In that case, there’s a Web interface to fall back on. Not enough? Well – perhaps you work on Linux occasionally. It’s very useful – there are versions for PC, OS X and iOS, Windows Phone 7, Android, BlackBerry and even WebOS. I’ve been using Evernote for ages – for its intended purpose, to take notes. Good old Scrivener does everything I need (and more) but document replication between different devices relies (currently) on clunky workarounds using Dropbox to transfer files and then using an entirely different editing application on the iPad. Google Docs, Word and Pages may be the most-used writing software, but they’re the first to be struck off my list – since they’re linear and can’t readily incorporate research into the same document.
INDENT ON STORYIST SOFTWARE
Most writing software just doesn’t suit my needs or workflow. This led me to an interesting conclusion. Sure, there are lots of things I’d really like – but I’m trying to identify my most needed word processing elements.
INDENT ON STORYIST PLUS
The ability to incorporate research, including images, video and audio – plus links to Web pages.Easy and robust synchronisation with other devices – computers, tablets and phones.Non-linear document structure – a way to break the project down into manageable chunks which can be easily reorganised.I decided that, when it boils down to it, a writer needs surprisingly little of the word processing power. And, the bigger your document, the slower it gets. It has no mechanism to easily reshuffle chapters and scenes. Why? It forces you to work and think in a linear way. But I find that it’s next to hopeless for long documents. This makes sense since it’s what my clients and my proofreader use.
(I’m not allergic to Word I use it daily for copywriting.
If it needs to be exported into Word at some point, so be it. This got me thinking about what I really need from writing software – and setting aside the fact that I’ll later need to have the manuscript reviewed, edited and proofed by someone else. (In an ideal world, this wouldn’t be just on my iPad either – sometimes I only have my iPhone with me.) Although I don’t want to write entire projects on my iPad, when I’m out and about without my laptop I do want to write, make notes, add to my research, edit and review. As writing software goes, especially for long projects such as novels, it takes some beating.Ĭurrently, for me, there’s one fly in the Scrivener ointment – the lack of an iPad version. I’ve written before about being a big fan of Scrivener.
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