What Program do you write in?

[killerkellerh]

Just curious, what program do you all use for typing your manuscripts? Why do you use that program?

Do you keep the entire book in one file, or do you break it up by parts or chapters as separate files.

Thanks,

Keller

[maestrowork]

Office XP -- I've used Office for a couple of years. Beside I got free software (through work).

I keep the entire book in one file, but I also have backups and different versions.

[ElonnaT]

I use Word for the manuscript and Excel for notes, etc. Three cheers for free software from work maestro ;)

I also keep the everything in one file, but have several copies and versions

[Yeshanu]

I use MS Works, because that's what my computer came with and it works fine for me. I have folders for each novel, and for poetry, fiction, non-fiction, sermons, etc. Within each folder I may have more folders (for example, the novel I'm currently revising has folders for first draft, second draft, third draft, character sketches, odd scenes that aren't part of any draft as yet, notes to myself, etc.) Each of those folders has files for each chapter, or character, or scene as the case may be...

[Pthom]

Word 97 here . . . old, but plenty enough bells and whistles for me. Excel, too. Keep each project in its own folder, but I prefer each chapter in its own file. Each version has its own subfolder. Additional folders for notes, drawings, etc.

[Jamesaritchie]

I think I've owned every word processor ever programmed at one time or another. I still Have Word XP, WordPerfect, OpenOffice, 602Pro, Yeah, Write!, Atlantis, plus three or four freeware programs on my computer. Just for variety, I may write a first draft on any one of them. But when final draft time rolls around it's Word XP all the way. It has the best editing/rewriting features and cuts down the time it takes me to do a final draft and polish by forty to fifty hours.

I keep novel as whole files, and as chapter by chapter files. Both have many advantages and uses. There are times when filing the entire novel as a single file is very useful, partularly for word or phrase searches, and for e-mailing, and times when chapter by chapter is needed for ease in editing, printing, and disk submissions to some publishers.

[Pthom]

There are times when filing the entire novel as a single file is very useful, partularly for word or phrase searches, and for e-mailing, and times when chapter by chapter is needed for ease in editing, printing, and disk submissions to some publishers. Yes, and with most modern word processors, it's a simple matter to join them all together when needed.

[HConn]

I use Word 6.0.

[evanaharris]

Microsoft Word, 2000. It's the one i'm most familiar with.

[spooknov]

MS Word 97. It's probably a dinosaur system, but it works fine for me and seems to adapt easily when e-mailed as an attatchment. I have files for new ideas, WIP's, poetry, short works, and my current novel.

[mammamaia]

nada but ms word 2002... you couldn't pay me to use anything else for straight writing... i use final draft 6 for screenplays and same goes there...

both are compatible with the most agents/publishers/prodcos in their respective worlds, conversion to rtf takes care of any others, so it makes no sense to me to use anything else...

[Jules Hall]

OpenOffice.

I like the fact that it stores its files in a simple format that I could write a program to transform to any other format I wanted, and that it can store multiple 'old versions' of the document in the same file, for comparisions, etc. I also find its move paragraph up/down (ctrl + up/down arrow) feature handy while outlining.

I use a single file per 'part' -- usually about 30-40k words.

I also have a spreadsheet that I keep track of my daily word count in.

[aka eraser]

Wow, you guys are amazing, and a bit scary; at least to a disorganized techno-dweeb.

I use WordPerfect 2000. I open it, write, save, and close it. I was SO darn proud when I learned how to make folders to store stuff in.

That was two weeks ago. But then again, I've only had this computer for 4 1/2 years.

Baby steps....

[btinternet]

I use Word these days, whichever version happens to be on whichever system I'm using. The key for me is to keep everything together - otherwise I spend valuable writing time finding the bit I'm working on.... I keep each WIP in a separate folder, with a file for each chapter and all my notes files (Excel and/or Word) in a subfolder. I can combine them or not as needed for submission/final printing, etc.

And of course, I keep backups!! Lots of backups!!

I also keep a document open whenever I'm working for little ideas or thoughts that occur to me that are unrelated to the current work, or for things I cut out of the current work but which I like and might want to use elsewhere....

BT

[alphabeter]

I use WordPad mostly because I can send the .rtfs to my Macs and back without having to change anything or get weird characters. The letters, not the peoples! :wha

When I get it all purtied up and/or want to run some additional things on it, I use Word 2000 as part of Office. I'm not fond of Micro :money oft, but I have downloaded and continue to use a lot of free and wonderful add-ins that make things very loverly when polishing.

As far as chapters and such, it depends on what type of WIP it is. I separate novels and books by chapters, screenplays by scenes and sometimes key character points, and poems by theme. I leave short stories, novellas between 5k and 15k, and single one-off articles (series are arranged as needed) 'whole'.

Alpha

[Fresie]

Eh, can I ask a related question, please?

Although I hate spreadsheets, I do use them occasionally, therefore my question: do you guys know of a way to cut off the length of the sheet in Word Excel? I've figured out how to cut off the extra columns, so the page is of reasonable width, but I can't cut off the extra rows, and they go down into eternity, well into 20,000s and more. The fact that I've got Dutch Windows in my comp (and I don't read Dutch, therefore can't read menus) doesn't help, either. :bang Still, if you guys know this trick and explain it to me in English, I'll work out how to do it in Dutch.

Thanks a lot!

Fresie

[veingloree]

The colums with no content don't print so I normally just leave them.

As for the previous, Word 2000 -- one file.

[SFEley]

Fresie wrote:
Although I hate spreadsheets, I do use them occasionally, therefore my question: do you guys know of a way to cut off the length of the sheet in Word Excel?
Sure -- don't put so much data in it. Excel only prints up to the last non-blank row. If you want to print fewer rows, you need to have fewer rows in your spreadsheet. (Or hide the ones you don't want to show, by selecting the rows, right-clicking, and choosing "Hide.")

You can also specify in "File | Page Setup" that your printout should be X pages wide by Y pages tall. However, if you've still got tens of thousands of rows, all that'll do is shrink it so much it'll be unreadable.

On the original question, about what I write in: I use a text editor called Emacs. I hate word processors for general writing.


Have Fun,
- Steve Eley

[Gala]

Word 2003. I like the comments feature. Also, since I'm a Microsoft Alumni, I get it Real Cheap.

My computer came with WordPerfect 10, and I gave it a few whirls. I found the spell checker interface awkward, so stuck with Word.

I maintain one file for a manuscript. I insert page breaks between chapters. When printing a section, I either print page ranges, or copy/paste to a new temporary doc for printing of that section.

I keep notes, character info, pertinent data in separate files, and also track what I've got in a spread. Also, I've found assessing how long it takes me to write given sections useful.

[Jamesaritchie]

While I wouldn't dream of using anything except word for final drafts, one nice thing about WordPerfect is that it has a grammar checker that actually comes close to working. It's far superior to the grammar check program in Word.

[Gala]

I was not aware of that, James. Gotta try it. Yeah, Word's grammar check is lousy. Thanks for the tip.

[Pthom]

I agree that Word's grammar checker is awful. I agree with it maybe 5% of the time.

In the past, I did quite a bit of page layout work and for that, bought Corel's Ventura Publisher. Its grammar checker, Gramatik, isn't too bad, although can be somewhat pedantic and isn't as easy to use as Word's is.

Most of the time, though, I just open my copy of Strunk & White. And, there is no substitute for reading your work and then rereading it over again, making no assumptions that the arrangement of words on the page is correct.
;)

[Oklahoma Wolf]

I'm a die hard Wordperfect nut... I use Word at work sometimes too, but I just like Corel's program better for some reason. I don't use the grammar checker - it annoys me to no end. Maybe I should use it lol.

I keep all my work as one file backed up to two different computers, and then burn it to cd every so often as well. A little paranoid maybe, but I don't like taking chances with my life's work, and both of my computers have given me plenty reason to be worried in the past ;)

[pianoman5]

Word 97 does the trick for me, with (American obsessed) Spelling and Grammar (eccentric at best) turned off.

One little wrinkle I use that eases my paranoia about losing everything in the event of a fire at home is e-mailing a copy of everything to myself, as attachments, and then never opening the messages.

That way, it remains stored offsite on my ISP's servers, so it's like having a free bank vault. And it also means that I can access it from anywhere I can get an Internet connection.

[Jules Hall]

Ah yes... the other thing I like about openoffice: document-dependent custom dictionaries for the spell checker. So you can put all your characters' weird names in the spell checker, but it won't start ignoring them for your other projects :)

[Jamesaritchie]

Jules,
You can do the same things in Word that OpenOffice does, and a good deal more besides. But I never saw the point of document dependent dictionaries. There are too many times when I need to revisit old characters and words in a new document, and I want all those names already in the dictionary.

I do keep the latest version of OpenOffice on my computer at all times, it's at 1.1.2 right now, and version 2.0 is due out early next year, I think.

I keep hoping it will cacth up with Word, but so far it's about five years behind Word XP in features, and doesn't do outlining or final editing nearly as well.

As for grammar check programs, as an editor I always wished more writers would use them. They're wrong fairly often, but what they do right they do very well indeed. One thing they do very well is to find passive sentences. They do most things well, in fact, if you take the time to go in and set them up properly.

The biggest problem with grammar checkers is that out of the box they're set to do too much.

A grammar check program can also catch a bunch of typos that spellcheck misses.

[SRHowen]

OK< I tired to post several times on this thread and it keeps getting eaten--Oh well, here we go again.

Grammar checker--I did try to say what James said above--it does catch a lot of things, many times the fixes it offers are silly, but it finds passive voice very well. And it catches weird spellings, too.

I prefer WP over Word--I use very recent version of both, I was a beta tester for the newest version of Word.

The grammar checker in WP is hands down better than the one in Word. Heck, WP will even sentence digram for you.

Thesaurus: While both have one, WP's runs in the tool bar as a drop down menu of word choices for any word you click on or are typing at the moment. No right click and choose thesaurus--it's there all the time.

I like WP's dictionary as well.

Word assumes too much and i have to fiddle with it to make it stop saying things like--I see you are writing a letter--or auto formatting stuff I don't want done.

A big goof up and my formatting goes hay wire--in Word I may as well start a new file to get rid of it. In WP hit view codes and I see a true assortment of what is making my document behave as it is and i can get rid of the odd coding and all is fixed.

Macros: I hate them in Word, can't ever get them to work right and have not tried to do one since a very early version--just plain to much work. In WP I have one set up for the start of each chapter--hit F-11 and I get a new page for my chapter start, it drops down the correct number of lines and puts the word chapter in there for me and drops a line and indents. ZIP--all my chapters start out formatted correctly. I don't even have to think about it. (I did have to set up this particular macro--but boy does it save me time)

Love the old blue screen and yellow text. call me weird. But I have so many of the short cut keys in my head that I auto hit them--in Word that does funky stuff to my text. LOL

Shawn

Anyway, just my 2 cents on why I prefer WP over Word.

[Oklahoma Wolf]

Just gave the grammar checker of my new copy of WP 2003 a try for the first time... seems like it's improved vastly since the last time I tried it on the old WP 6.1. Since I do still have a problem with passive voice, I predict this is going to come in very handy :)

[ChunkyC]

I use OpenOffice. I agree it's behind the big word processors in features, but since I write almost exclusively from a manuscript template with Courier12/dbl spaced, etc., what do I need all the fancy shmancy stuff for? That and the price.

Plus, the file sizes are about a quarter of the size of Word's, which means I can cram tons more onto my backup CD's.

[Jamesaritchie]

Well, some of that fancy schmancy stuff in Word that OpenOffice lacks is incredibly goood and useful stuff.

As for CDs, I have one CD here with 3,000 novels on it. I don't think the file size of a Word file is going to matter a bit. And a big part of the file size in Word is there because more useful information is incorporated into the file.

File size is almost much more a matter of format than of the two word processors. I get roughly the same size files in Word and Staroffice when I use the same file formats.

But when you're talking kilobytes, file size is unimportant. Whether 100 or 400 kilobytes, you're still talking extremely small. One of my CDs will hold almost 700 complete novels in manuscript form when filed in Word. I doubt I'll ever write that many.

As for price, more often than not, you get what you pay for. An individual can get Word or MS Office on the cheap, and know it's fully compatible with anything and everything industry professionals, be it writers, editors, or agents, will throw at them. The same can't be said for OpenOffice. OpenOffice is mostly compatible, but sometimes makes ghastly mistakes when converting complicated Word docs.

[maestrowork]

3000 novels? Must be very short novels. :-) That average about only 200KB per file. My ms in Word format is about 1MB large. A CD would only be able to hold 700 of them.

[Akuma]

I use word and have the book i'm writing down to a science. seperate chapters with their own files, my own private website with history, character bios, etc. I might be obsessed but I think it's just a good way to keep track of stuff.

[seeb55]

For those looking for a good program for writing for the screen, stage and novels, take a look at Movie Magic 2000. I've been using it for years for screenplays and was recently surprised at how well it works for novels. I also like the super easy 'print as pdf' function for sending work on the internet.

[Euan Harvey]

Uh, isn't worrying about file sizes with different programs perhaps just a little, well, pointless?

My novel takes up 1.62 Mb, with each chapter in a seperate file. I don't think it would that much smaller if it was all in a single file: "The War God's Own" by David Weber is 1.34 Mb (the RTF version from the Baen free library).

But so what?

If all my books end up being the same length, that means I can fit 407 of my books on a CD. I don't think it really matters if I can fit 50, 400, 600, or 3000 different books onto a CD: however you want to do it, it's going to be a pretty damn big number. When I can fit more novels than I will ever write in my lifetime onto a CD, I think arguing about file sizes is, ahem...

But anyway,

Cheers,

Euan

[ChunkyC]

Well, nobody's really arguing about file sizes, Euan, just discussing it as a side issue. And I don't feel it's pointless.

Yes, a CD has a huge capacity for text documents. I probably should have said floppy disk instead. My first novel came in at 570 manuscript pages which was a little over 1.2MB in Word format (I use Word at work and checked it out there). That's barely small enough to fit on a disk. In OpenOffice, the same novel takes less than 200K. I know most folks use CD burners these days, but I just happen to like the fact that OpenOffice doesn't swallow up my drive at near the rate Word would.

More to the point of the thread, could the Word users point out some of the features you feel make Word a better choice for a writer? I really am curious, I'd like to know if I'm missing out on something that would make it worth spending the money. Word ain't cheap in Canada -- around $300. And the full Office suite is about $800.

[maestrowork]

I like Word's editorial features such as track changes, comments. They're extremely useful especially if you're collaborating or editing.

Auto-correct sometimes comes in handy when I type very fast and misspell common words -- it can be annoying, too, however. For some projects the tables, simple layouts, templates, etc. are helpeful. I also use a plugin to turn the ms to MS Reader format so I can let the computer voice-read it -- and I use my tabletPC to annotate any changes while I'm mobile. For sending out correspondence, mail merge, etc. is cool. I also like style sheets and auto-format for typesetting purposes (it doesn't apply if you only use ms. formats). HTML and PDF output is very useful.

I can't think of anything else that I use off the top of my head.

But CC, if you're happy with OpenOffice for writing only, I don't see why you need to spend that money getting someone just for a little more bells and whistles. Unless you need to for something else.

(It would be nice if someone could just turn on track changes and comments and send you the edits, without using the "red pen" approach)

[Gala]

1. e-mail attachments
2. ram needed to open, close, save, spell-check the file
3. uploading to the web or server, or downloading
4. converting to other formats (pdf, html)
5. knowing deep in my heart a file could be smaller, and should be, but the reason it isn't is cuz the software programmers were lazy or zoned out on triple Americanos on a particular day. (I have first hand knowledge of this paradigm.)
6. files, all files on computers should strive to be smaller, so the need for huge amounts of ram, hard drive, processor speed, and bandwidth decreases, that computer prices drop, and everyone who wants a computer can afford one. I sure miss my Mac Plus and the elegance with which it ran WriteNow. I love my VAIO, with its bells and whistles, but life is short.
7. when I notice that 2 different programs save a file in different sizes, I know something bad could be happening in the background of the larger file (this can be true of smaller as well) like hidden info and properties, glut for viruses to eat, bloated font info that might explode. (For a visual, compare the html generated by Word with the same code typed into NotePad. Auk!) It goes on and on.
8. a cd is full in the middle of a backup and you have no more cds on hand. Ooh that's painful.
9. the speed of working with the file as it resides on a server
10. excellence in all things

I know most users don't care, or know of these things. I do.

So yeah, for me smaller is better in certain processes.

<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/image/posticons/pi_geek.gif" /><img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/image/posticons/pi_bigsmile.gif" />

<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/nerd.gif" />

[ChunkyC]

You bring up a point that occurred to me after making my last post here, Gala.

Smaller programs load and run faster. Smaller files open and save faster. For those with slower computers, this could be important. Until recently, I was using a 450mhz laptop with 64MB of ram and OpenOffice loaded and opened documents faster on it than Word did on my work's 866mhz workstation with 384MB of ram.

I do think that as writers, the program/computer combo that lets you get your work done in the most efficient and comfortable (as in: does everything you want it to) manner possible is the ticket. For some chores, it sure seems Word is the best choice. But for me personally, I have yet to find a feature I require that the free OpenOffice can't do.

[Euan Harvey]

>More to the point of the thread, could the Word users point out some of the features you feel make Word a better choice for a writer?

The single most important reason for me is that it came free with my computer.

To be honest, I don't think it would matter all that much to me if I was using another program. I guess I probably use about 10% of Word's functionality.

>...but I just happen to like the fact that OpenOffice doesn't swallow up my drive at near the rate Word would...

It's not the file sizes of the documents that swallow your hard drive, it's the size of the program itself. I bought my computer three years ago for about 500 bucks. It came with a hard disk with two 18gb partitions. I've saved a copy of every file I've ever typed for work, for my MA and for writing fiction, and my documents folder is 120mb. The program folder containing Office is 130mb. So after three years of writing and saving interesting web pages and downloading pictures my documents fodler is only now approaching the same size as the MS Office folder.

Now, as for the Word files swallowing your hard drive, my documents folder is 120mb, and on one of the partitions of my hard drive I have 16gb of free space. So that means I have enough free space for another 100 of my documents folders on the hard drive. Let's call it fifty to be safe, and that works out to another 150 years of writing.

> ... so the need for huge amounts of ram, hard drive, processor speed, and bandwidth decreases, that computer prices drop, and everyone who wants a computer can afford one.

I used to sell computer equipment in the UK. I remember when D2 came out with an external 1gb hard drive in a neat looking case. Everyone was amazed by it: 'it's so large!', 'Why would anyone need so much space?'. I was amazed by its price: just under 1,000 pounds at the time.

Now of course, you can buy an MP3 player with 20 times the storage capacity for one quarter the price (and that's not even counting the effects of inflation).

Seems to me that the rule for computing is that crap expands to fill the space available. It's not just a simple matter of increased file size driving up the demand for space, it's also the amount of space allowing people to use larger file sizes.

As for prices...

The price of a top-end laptop in Thailand has stayed at around 2,500 dollars for the past six years -- the performance has shot up, but the price has stayed about the same.

I think this is important because it shows that the price for a computer isn't just determined by what's inside it. I am guessing that the 2.500 dollar price is a ceiling and that the market won't bear any more than that.

And for people not being able to afford them:

If you want to go second-hand, you could pick up an old PC here for about 250 dollars or less. I've seen some being sold for less than the price of a top-end mobile phone. I don't know if there's as much of a market for second-hand PC stuff in the US -- I don't remember much of one in the UK.

The killer in this country for price is the software. Microsoft doesn't really drop its prices much (at all) when it sells its products in Thailand. When you get in the situation where the Office suite costs more than the same price as a decent desktop machine, well...

The end result of course being massive piracy.

>I sure miss my Mac Plus...

And they were cuter looking than any other computer I've seen since.

>...that the free OpenOffice can't do...
>...Word ain't cheap in Canada -- around $300...

There's the best reason for not changing right there.

Word does a whole lot of stuff, but is any of it really worth 300 dollars? I don't think so.

If it hadn't come free with my machine, I sure wouldn't have paid for it.

Anyway,

Just my 2c,

Euan

[ChunkyC]

Good & interesting points, Euan. Over here, there is a used computer market, mostly aimed at companies wanting basic workstations. For about a hundred and fifty Canadian dollars, you can get a machine that was state of the art 3 years ago and cost nearly a thousand. Only problem is, they almost never have software, so by the time you buy Windows and Word, you could have had a new machine.

For someone who was into it, you could get one of these cheapies, throw a free distribution of Linux and the Linux version of OpenOffice on it, and you're in business. I think you need to be a bit of a computer junkie to go that route, though.

Anybody use the AlphaSmart (is that the right name?) or something like that? They look like an interesting option for someone who uses a desktop mostly, but who might want to jot stuff down while away from it.

[SRHowen]

I like the AlphaSmart. Granted mine got lost ( taken, borrowed, never returned) when we moved from Germany a few years back, but I loved it.

It was light weight, the interface was easy to use, and the keyboard a good size--and for the most part people didn't look at it as a gee maybe i should steal that thing. Though the group that packed out our house in Germany took anything they could get away with.

My lap top was ancient and finally died. I want to replace both, but haven't had a lot of time to go looking lately. We do have a few used computer stores around here, so I may go looking since I own many versions of Windows, (XP is the latest) and Word (XP--hated the new version when I beta tested it, so never bought it), and WP (12) --the software issue is not a problem.

One great thing about the AlphaSmart--no Internet to disrupt your work time. LOL Any new (used) lap top I get is not going to have Internet either, that way I can work away from my office and not have distractions--:rofl

Shawn

[annied]

Sometimes I still write my stuff longhand...and in that case, I use a 3-ring binder where I keep drafts, research and character bios. I also use different colored pens to help me remember what's where. (Okay, so I am a bit old-fashioned. Sue me. :rollin ) But eventually, I do type it into the computer.

I use WordPerfect for my drafts. I have a folder where I put my poetry and another for short stories. Each novel has its own separate folder, where I keep various drafts, versions, snippets, etc. etc.

I also work on a PDA and use Documents to Go. I have to remember to HotSync every night before I go to bed (it's part of my nightly routine) and transfer the day's writing to my desktop computer. Plus, I keep backup copies on CD-Rs.

Microsoft Word drives me absolutely crazy...I use to fight with it a lot. Plus I also use Excel to keep track of submission information.

Annie :grin

[ncq13]

I use Open Office, but have an earlier version and the spell check and grammar checks are horrid. My next major purchase will probably be a mac and I'll install a better version of Open Office with more useful tools. The big draws, initially, to Open Office were that it is non-proprietary, faster, and far more stable than MS Word and Word Perfect. Unlike, proprietary software updates are constantly being made to Open Office and they are available free as downloads- the only catch is that you actually have to keep up with the changes.
~Kate
katestamour.com (http://katestamour.com)

[MissKathyClarke]

I use Microsoft Word (on my laptop) and MS Works on my family's Windows XP Computer. I really like MS Works 'cus it's fun with that auto correct, you can put people's names in and when they use it for homework, it says something like *FATAL ERROR* hahah very fun... (you probably have no clue what I'm talking about... but that's ok) :jump

[TerriLynn]

I use WordPerfect because it's what I started with many moons ago when you had to access DOS. I've since graduated to WP8 in windows, but the higher numbers got too complicated, so I don't upgrade. :p
I also copy all mms to a Word Doc. because my husband makes me :rolleyes and because my crit partners prefer word documents. But all my aside folders are in Word Perfect.

Terri
by the way HConn....your quote under your name? I think I dated that person! (the name is definitely coincidental) :eek

[HConn]

Terri, the fellow I'm quoting died in 1927.

Had you dated him in a past life?

[TerriLynn]

lol...it's possible although his spirit could have been born into my ex...same name, same initial. And lazy as hell!
;)

[Sunny7l]

I use Word 2000 and WordPad. I also maintain a private website to easily manage and access info.

[arainsb123]

I use OpenOffice because it's free and because I can save in just about any format. As well, it can do everything that Word 2000 can (or at least everything that I did on Word 2000 - don't know about Word XP).

[robertquiller]

Word XP for me. Although when I started I just used notepad. :p

-----------------------
Iustitia, Consilium et Aequitas

[alinasandor]

I am using Works right now, but I love Corel Word.
I keep my manuscript in one document with notes in the same folder.:thumbs

[Jo Jo Tater]

I also use Word, but I've been looking at Power Writer. It seems to be a great software with a word processor and outline built together. You can also have your notes and things stored in the same program. Have any of you used this program?

I've tried the demo and one thing that I've noticed is the word count is different than Word.

[btinternet]

I had to chuckle, Annie. I still write a lot in longhand too - the laptop is too much work to carry with me, and I like the organic sensation of writing. As long as it works!

[Pragmatic_Dreamer]

Hmm... rather outdated thread, but I will post nevertheless. I prefer Lotus Symphony for by manuscripts and I save chapter by chapter as well as complete. I use my email account to back up my files.

[Matera the Mad]

Since it's here...my current most-used is AkelPad, a rising young text editor.

TEXT? plain text?

Fsck, yes. With a touch of HTML. Every chapter is a separate webpage. Reading in the browser gives me a fresh look at what I've written. Fast, portable, and comfortable for my eyes. My betas like it too. When I have to I'll paste into Woid and paint it up with whatever formating the Great Gods want.

[Exir]

Pen+Notebook, Release 2.5.451

[kuwisdelu]

Pages in iWork 2008.

Because I hate MS Office and it's faster than OpenOffice.

[alyssalynne]

Word. I love Word. I have Word Perfect too but I don't use it much. I just ordered a Mac notebook and it doesn't come with any writing software, so I'm probably going to keep writing on my PC until I can figure out what to get. The reviews for Word for Mac look pretty bad.

[kuwisdelu]

Word. I love Word. I have Word Perfect too but I don't use it much. I just ordered a Mac notebook and it doesn't come with any writing software, so I'm probably going to keep writing on my PC until I can figure out what to get. The reviews for Word for Mac look pretty bad.

OpenOffice. It's free.


But if you want to spend the money. Office for Mac isn't that bad. It's just that we tend to be critical of MS software. :D

I doubt a review of MS Office for Windows written by a Mac user would really be described as "glowing" either.


And personally, if you don't *need* Office for business reasons and just want a good word processor, I recommend the iWork suite at a reasonable $79. I love Pages.

ETA: Additionally, if you just need word processing, Scrivener is a nice piece of Mac software made just for writers. I don't use it myself, but it's supposed to be good. $39.

[Don]

Like kuwisdelu said, Open Office is free if you like a straight word processor.

I use yWriter4 (http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter4.html), also free which has an integral outline feature and note-keeping capabilities. I use it because I like the additional organization it provides. It's written by SpaceJock, who's a user here. I think that's his AW name too.

[Jerry B. Flory]

I use ywriter and Open Office. Whole doc in OO and everything compartmentalized in ywriter.
OO is so easy.

[Don]

I use ywriter and Open Office. Whole doc in OO and everything compartmentalized in ywriter.
OO is so easy.
I export to OO occasionally just to see how it looks. :)

[Jerry B. Flory]

I keep it in OO cause that's where it's gonna be when I print it.

[scarletpeaches]

MS Word 2007.

[Don]

I keep it in OO cause that's where it's gonna be when I print it.
I do all my test prints right from yWriter. Before I submit, I'll export to DOC and print my final from OO. OO has better formatting control over printed documents, but yWriter works great for chapter proofs.

[alyssalynne]

Thanks, kuwisdelu and Don for the suggestions. I'm thinking of iWork but I'm so used to Word, I wonder if it's hard to get used to? How do you get OpenOffice? Is it a download?

[Inarticulate Babbler]

MSWord 2007. I have found no reason not to like it, and I'm comfortable with it.

I'm also a beta tester for EtherPad (which is and online collaborator(?)), which I'm enjoying--for the most part--but there is a couple of bugs.

[Don]

Thanks, kuwisdelu and Don for the suggestions. I'm thinking of iWork but I'm so used to Word, I wonder if it's hard to get used to? How do you get OpenOffice? Is it a download?
Yes, just do a search. It's easy to find, installs easy too.

[kuwisdelu]

Thanks, kuwisdelu and Don for the suggestions. I'm thinking of iWork but I'm so used to Word, I wonder if it's hard to get used to? How do you get OpenOffice? Is it a download?

OpenOffice is here (http://www.openoffice.org/).

I wouldn't say iWork isn't any harder to get used to than the rest of getting used to OS X vs. Windows.

The only real big difference that can be easy to forget is that many of the options you might look for in "Preferences" or other menus are in the Inspector. (You'll see what that is.) The only other potential problem is that it only natively saves in .pages format. That has not been a problem for me, since I just export to DOC, RTF, or PDF for submissions, but it bothers some people. I forget if Macs still come pre-loaded with a free trial of iWork, but if not, you can download a free 30-day trial to test it out before committing.

[scribbler1382]

Hmm... rather outdated thread, but I will post nevertheless. I prefer Lotus Symphony for by manuscripts and I save chapter by chapter as well as complete. I use my email account to back up my files.

Uh, Lotus Symphony? Really? I remember using that...jeez...must be 16 or 17 years ago.

Hey, what works works, but that one caught me off guard. :)

[kuwisdelu]

Uh, Lotus Symphony? Really? I remember using that...jeez...must be 16 or 17 years ago.

Hey, what works works, but that one caught me off guard. :)

Lotus Symphony is a completely different application now. The Lotus Symphony that was just recently released is essentially IBM's version of OpenOffice that is, in fact, built on OpenOffice code. Like OpenOffice, it's cross-platform, for Windows, Linux, and (now) Mac.

ETA: I've been waiting for a beta for OS X for a while now just for testing purposes--I just checked and apparently it's finally out.

[DamaNegra]

I write first drafts on the Neo and port them over to yWriter for first edits. Then I take it to Word 2007 for second edits.

[Ciera_]

MS Word 2007. I love it, though it was a little hard to get used to. But I can't imagine using anything else!

[Raphee]

1....Pen and notebook for first draft.

2....Word for writing.

3.....Excel for keeping chapter outline.

4.....Marathon Template is a really great program for keeping track of word count, and daily words written target. It helps me keep motivated to write my daily target.
Just google and download it.

[TnD]

1. Rough draft on Mac (AppleWorks 6, since I'm too broke to upgrade from 10.1.4)
2. Second draft on either Mac or PC (RoughDraft or OpenOffice)
3. Third and subsequent drafts on OpenOffice on PC.
4. Items left in YWriter5 for organizational purposes.
5. Chapter outlines left in spreadsheet form on both computers.

[scarletpeaches]

I write first drafts on the Neo and port them over to yWriter for first edits. Then I take it to Word 2007 for second edits.

Isn't the Neo a sweet, sweet thing? :D

[Makai_Lightning]

Word. ...?

I never really understood why it's such a matter of importance which word processor one uses for writing, or whatever such thing. I mean, what impact could it have, really, provided you know how to use it? It's not like any processor will organize your novel best for you. Can someone enlighten me as to what makes you pick anything special specifically for their writing? I really just don't get it.

I prefer to keep the whole novel in one document, but mostly because I hate having little documents all over the place and I find it convinient. I have a few other documents for notes and such, but just the one for whatever I'm writing, for the most part. If I split it, I put it back together in one.

[Don]

Word. ...?

I never really understood why it's such a matter of importance which word processor one uses for writing, or whatever such thing. I mean, what impact could it have, really, provided you know how to use it? It's not like any processor will organize your novel best for you. Can someone enlighten me as to what makes you pick anything special specifically for their writing? I really just don't get it.

I prefer to keep the whole novel in one document, but mostly because I hate having little documents all over the place and I find it convinient. I have a few other documents for notes and such, but just the one for whatever I'm writing, for the most part. If I split it, I put it back together in one.
I use yWriter4, and maybe I can explain why. I like working from an outline, but it has to be flexible and easily maintained. I like to be able to move easily from scene to scene, within the same chapter or different chapters. I prefer to have everything in one document. I find Word's outlining clumsy for organization. I also like to keep notes about characters, locations, and items in my novel.

I also like really easy-to-use software. 90% of the features in Word I'll never use. I need basic formatting tools, but that's about it.

Granted, I can do all of that in Word. However, yWriter4 is designed to do all those things without even thinking about it.

Here's an example (from the yWriter website) of the main screen with a project open.

http://inlinethumb11.webshots.com/21706/2330445690100527759S425x425Q85.jpg

Chapter list on the left, with chapter description at the bottom. Scenes for the current chapter on the right, including short descriptions and word counts. At the bottom, all the related information about the scene, including (tab 2) the actual content. Moving scenes or chapters is a drag-and-drop operation.

I click on a scene and up comes the scene editor. (These windows can all go full-screen BTW. They're resized here for illustration.)

http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/31639/2736810630100527759S425x425Q85.jpg

There's the scene content, and at the bottom I can flip through all the information related to the scene. No digging around in the separate files looking for some related bit of information.

It took me 30 minutes to learn to use yWriter4, and a few minutes here and there to learn new features as I want them. You can print any portion, with or without all the supporting information, with a couple clicks, or export to a variety of formats. There are lists of characters, locations, and items with places for notes and even pictures, so it's easy to remember Carl's the red-headed guy with one arm.

For ME, it's increased the coherence of my writing, because it's easy to check this against that whenever I need to. For ME, that's paid off in more words per day and a tighter novel.

Oh, and did I mention it's FREE (unlike Word), it takes up a fraction of the resources, and runs like a scalded cat, because it's well-written? Oh, and it's written by a writer, so he understands what I'm trying to do, and he's designed it to do that one thing very well.

So, that's why I use yWriter4 instead of Word. YMMV.

[Makai_Lightning]

Lol, well I didn't have to pay for Word either, and I know how to use all the features I care about using.

I can see where that could be immensely useful. Free is also always very nice. I love free. It's why I use GIMP instead of Photoshop or any other such thing. Besides the fact that GIMP is awesome, of course.

I have to say yWriter4 does look useful, and well organized. I however, am not well organized, in much any sense. I barely know specifically what I'm writing at any given time. General plans, but never more than that. I get too lazy to make extensive character notes (self-defeating lazyness, because then I end up reading through the entireity of any scene with X character in it to make sure it's consistent when I'm done). I sort of just write and let it come together, then pull the strings along and make sure it stays together. I'm not sure if the organization would help or hinder me. I know for a fact whenever I start something everything changes rapidly as if a new universe is forming and I'm setting all the planets and suns in order. There would be no chapters, scenes, or indeed anything necessarily marked as story rather than character or plot practice until a sort of breaking point where it levels off and runs smoothly.

So I suppose I'd have to consider it if I were to switch to something other than Word.

I thank you greatly, though, for showing me what you mean. Pictures are awesome.

[Don]

Glad to help, Makai. I use GIMP too, for the same reasons you do.

Your process sounds a lot like mine. I'm not generally well-organized either, and that was part of my frustration with a work as large as a novel.

When I started my current WIP I made a few notes (from a button on the main screen not shown in those shots), named a few characters, and defined a couple of locations.

By the time I was ready to start writing, I had named the first two chapters (just for working purposes) and had three scenes listed for chapter one. When I stall on content, I read what I've just written and catch up some notes on the characters or scene so I can refer to them later. I don't try to write full character descriptions, but if something strikes me as important, I've got a place to put it where I'll find it later when I need it. When I have a moment of genius that tells me what's going to happen two chapters out, I go add the scene to the right chapter, write a one-sentence description, and go back to where I was.

yWriter4 lets me be disorganized without letting my WIP be disorganized, and that's my favorite benefit.

A day or two ago I added another chapter, moved some scenes from earlier and later into that chapter, and added a scene to bridge the two. I've got a couple scenes that are marked as 'unused' now, so they don't appear in the final document any more, but I can still reference them if I want.

Glad the description helped. Until I started using it, I wasn't sure why I needed it either. :)

[Exir]

I still think Pen + Notebook rocks.

[Makai_Lightning]

If I ever seem in need of a new way to do things (aka, next time I'm stalled or otherwise lost in progress), I suppose I can try it. I wouldn't get rid of all my stuff as is now though. I don't even have chapters, and none or my scenes are currently anywhere, though they exist. I keep (or plan to finish putting together) a single document with all my written or to-be-written characters in it. Considering some get cut or don't fit, but are otherwise still good characters who deserve to be remembered or used in the future, I like keeping things from multiple WIPs together. Same as my "edited out" document, with bits and pieces that are by themselves good, but didn't need to be where they were.

And sometimes you really only need a simple chart.

Edit: Actually, it occurs to me that even just a few days ago I started writing out a scene on my iTouch. I would have used my phone too if I could find a good place for notes. I was at my friends house, but everyone else was sleeping. Nice and portable, for sitting in doctors offices and that such thing. Perhaps writing at 3am isn't the best, but meh... Was good enough for a scene that's not anywhere near where my current scenes are. Just getting the idea out.

[para]

I write in Word. I like word. I am familiar with word. I've tried loads of creative writing programs and I've never been able to get on with them. They are not for me. I've recently got Office 2007 and I really love OneNote. It is fantastic for storing notes, and researching characters, dropping and dragging pictures & links. I like the way it is integrated with the rest of the office suite.

[scarletpeaches]

OneNote? Tell me more of this magicks!

[Bluestone]

I'm glad someone opened this up again. It's really interesting to see what people are using. I only use Word 2003 for the whole ms and notes in a separate folder. I'm so used to it. I keep separate chapters in another doc for the different submission requirements: 50 pages, 1st chapter, 3 chapters, etc.

I'm curious about the Excel use for outlines. I really haven't done outlines much, but find that when I do my edits I write a bit of a synopsis of each chapter in a notebook to see where they all go and whether they tie in together, if I've got the timeline right, and so on.

Could someone give me an example of using Excel to do an outline? It sounds like a great way to organize.

[benbradley]

Wordpad. I always do new->text document and save as a .txt file, The One True Universal Format. I can copy/paste into a post here and know that it will come up in the default font and size. And it's fast on ANY computer. It's the computer equivalent of a typewriter, but with backspace and easy cut-and-paste.

Formatting, various fonts and such is for page layout programs.

[Brindle Chase]

I use MS Word 2002 cause, well, I have it. *lol* It works great, no issues and does way more than I would ever need. I have Open Office on my linux box, but I never use it cause the PC its on is dog slow. I save my WIP's in whole files, but in different numbered versions. For example, the first version is always my rough draft, which is a glorified outline. Its the whole plot from beginning to end, with everything and every scene in it, but very very rough. Then I start doing polished versions as I flesh things out. Usually somewhere around version 6 or 7, I'm relatively close to something that's ready for Beta reading.

[DeleyanLee]

I use Word '97 'cause I have it and it still works on XP.

I tried Open Office for about 6 months and it was OK once I got used to it, but it slowed down my computer so much, it was insane. I mean to do a spell check or use the thesaurus meant freezing up the entire computer for 3-5 minutes. Just not acceptable.

I'm not a big one for notes, etc, on file. I hand-write most my notes in the notebook in my work bag and that's just the end of it. The only other file I have in relation to a project is a 3-tab Excel spreadsheet to track word-count progress (particularly if I'm doing a rewrite, I like seeing the difference between the drafts), submission history and, if necessary, a cast/place name list.

I used to write a chapter per file, but since I've never figured out how to make a "master document" work in Word, I've discovered it's just easier to write in one big file. I name the file with the title and date, save-as every few days with the updated date.

Really pretty basic.

[Raphee]

I'm glad someone opened this up again. It's really interesting to see what people are using. I only use Word 2003 for the whole ms and notes in a separate folder. I'm so used to it. I keep separate chapters in another doc for the different submission requirements: 50 pages, 1st chapter, 3 chapters, etc.

I'm curious about the Excel use for outlines. I really haven't done outlines much, but find that when I do my edits I write a bit of a synopsis of each chapter in a notebook to see where they all go and whether they tie in together, if I've got the timeline right, and so on.

Could someone give me an example of using Excel to do an outline? It sounds like a great way to organize.

My method is that I start a excel file for a new MS with following sheets:

1 OUTLINE: this is where I simply have the following columns:
CHI Scene Description

the scene description is fairly open and can be changed as new ideas emerge .

2 The second sheet is named DRAFT 1
The columns are

CH Scene Desc POV No of words Timeline Remarks

Scene description is fairly short. But gives me enough of a sense.
No of words is words per scene.
In Remarks, I write down if I have any new bright ideas I may or may not use.
I also color rcode scenes if they are to be changed around later in the word document.

Then I go on to Draft 2 and hopefulyy arrive at the Final draft. These sheets always represent whatever draft of the novel I am on.

[Raphee]

Don,

Does Ywriter have the Track changes feature.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

What writing program do I use?

The IBM Correcting Selectric II typewriter.

Why?

Because I don't have access to the Internet, games, AW, or anti-virus/anti-spyware scanning stuff. I'd prefer to use my writing hardware for writing, not for everything else under the sun. ;)

Now, if I could just afford to buy a new element for the darned thing, I'd be set! :) Only a couple more days to go and I'll be ready to embark on that endeavor.

[Don]

Don,

Does Ywriter have the Track changes feature.
Not specifically, if I know what you mean. However, it saves RTF files in folders by date every time you save, or automatically, in addition to the main project file. I can review any day's work and open the RTF for any scene that was edited that day.

It's handy when you want to go back to something you changed and see what it looked like a week ago, but it's not really a list of all changes.

Is that roughly what you meant? :)

[scarletpeaches]

What writing program do I use?

The IBM Correcting Selectric II typewriter.

Why?

Because I don't have access to the Internet, games, AW, or anti-virus/anti-spyware scanning stuff. I'd prefer to use my writing hardware for writing, not for everything else under the sun. ;)

Now, if I could just afford to buy a new element for the darned thing, I'd be set! :) Only a couple more days to go and I'll be ready to embark on that endeavor.

Good idea. That's why I got my Neo. No distractions. Same with pen and paper.

But AW is so addictive! I need to take my Neo out of the house and stay away from the evil intarchoobs. :)

[TnD]

Because I don't have access to the Internet, games, AW, or anti-virus/anti-spyware scanning stuff. I'd prefer to use my writing hardware for writing, not for everything else under the sun.

Exactly. I purchased an older Mac for $20, monitor for $10, keyboard and mouse lying around and picked up an old OS for it for about $15. So, for less than $50, I have a souped up typewriter. It's become my reliable standard. Not connected to the internet, no wireless anything, sits in the corner and waits for me to arrive.

Besides. Typewriters make the clickity-clackity sound that wakes people up at 3:00am. However, the silent keyboard lets me kill people in stories at all hours. :D

[M.R.J. Le Blanc]

Besides. Typewriters make the clickity-clackity sound that wakes people up at 3:00am. However, the silent keyboard lets me kill people in stories at all hours. :D

I had a wrimo this year who typed up her two NaNo novels on a typewriter. I could only imagine what that would have sounded like considering how fast she writes/types.

I used to do all my writings in MS Word, but now I'm in the process of transporting them all over to LiquidBinder. I like the organization it gives me, which works since I'm an organizational freak :D

[FOTSGreg]

I use Word '03 and before that I used Word '97. I've tried yWriter4, but had a bad experience with it (an update destroyed my master file and I darned near lost my entire book - there were rtf backups, of course and backups of the backups, but the scenes, notes, character descriptions, etc. were all lost).

I use Excel to track submissions (I have a custom-made spreadsheet for this), create spreadsheets for scientific calculations (I usually write harder scifi and space opera and am fairly rigorous with the science), track progress (I have a custom spreadsheet for this too), etc.

I've used everything from an old Royal typewriter with a broken "A" key to a MiCom 2000 dedicated word processor to more modern computers (which I currently use). I have an Acer Aspire One ($348 at WalMart with 160 GB HD & 1.6 GHz processor) for when I'm sitting at the bar or at work with a little time to kill and I have OpenOffice on that machine. I also have an older laptop with Word '03 on it and of course my desktop (refurbished 2.8 GHz Dell & purchased for $200).

I like Word and OpenOffice and have never had a problem with them although yWriter4 did have some interesting features in it.

[GirlWithPoisonPen]

I use Google Docs. The formatting feature sucks, but it gets backed up automatically and I can have access to my manuscript where ever I am (home, work, friend house). Definitely beats emailing files back and forth.

[nevada]

I use Word 2007 which i love beyond all measure. I love the way it looks, i love the way it's laid out (which is not that different from W0rd 2003, it just looks better). I love playing with the features.

I have a template set up with all the proper formatting for a manuscript, i have a macro for the correct formatting for breaks between scenes.

None of that has helped me write, but when I do write, oh boy it's gonna look sweet.

I have yWriter4, the concept is great and if I outlined I would use it, but I don't so I don't.

I also have OneNote, again, if i would use it, it would be sweetness personified but I don't.

As for using Excell to outline and stuff, just thinking about it makes my head hurt. I'm a true pantser.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

Snipped...

Besides. Typewriters make the clickity-clackity sound that wakes people up at 3:00am. However, the silent keyboard lets me kill people in stories at all hours. :D


That is the one disadvantage of using the Selectric. The thing sounds like a Thompson Submachine Gun going off, especially at night.

I like what you said about the ancient Mac. :) I used to love writing on one of its predecessors, the old Apple II models. No bells or whistles, no Internet, and no mammoth programs that take a year-and-a-half to load up.

Ah, those were the days! :e2cloud9:

[TnD]

I used to do all my writings in MS Word, but now I'm in the process of transporting them all over to LiquidBinder. I like the organization it gives me, which works since I'm an organizational freak

All of my first drafts get typed in on the Mac. It's easy, painless and there's no distractions to worry about. On further drafts, though, it's typically on the same computer as the internet. This is for a variety of reasons, mostly having to do with yWriter and RoughDraft, as well as the ability to look up certain things I want to verify.

That is the one disadvantage of using the Selectric. The thing sounds like a Thompson Submachine Gun going off, especially at night.

I think that my wife (and my dogs) would probably have me killed in a very painful way.

I like what you said about the ancient Mac. I used to love writing on one of its predecessors, the old Apple II models. No bells or whistles, no Internet, and no mammoth programs that take a year-and-a-half to load up.
Once upon a time, I had an old IBM Thinkpad with Windows 95 and an old version of Microsoft word. I used to use that for the same reason, the really nice thing about it was portability. I'm trying to find a cheap older laptop without spending the same amount as a new gaming system.

I love my Mac for what it's used for. I don't know if I could ever switch to one full-time, but as far as being the writing machine, it's great.

[Bluestone]

My method is that I start a excel file for a new MS with following sheets:

1 OUTLINE: this is where I simply have the following columns:
CHI Scene Description

the scene description is fairly open and can be changed as new ideas emerge .

2 The second sheet is named DRAFT 1
The columns are

CH Scene Desc POV No of words Timeline Remarks

Scene description is fairly short. But gives me enough of a sense.
No of words is words per scene.
In Remarks, I write down if I have any new bright ideas I may or may not use.
I also color rcode scenes if they are to be changed around later in the word document.

Then I go on to Draft 2 and hopefulyy arrive at the Final draft. These sheets always represent whatever draft of the novel I am on.

Thanks very much, Raphee. Sounds like a great idea. I'm going to work one up and see what happens. I've noticed how incredibly helpful it is to myself to have a Table of Contents for my non-fiction, so I can imagine it will save me a lot of extra work and constant "where am I?" to try an outline for fiction.

[unicornjam]

I use MS Word 2007. I write everything as one file because I write short stories.

[scribbler1382]

I do it different just about every project, but for the current book I'm using Ywriter5, Q10, Excel (for a timeline) and Freemind (for the high level overview of everything). I write in Q10 and then copy-and-paste the finished scenes into Ywriter. It seems to have cut down on my urge to edit nemesis, so far.

I also use Dropbox to keep my computers in sync and to keep a history of my work...just in case I make a change and two weeks later realize that Crack I took was a bad idea.

[darrtwish]

Office 2007. My boyfriend sent me his Office 2007, because he knew how frustrated I was with Office 2000.

[ath]

paper and pen to start with,

i like the look of a full page of paper with my (bad) handwriting all over it

(i later transfer it to ywrite or word or notepad)

[esuna]

I use yWriter for novels. I love how it keeps all my chapters and scenes separate but organized, and it's easy to rearrange or delete or add as needed. It's helped me through 2 NaNos, and the more I use it the more I like it.

For short stories, though, I'll just use MS Word. Gets the job done.

[Raphee]

Not specifically, if I know what you mean. However, it saves RTF files in folders by date every time you save, or automatically, in addition to the main project file. I can review any day's work and open the RTF for any scene that was edited that day.

It's handy when you want to go back to something you changed and see what it looked like a week ago, but it's not really a list of all changes.

Is that roughly what you meant? :)

Exactly. Thanks.
The track changes is really a great tool at the sentence level. If ywriter could have that, I'd buy in.

[Raphee]

Thanks very much, Raphee. Sounds like a great idea. I'm going to work one up and see what happens. I've noticed how incredibly helpful it is to myself to have a Table of Contents for my non-fiction, so I can imagine it will save me a lot of extra work and constant "where am I?" to try an outline for fiction.

You're welcome Bluestone.

One thing I always do at the writing stage is to make sure that my actual story and the excel sheets match. So, if I make changes to the word doc, eg addition or deletion of words, I change words per scene at the end.
I have kept at it for the past two years and kept improvising on it, with tiny details that I haven't gone into here. You'll find your way, if this suits you.

[Varthikes]

For the first seven years of my writing life after I started typing out my stories (1998-2004), I used MS Word exclusively. But then, I got OpenOffice and now use that mostly.

[jessicab_87]

I use Word. :)

[DVGuru]

Word for Mac. I recently bought an Ipod Touch and started using an app called WriteRoom for brief on-the-go writing sessions. The small touch-screen keyboard doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

When I'm writing on the computer, I generally use plain old WordPad. It does the job nicely, and can handle fairly large documents although the formatting options are minimal.

[sadron]

I wish I had Office, but they are costy these days...

[scarletpeaches]

When I'm writing on the computer, I generally use plain old WordPad. It does the job nicely, and can handle fairly large documents although the formatting options are minimal.

How do you get things into manuscript format? Do you have any other programs?

[Sean D. Schaffer]

How do you get things into manuscript format? Do you have any other programs?


OpenOffice.org's word processor. I hate using it, because it's so darned bloated and tells me I'm making a mistake when I do something it does not want me to do by default, but for manuscript formatting, it's the only thing I have that will do that particular job.

[Cybernaught]

I use Microsoft Works. It came with my computer and it gets the job done. The only problem is that a lot of email submissions want a .doc or .rtf, and when I convert a Works file to .rtf, the formatting gets all screwy.

[mariedees]

I use Writers Cafe Storylines for actual novel creation part - putting together chapters and scenes. I don't write in a beginning to end linear fashion and Storylines lets me move things around much easier that MS Word. For submissions, I export to Open Office or Word and do finally formatting with headers, footers and page numbers.

Open Office is free and will save to .doc or .rtf formats so it saves a bit of money over buying a full Word license.

Marie

[Sean D. Schaffer]

The only thing formatting-wise that I do not like about OpenOffice.org is that it does not open default Works documents. It does just about everything else under the sun, but not .wps documents. As my old machines that I bought new were all Compaqs, the main word processor on those machines was some form of Works. Most of my old documents are, therefore, saved in the .wps format that I cannot access with OpenOffice.org.
:rant:

And I really want to get my hands on an intelligible form of my old Works documents. I like some of my old stuff, and at least want to learn what I did right from those documents. The worst part of it all is, they're all on floppy diskette. I do have a diskette drive, but who's to say how long they'll stay intact on the diskettes before they're corrupted?

Maybe someday I'll have access to my stuff again. I can only hope so.

:Shrug:

[scarletpeaches]

Dammit. Makes me wish you were a bit closer, Sean. I'd burn CDs for you.

Perhaps you could ask a friend with a floppy disk drive to do just that. Maybe a local library could help you out?

But don't just burn one CD. Burn a few, and try to get everything saved onto a couple of pen drives, too. Or SD cards.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

Dammit. Makes me wish you were a bit closer, Sean. I'd burn CDs for you.

Perhaps you could ask a friend with a floppy disk drive to do just that. Maybe a local library could help you out?

But don't just burn one CD. Burn a few, and try to get everything saved onto a couple of pen drives, too. Or SD cards.


You know? I didn't think about just going into My Computer and saving until you mentioned that. :e2smack: I have both a USB Flash Drive and a CD burner on my computer. Why in the world did I not think of this before?

I guess I'm just not awake yet. :o Thank you for the help.

[scarletpeaches]

Well. There was me thinking I was being stoopid. Glad to have been of help. :D

[mariedees]

The worst part of it all is, they're all on floppy diskette. I do have a diskette drive, but who's to say how long they'll stay intact on the diskettes before they're corrupted?

According to one of the IT guys I work with, three to five years. He went to pull his thesis off of floppy disks and found that after three years they were already losing data.

I don't know much that works with .wps format other than Works and MS Word. Works always strikes me as Microsoft's way of giving you a free word processor that you'll find you have to upgrade to full Word at some time. Which is why the darn thing doesn't save in more useful formats.

Have you tried just cutting and pasting the text to something else instead of opening the file? You'll probably lose formatting but it should get the basic text there.

Marie

[sadron]

So is Open office good? I plan to get it.

[scarletpeaches]

I downloaded it, wasn't keen, deleted it again.

Once you've used MS Office 2007, everything else pales in comparison.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

According to one of the IT guys I work with, three to five years. He went to pull his thesis off of floppy disks and found that after three years they were already losing data.

I don't know much that works with .wps format other than Works and MS Word. Works always strikes me as Microsoft's way of giving you a free word processor that you'll find you have to upgrade to full Word at some time. Which is why the darn thing doesn't save in more useful formats.

Have you tried just cutting and pasting the text to something else instead of opening the file? You'll probably lose formatting but it should get the basic text there.

Marie


I have tried that a couple times. The problem is that instead of having a bunch of formatting marks at the top and bottom of the text, there's an added formatting mark between each character in other word processors.

In other words, what should say, "John walked into the living room," will now say, "J/o/h/n/ /w/a/l/k/e/d/ /i/n/t/o/ /t/h/e/ /l/i/v/i/n/g/ /r/o/o/m/." It's one of those things that just sends me through the roof when I'm trying to figure out what I've written.

Unless I can find a free word processor that opens up Works .wps files, I'm pretty much stuck insofar as opening the documents is concerned.

But at least, like you and ScarletPeaches have said, I can save my documents without opening them, onto more reliable formats such as CD or USB Flash Drive. It sounds to me like I have some shopping to do today.

[TnD]

I have tried that a couple times. The problem is that instead of having a bunch of formatting marks at the top and bottom of the text, there's an added formatting mark between each character in other word processors.

In other words, what should say, "John walked into the living room," will now say, "J/o/h/n/ /w/a/l/k/e/d/ /i/n/t/o/ /t/h/e/ /l/i/v/i/n/g/ /r/o/o/m/." It's one of those things that just sends me through the roof when I'm trying to figure out what I've written.

Unless I can find a free word processor that opens up Works .wps files, I'm pretty much stuck insofar as opening the documents is concerned.

But at least, like you and ScarletPeaches have said, I can save my documents without opening them, onto more reliable formats such as CD or USB Flash Drive. It sounds to me like I have some shopping to do today.

http://w-shadow.com/blog/2007/11/22/wps-files-explained-convert-wps-to-doc-for-free/

That should work.

[scarletpeaches]

This might work:

http://www.zamzar.com/

I just googled "free software download .wps convert" or other such combinations.

[TnD]

This might work:

http://www.zamzar.com/

I just googled "free software download .wps convert" or other such combinations.

BAH! Damn Google and their 0.0000004 second response to a search.

[C.E.Grayson]

I use word 2007, but that's only because we have it at home right now because my wife needs it for her work stuff. I save every chapter in its separate file within a larger novel folder. The one thing you have to watch out for in 2007 is that you don't accidentally save it as a 2007 .docx file. Then you can't use it on older systems, which I do when I'm at school. Keep it in compatibility mode and it's fine.

Also, i backup everything both on an external hard drive, and on my free box.net account. That way even if everything I have melts down in a fire or earthquake, tornado, or meteor strike, my work is not gone.

Speaking of which ... I'm a couple of chapters behind on that. better do it now.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

This might work:

http://www.zamzar.com/

I just googled "free software download .wps convert" or other such combinations.


Cool! I'll be looking that up momentarily. :) I appreciate the link.


ETA:

I just found another program, this one downloadable and free. It's called Docx2Rtf, and I like what I see. The new version even opens my old .wps formatted stuff and saves it by default to .rtf. I'm pretty happy, because I'm reading stuff I haven't been able to read in a very long time.

Just thought I'd let you all know what was going on with that. The Zamzar thing didn't seem to work at all, so I'm not going to be using that service again.

Anyway, that's what I wanted to mention, and I thought a double-post would be inappropriate, seeing I am the last poster on this thread, so far as I've seen yet. :)


Have a good day, everyone, and I'll talk to you all later. :)