Insecure Writers Support Group 3 July 2024

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

July 3 question - What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And, which one is your all-time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?

This post contains affiliate links for products I use and recommend. 

Finding a productivity program that didn't require me to change my writing style has been a hero's journey. The other programs I tried were not bad; they were just not the right fit for me.

I attempted to use Novel Factory, but it did not align with how I write, so I canceled my membership. There's nothing wrong with Novel Factory; we just weren't on the same page. For another type of writer, it may be ideal.

I enjoy using Dabble for weekly writing sprints. A pro membership is in my future, primarily to take advantage of the workshops available only to pro members. 

I have Scrivener. It's a quality program, but I find it difficult to use. There's a similar learning curve to Photoshop. A productivity solution where I feel like I need to work through a certification program to use it isn't for me. 

As it happens, I obtained a certification in Photoshop in 2012. These days, I prefer Pixlr. But this post isn't about graphic design software.

I'd pretty much given up on finding my dream productivity program. I went back to writing my story in Word while making notes in Notepad or Libre Office. Then, I found the Holy Grail of writing programs when a member of the Passionate Ink community mentioned AutoCrit during a weekday morning writing sprint.

AutoCrit's ability to analyze my documents impressed me. My plan was to use it in conjunction with WordTune for editing. However, I soon realized a pro AutoCrit membership offered so much more. 

I discovered the benefits of AutoCrit's many free workshops and pro member clubs before it finally hit me that the all-in-one writing productivity program I didn't think existed was right there alongside the analysis and editing software I was so impressed with.

I can't imagine going back to my old writing method now that I have AutoCrit. It allows me to have a handy all-in-one outline and planning sheet just a toggle away while working on my draft. It also has an additional notes feature.

After I finish my document, I don't even need another program to start analyzing and editing. WordTune is still my second-pass copy editor after running the document through AutoCrit, but that's just me. 

Follow my link to take AutoCrit for a test drive.

https://bit.ly/SelfEditEasier

QuickWrite isn't productivity software, but I use it often as an adjunct tool. I mostly use it for tasks such as generating title ideas (for some reason, I suck at this) or creating a story prompt for me to hone down all the wild ideas that start circulating in my head when the time comes to write a new story. You can check it out here and see if it can help you too.

https://bit.ly/ChooseQuick

~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Free use image by Jim Cooper on Pixabay

"Follow my method, and you'll be a published author in no time, Space Jockey. I guarantee your fellow Bluesians will devour your advice on the creation of the perfect crop circle."

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Apparently, I'm a glutton for punishment.

I'm doing the July iteration of Camp NaNoWriMo AND the Scribbling Through Summer Challenge.

https://scribblingthroughsummer.com/

I'm completely knackered just thinking about it.

Insecure Writers' Support Group November 2019

Image by Jonny Lindner from Pixabay

Hey, People. As usual, I'm a day late and a dollar short. I kind of forgot that yesterday was IWSG day. So, I'm slipping in the back.

The question for this month was: "what's the strangest thing you've ever Googled in researching a story?"

I don't know, but the medieval sex toys question is as good as any.

I'm kind of feeling depressed about my decision to pull the plug on the Carnal Invasion project. I left the characters in that Universe in an eternal cliffhanger, because it's doubtful that I'll be going back to it. I wanted to get back to the kind of writing that I'd been missing out on trying to keep up with the Carnal Invasion serial. I thought about perhaps doing it as a yearly NaNoWriMo project, but I don't know. It would probably turn out to be just bad writing because that's what I tend to get from NaNoWriMo.

Speaking of NaNoWriMo, I have a theory that the people who tend to enjoy writing that way also tend to be the sort of people who use outlines. I hate using outlines. I enjoy word count constraints for flash fiction because they force me to be concise. I dislike word count requirements on longer pieces. I like doing Camp NaNoWriMo because you can choose your own goal. I usually choose chapters. My chapters tend to average about 500 words. Camp NaNoWriMo works for me. NaNoWriMo does not.

The truth is, between writing my own stories, poetry, blog posts, and book reviews, I probably write at least the NaNoWriMo required word count most days. It just doesn't work for me to confine that all to one project. What comes out is garbage and I can't stand to look at it again. I looked at the NaNoWriMo project I did in 2011 to see if I could stomach editing it. No dice, it still sucked. I took a perfectly okay idea and what came out with the forced word count was something that no-one should read, ever.

One thing I've noticed with the advent of e-books is that novelettes and novellas, which had previously fallen into disfavor, are making a comeback, and I couldn't be happier. I could write and edit a novelette or even a short novella in a month. A full-length novel is something else again.

For those of you who are doing NaNoWriMo, power to ya! I had to finally admit that in all honesty, I really and truly hate writing that way. It is very likely that I won't do it again. I may see you at Camp NaNoWriMo, though.

~Cie~