A regular running blog
It should be easy to write and publish. Would prefer a simple near-vanilla ...
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6
votes
2
answers
129
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Suggestions on fine-nibbed fountain pens that retain moisture well, or trouble-shooting of mine, which don't
I grew up in Germany, where we were required to write in fountain pen from second grade on (fourth grade for math). I do dip-pen calligraphy and various kinds of ink-based artwork, as well as writing. ...
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7
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4
answers
758
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Storyboarding Approaches for the Non-Artistic
TLDR: Tips and Tricks for storyboarding a novel? For someone who can't draw well enough to do the "Draw and describe method"
Hello, having read the "Storyboard a Novel?" as well as some sources ...
- 405
-1
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2
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131
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Which tools are recommended for writing/authoring with? [closed]
I have to following tools available, looking for other options.
Microsoft Word
Sublime Text Editor
Atom
Visual Code
I'm a Software Engineer, who is interested in writing.
Thanks in advance.
- 117
3
votes
1
answer
317
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A thesaurus that detects rhyming
I have been looking for a word that rhymes with post with similar meaning to a school.
But I go to thesaurus.com, sounding the words on my head for results under "school" and none rhyme. I then tried ...
- 133
2
votes
1
answer
144
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Need Android app for my memoir book [duplicate]
I've watched about 4 videos on YouTube about top apps to write books, but these videos don't explain anything about memoir-writing. I would like an app that can sync to a cloud, preferably OneDrive, ...
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7
votes
1
answer
173
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What tool will help me track sentences and paragraphs in resumes and cover letters so I can use this database to tailor new ones?
I'm tailoring my resume over and over to highlight my experiences that best fit the needs of employers as described in their job listings. Not to overstate the obvious, but I do this by choosing ...
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9
votes
2
answers
358
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Motivation - or how can I get myself to do the work I know I need to?
There is worldbuilding and/or writing that I know I need to do, and even want to do on some level, but I keep not doing it. I don't have what I think of as traditional writers block, because I'm not ...
- 10.5k
10
votes
7
answers
3k
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Is there an online tool which supports shared writing?
I want to write a short story (and maybe later a book) together with a colleague from work.
Is there an online service which we can use to do this in a convenient way?
Useful features would be (not ...
- 243
5
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3
answers
405
views
Does IDE-like writers' software exist?
This question is somewhat inspired by Is there a need for better software for writers?
I'm currently using Google Docs for writing, and it's a great tool: simple enough, has some nice features, cloud-...
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5
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1
answer
139
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Does software exist to easily markup technical documents as audio scripts?
Inspired by this question: Is there a need for better software for writers? I have an IDE¹ related question about software that can assist writers.
Is there a tool to (easily) turn technical ...
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41
votes
12
answers
9k
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Is there a need for better software for writers?
Software developers don't ever work in text editors, instead they use IDEs (integrated development environments) full of code assistance tools, etc.
Why don't writers use similarly advanced writing ...
- 521
3
votes
1
answer
71
views
Is there any checklist for blog post before publishing it?
The Context:
I often write through a blog platform. However, sometimes I feel that the content is too long and deep and sometimes I feel the content is written only on a surface-level about a topic. I ...
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4
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1
answer
111
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How can we make images with (necessary) text more translatable mechanically?
Our documentation set includes some diagrams, such as entity relationship diagrams and flowcharts, where text is integral and cannot reasonably be handled in callouts. Our documentation is translated ...
- 21.5k
6
votes
3
answers
101
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Podcast Transcripts: suggested collaborative tools?
I love accessibility, so any show that is 100% scripted, my script = the transcript, and I'm happy to share it.
For podcasts with a cohost, there's no easy transcription software, and fiverr is ...
- 4,642
33
votes
7
answers
4k
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When blogging recipes, how can I support both readers who want the narrative/journey and ones who want the printer-friendly recipe?
Increasingly often, if you Google for a recipe your search results will be full of long, image-rich blog posts that, somewhere in there, have the actual recipe you were looking for. Many of these ...
- 21.5k
5
votes
1
answer
317
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Adding tags to documentation built in Flare?
Our software documentation set (for a SQL analytics database platform) is large, because SQL and databases have many pieces. Often a single statement, function, or feature will be highly related to a ...
- 21.5k
4
votes
1
answer
160
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Autocapitalize after colon for dialog?
I write my dialog in this format:
Joe: Why are you wearing a shoe on your head?
Sam: Mind your own damn business!
What's annoying here is that it doesn't automatically capitalize the word following ...
user23083
4
votes
3
answers
461
views
How can I highlight changes in HTML output from Flare, based on branch diff?
We use Madcap Flare for a large documentation set, with HTML output. (Flare source is a very HTML-y XML with some Flare-specific additions.) We use git for source control and new work is done on ...
- 21.5k
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How to do a global find and replace in Ulysses
I use Ulysses 15 for my writing. The tool has a robust global search but, to my knowledge, it does not provide a replace function (only the sheet search has a "find and replace" function).
Does ...
- 1,909
4
votes
2
answers
871
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Tool for editing dialogue of each character
I would like to edit all of the dialogue of a specific character in my book.
Then I want to repeat this for other characters.
I think this would help to give each of them a unique voice.
Of course I ...
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12
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2
answers
42k
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Scansion tool for checking my meter
Are there any software tools available that will help me dissect my meter? I have always been extremely poor at scansion and while my writing doesn't suffer terribly for it, it makes writing strict ...
- 4,471
6
votes
2
answers
655
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Mariner Software for writers
I'm boring and just use Word and Excel for writing my novel and keeping track of stuff. I've tried a couple others, including Scrivener and Evernote, but never got into it. I like the idea of ...
- 32.4k
6
votes
1
answer
309
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Map-making software
I'm looking for free software, preferably open-source, that would allow me to create maps for my story. I guess what I need is a tool that would allow some measure of 3D modeling.
Features I would ...
5
votes
2
answers
140
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Nanowrimo and typewriting
I am a happy user of an Underwood 5, an old typewriter from the beginning of the XX century. I use it to type letters, short stories, greeting cards, and labels.
I am now planning to try and type ...
- 10.6k
1
vote
2
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465
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How to prevent fountain pen ink from evaporating during winter months?
While using a fountain pen, I noticed that the ink dries up much faster during the winter. I read that it is because of home heaters, which dry up moisture in air and hence causes the ink to evaporate....
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6
votes
7
answers
2k
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Creating and keeping track of characters
I admit to finding this an insurmountable task.
My novel has dozens of characters. My first problem wasn't keeping track of them, but creating them.
Modern Day:
My 20th century characters were ...
- 32.4k
4
votes
3
answers
566
views
How to identify paper which will blot fountain pen ink?
These days, with fewer people using a fountain pen to write, many notebooks/paper you find blotting the ink.
If I am at a store and contemplating to buy a notebook or writing/printing paper, how can ...
- 195