48
votes
Accepted
Is there a need for better software for writers?
IDE-like tools exist for writers. Scrivener is a powerful general-purpose tool (also with questions here). Madcap Flare, aimed at technical writers, has good support for updating links, defining "...
- 21.4k
22
votes
Is there an online tool which supports shared writing?
This sounds like Google Docs, perhaps combined with Trello (for the Kanban board and calendar view), would do for you.
It's got live updating -- I don't think it tracks edits by author exactly, so ...
- 4,634
21
votes
When blogging recipes, how can I support both readers who want the narrative/journey and ones who want the printer-friendly recipe?
CSS supports media queries since Level 2, Revision 1. That's from way back in 2011, so any modern web browser should support it.
If you're able to specify custom CSS, and apply custom CSS classes to ...
- 3,764
15
votes
Accepted
Editing tools on the go
Typing on a laptop on your lap on a bus is always going to be difficult no matter what you buy. But maybe you don’t need a laptop:
I find it really helps if I edit my work in a completely different ...
- 9,913
14
votes
Software for developing and organizing characters
I suspect people will object to me saying this, but still, wanted to give some food for thought:
Why not just keep plain text files, or documents made in whatever word processor you prefer?
I'm 32, ...
- 286
13
votes
Accepted
How best to recover from catastrophic text loss?
Forget your story for a moment and revel in how this loss makes you feel. A loss of treasured words is a pain which every writer eventually encounters. It is agony, but it is also an opportunity. ...
- 10.8k
12
votes
Software to draw plot structure charts
I'll borrow an idea Memor-X pointed out to me in my question Are there tools that can aid an author in writing a branching storyline?:
yEd
It's a free tool that allows you to create flowcharts. I'm ...
- 5,656
12
votes
When blogging recipes, how can I support both readers who want the narrative/journey and ones who want the printer-friendly recipe?
TL;DR: Put the important stuff atop.
This isn't the technical solution you were looking for, but it's another way to give both types of readers what they want.
Readers who want the full story will ...
- 221
10
votes
Are there tools that can aid an author in writing a branching storyline?
While not a program I would suggest using a flowchart.
A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents an algorithm, workflow or process, showing the steps as boxes of various kinds, and their ...
- 1,032
9
votes
Accepted
What is front/back matter?
Something around the chapters?
Front matter is usually all the stuff that comes in a book before the start of the story/main body of the book. Title page, copyright page, acknowledgements, table of ...
- 12.8k
9
votes
Accepted
Scansion tool for checking my meter
This might help with the identifying-meter educational part of it. For Better for Verse:
It’s an interactive on-line tutorial that can train you to scan traditionally metered English poetry. Here you ...
- 4,634
9
votes
Is there a need for better software for writers?
Software developers don't ever work in text editors,
I'll challenge your premise. I know plenty of highly successful software developers who do not use IDEs, but standard editors; sometimes even only ...
- 935
9
votes
Motivation - or how can I get myself to do the work I know I need to?
Procrastination is as much as part of this job as creativity. We all do it. Writing isn't easy most of the time, and most of the time, I'd rather be washing my husband's underpants than writing a ...
- 9,913
8
votes
Is there a need for better software for writers?
I thought I might offer a perspective from the point of view of a writer who is a creator of novel writing software.
When I first started out writing, like you, I thought that there was no good ...
- 3,537
8
votes
Is there an online tool which supports shared writing?
Only tool I can think of would be Google docs.
You can have multiple people writing in a document at the same time and see where their cursor is, there is no color coding on who's typing by default.
...
- 171
7
votes
Labyrinth: old freeware to organise characters and plot
I used the link posted by Ryann Foxx earlier, decompiled the code, and ported it to modern Windows and Linux. Basically everything is the same except it used a collections library that can't work in ...
- 71
7
votes
Where can I find resources about writing "Choose your own adventure"-style books?
The original books always used the second person 'you'. (I still have one on my book shelf.) Other variations may use the first person.
There are many variations on the theme. For example, some ...
- 7,846
7
votes
Where can I find resources about writing "Choose your own adventure"-style books?
The blogger These Heterogenous Tasks has been writing his analysis on specific CYOA books, and general observations about their history, trends, and common structure.
https://heterogenoustasks....
- 25.7k
7
votes
How can you start writing multi-author collaborative book?
Outline the book so the work can be broken up and worked on in individual pieces.
Use Google Docs with a shared folder (can be shared with specific Google users by user id)
Those two things should ...
- 6,457
6
votes
How many writers use fountain pens/dip pens today?
Neil Gaiman writes all of his books with a fountain pen.
Neal Stephenson last used a word processor for writing with Cryptonomicon. Since then, he has written everything longhand. Yes, that means all ...
- 61
6
votes
Book translation from English to Portuguese
Translation is best done by humans. There is no software available to push a button and Make This Portuguese, and even if there is, word-for-word translation simply can't capture the nuance and ...
6
votes
Software to draw plot structure charts
You do not mention an operating system , so I will give you something cross-platform (and free).
As @ChrisW pointed out "the diagram in the OP could be written as a tree of text". So, I am going to ...
6
votes
Editing tools on the go
For the hardware aspect of the question, you may try a tablet. So you'll get a wider surface to edit your text, without the need of a table. Mouse and keyboard will still missing, but at least, ...
- 1,479
6
votes
What software can I use to synchronize corrections and modifications over similar documents?
WinMerge can help you manually merge documents. It can compare two text documents, highlight similar lines and lines that are slightly different and it allows you to quickly choose which version to ...
- 61
6
votes
Storyboarding Approaches for the Non-Artistic
Yes, there's an app for that. Several, in fact. Use your favorite search engine with terms like "screenplay storyboard software" or "screenplay storyboard app". A search will also bring up online ...
- 25.7k
6
votes
What is the most environmentally safe medium of modern storytelling?
Paper is a renewable resource. Trees are usually harvested from farms now that are constantly being replanted and cut at the best age. There are obviously some exceptions, but you aren't ever reading ...
- 61
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