Haha, well as a fire sign, I identify with that 🙂 I basically agree, I think Scrivener combined with a distraction free app offer the best of both worlds. I used to mostly use iaWriter and then switched to Byword due to the publishing feature. Now Ulysses might take the place of those, I'm not sure yet - primarily due to the combo of database organisation and distraction free environment. I've taken to writing more on my MBA and less on my iPad, though. I think that's because even when I write 'distraction free', I frequently consult sources or data and so on, and that kind of multi tasking is just much easier on the MBA.
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Hey writers ... What do you use?
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Haha, well as a fire sign, I identify with that 🙂 I basically agree, I think Scrivener combined with a distraction free app offer the best of both worlds. I used to mostly use iaWriter and then switched to Byword due to the publishing feature. Now Ulysses might take the place of those, I'm not sure yet - primarily due to the combo of database organisation and distraction free environment. I've taken to writing more on my MBA and less on my iPad, though. I think that's because even when I write 'distraction free', I frequently consult sources or data and so on, and that kind of multi tasking is just much easier on the MBA.
Well, being a fire sign you surely have the inner vision to look at a 13" MBA screen and see 30" retina. Ha ha.
You mentioned a while ago that you were looking for an external screen. Did you get one?
My multitasking extreme is ... scrivener full screen on iMac, research and mind-map and suchlike on Dell screen, iPad attached to iMac with hoverbar for Internet things. I hardly ever use laptop at a desk, the screen is too small. I use that with scrivener on its own in various places, at home and away.
And to think, I wrote a 400-page non-fiction book on a (forget what exactly) but a beige macintosh with the disk drive in the front, and my Scrivener was paper everywhere stuck to walls, in piles on the floor and every surface, and my mobile technology was a tiny micro cassette recorder and email was through a then super hi tech fax machine! Wow, faxing stories to other countries instead of sending them on fragile disks, it was hard to imagine anything more globally connected than that!
So everything is better and easier now in my gadget-laden world?
All but the encroaching sand of connectivity and the fragmentation of multi-tasking.
So my iPad as typewriter with internet off is one method of banning multitasking for periods of time. I don't turn my phone off but family and friends know that if I don't answer and they do need to contact me right now to ring again immediately.
So everything is better and easier now in my gadget-laden world?
All but the encroaching sand of connectivity and the fragmentation of multi-tasking.
So my iPad as typewriter with internet off is one method of banning multitasking for periods of time. I don't turn my phone off but family and friends know that if I don't answer and they do need to contact me right now to ring again immediately.
What's that you're trying to imply about fire signs there? 😀
The stuff in bold sounds awesome 😎
I didn't get my own screen in the end, because I changed jobs and just connected up to a screen there, as I'm doing most of my writing in the office at the moment. The few days I work from home, I'm OK with the MBA and iPad combo. But it's great to be able to work on the external monitor and the MBA screen, supplemented by the iPad.
I know, the transformations I've seen since I went to school to now are just enormous. I'm in the middle of arranging a mid sized academic conference, and I just can't imagine what doing that work would be like without the use of email and other digital tools. All papers for reviews submitted by fax 😱😱😱 The horror!!
Of course, for those of us who don't write for a living, this thread is one giant procrastinationathon. Choosing software? all we need is a notepad (or similar) after all... We should be writing.
But I agree with those who say that Scrivener works well in tandem with a bare bones "just write" app like IaWriter
But I agree with those who say that Scrivener works well in tandem with a bare bones "just write" app like IaWriter
BenTrovato
macrumors 68040
Haha that's true. I use Scrivener but you know what... I've gone back to using Notepad or Word and then when I have enough content I put it into Scrivener to organize it better.
Procraastination is the key to writing!
"Writers are human beings for whom the act of writing is more difficult than others." I think the quote belongs to Voltaire, but regardless, the sentiment is accurate. Were it not for discussions about software and screens and keyboards, well a writer might have to... The horror. The horror. 🙂
"Writers are human beings for whom the act of writing is more difficult than others." I think the quote belongs to Voltaire, but regardless, the sentiment is accurate. Were it not for discussions about software and screens and keyboards, well a writer might have to... The horror. The horror. 🙂
I use Sublime Text and plain text format for notes, and generally write screenplay stuff in Final Draft.
Also for screenwriting, been experimenting with Fountain, which is a plain text based language you can use to write formatted scripts:
http://fountain.io
It works beautifully with an app called Highland (highly recommended). Lets you jump pretty seamlessly between Final Draft, text, and PDF.
Also for screenwriting, been experimenting with Fountain, which is a plain text based language you can use to write formatted scripts:
http://fountain.io
It works beautifully with an app called Highland (highly recommended). Lets you jump pretty seamlessly between Final Draft, text, and PDF.
Another famous writer (forget who) quote: you can have a clean house OR you can write.
I also use Highland/fountain, referenced it quite a few times in this thread. Final Draft 9, which I've been using for months by way of beta testing, is now out to the public.
Final Draft 9
Just picked up FD 9. Nice to see Retina Display work. I wish that FD allowed custom zoom settings, e.g., I prefer to work at 135%, not 125% or 150%. Oh, well.
Adam Rodman
Just picked up FD 9. Nice to see Retina Display work. I wish that FD allowed custom zoom settings, e.g., I prefer to work at 135%, not 125% or 150%. Oh, well.
Adam Rodman
eclipse
macrumors 6502a
BenTrovato
macrumors 68040
Hey writers... a fun question for you today.
What font do you write in?
Now I don't want to know what the standard fonts are for your submission format, or submission. What font do you like to see your words in while you write?
What font do you write in?
Now I don't want to know what the standard fonts are for your submission format, or submission. What font do you like to see your words in while you write?
I have had many favorites over the years, but these daysI use two fonts more than any other. My everyday font is Eterna which is available for free and which resembles Zapf Humanist -- one of my all time favorites. That goes into pretty much every business document, and even my emails.
Because I am a screen and television writer I am stuck with Courier. The Windows Courier was UGGGGGGLLLLEEEE and a small business arose out of fixing it. My favorite is a freely available font designed by John August called Courier Prime. It is quite lovely, though on occasion I will use the Final Draft Courier that comes with that program. Courier Screenplay and Courier Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000 are also quite good.
Prime has a little more weight to it than some of the others. The serifs have also been attended to nicely. FD Courier is well proportioned and a little more sharply defined. I like the MM SW 2000 serifs which are slightly exaggerated compared to the others. Courier Screenplay is practically invisible, which is to say it does not stand out in any one area, but rather, is nicely balanced all around.
I am, for better or worse, a connoisseur of Courier fonts. And if you want to avoid writing, I suggest you play with all of these -- at length! 🙂
Adam Rodman
Because I am a screen and television writer I am stuck with Courier. The Windows Courier was UGGGGGGLLLLEEEE and a small business arose out of fixing it. My favorite is a freely available font designed by John August called Courier Prime. It is quite lovely, though on occasion I will use the Final Draft Courier that comes with that program. Courier Screenplay and Courier Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000 are also quite good.
Prime has a little more weight to it than some of the others. The serifs have also been attended to nicely. FD Courier is well proportioned and a little more sharply defined. I like the MM SW 2000 serifs which are slightly exaggerated compared to the others. Courier Screenplay is practically invisible, which is to say it does not stand out in any one area, but rather, is nicely balanced all around.
I am, for better or worse, a connoisseur of Courier fonts. And if you want to avoid writing, I suggest you play with all of these -- at length! 🙂
Adam Rodman
Times New Roman is my creature of habit font ... Like a pair of old shoes, feels comfortable for writing as I've been using it so long. Also like the plain clean font in IA Writer.
Also like some typewriter style fonts. Can't remember why TNR became my default, perhaps lots of magazines I wrote for used that.
BTW, if you download or update Box app, you now get 50GB free cloud storage. Apps for IOS and OSX free on App Store.
Another app I'm finding useful on iPad is Cloud On, has MS Office built in, saves in docx in Box, but you can link Dropbox, google drive, and others, and easily switch between them. It is like getting a file system and external drives on iPad.
Also like some typewriter style fonts. Can't remember why TNR became my default, perhaps lots of magazines I wrote for used that.
BTW, if you download or update Box app, you now get 50GB free cloud storage. Apps for IOS and OSX free on App Store.
Another app I'm finding useful on iPad is Cloud On, has MS Office built in, saves in docx in Box, but you can link Dropbox, google drive, and others, and easily switch between them. It is like getting a file system and external drives on iPad.
And
macrumors 6502
A great thread...
For me, I'm writing using three machines in different locations, technical writing mainly. I would love to use Scrivener, but one of my machines is PowerPC:
Intel mac mini, 24" monitor.
PowerMac G5, 19" monitor.
Macbook air 11" screen.
I just have everything, including support docs, in a folder on Dropbox. Currently using Word 2008. Though I use text wrangler for making notes. I'm sure I'm complicated things more than needed, but I seem to be productive with this set up at the moment.
For me, I'm writing using three machines in different locations, technical writing mainly. I would love to use Scrivener, but one of my machines is PowerPC:
Intel mac mini, 24" monitor.
PowerMac G5, 19" monitor.
Macbook air 11" screen.
I just have everything, including support docs, in a folder on Dropbox. Currently using Word 2008. Though I use text wrangler for making notes. I'm sure I'm complicated things more than needed, but I seem to be productive with this set up at the moment.
PeterJP
macrumors 65816
First mac!
A very interesting thread, indeed.
I never really thought of myself as a writer, but looking back, my memories prove me wrong. When I was 16, I edited many small newspapers for the street where I lived, though I never distributed them. I also edited the newspaper in our class. After my studies, documentation in all forms has always been a large part of my job. In the end, I've written about computer software and hardware, Zen Buddhism, company organisation and many other topics.
I have been considering a book or two for at least a year, but the project seems a bit too overwhelming, which is a great way for me to start postponing the writing. So I set my targets lower, as far as the length is concerned. I have nearly 10 subjects that I can write an essay on. The idea of an essay of 5-15 pages came while reading the interesting Aeon magazine online.
Because I get distracted at home (by forums like this), I decided to take the plunge and to splash out on an MBA 11" 8/256. It's more than I need for writing only, but I will use it for some coding, too, and I might need a virtual machine from time to time. I was considering the 13" rMBP. The main advantage is, obviously, the screen. The disadvantages are: more weight, more expensive and more fragile. I read that the glass of the screen is really rather thin. Since I travel mostly by bicycle, I don't want to break an expensive computer by strapping it on the luggage holder. The 11" is so small and light (and doesn't require an adapter all day) that I can just put it in my shoulder bag.
I've used Scrivener on my PC for some time, but I haven't purchased it yet. I don't know if I'll need it for the shorter format I'll be working on. I can try it out on my Mac as well and I should really go through the tutorial. Particularly the compile stage is pretty complicated. For most work, I think I'll be using a distraction free writing tool, preferably freeware. I have an MS Office license that I need for professional assignments, so I can format documents in Word. And the Mac comes with a free copy of Pages, which I'm looking forward to try out. To work out my ideas into a structure and an argument, I used to use outliners but now I've reverted back to pen and paper. It goes quicker for a real structure. Outliners work great for lists, though, like the topics for essays.
So, a new toy to look forward to. And with it comes a new way of working for me: I'm trying out coffee shops and coworking spaces. The 11" will get a lot of work that way!
A very interesting thread, indeed.
I never really thought of myself as a writer, but looking back, my memories prove me wrong. When I was 16, I edited many small newspapers for the street where I lived, though I never distributed them. I also edited the newspaper in our class. After my studies, documentation in all forms has always been a large part of my job. In the end, I've written about computer software and hardware, Zen Buddhism, company organisation and many other topics.
I have been considering a book or two for at least a year, but the project seems a bit too overwhelming, which is a great way for me to start postponing the writing. So I set my targets lower, as far as the length is concerned. I have nearly 10 subjects that I can write an essay on. The idea of an essay of 5-15 pages came while reading the interesting Aeon magazine online.
Because I get distracted at home (by forums like this), I decided to take the plunge and to splash out on an MBA 11" 8/256. It's more than I need for writing only, but I will use it for some coding, too, and I might need a virtual machine from time to time. I was considering the 13" rMBP. The main advantage is, obviously, the screen. The disadvantages are: more weight, more expensive and more fragile. I read that the glass of the screen is really rather thin. Since I travel mostly by bicycle, I don't want to break an expensive computer by strapping it on the luggage holder. The 11" is so small and light (and doesn't require an adapter all day) that I can just put it in my shoulder bag.
I've used Scrivener on my PC for some time, but I haven't purchased it yet. I don't know if I'll need it for the shorter format I'll be working on. I can try it out on my Mac as well and I should really go through the tutorial. Particularly the compile stage is pretty complicated. For most work, I think I'll be using a distraction free writing tool, preferably freeware. I have an MS Office license that I need for professional assignments, so I can format documents in Word. And the Mac comes with a free copy of Pages, which I'm looking forward to try out. To work out my ideas into a structure and an argument, I used to use outliners but now I've reverted back to pen and paper. It goes quicker for a real structure. Outliners work great for lists, though, like the topics for essays.
So, a new toy to look forward to. And with it comes a new way of working for me: I'm trying out coffee shops and coworking spaces. The 11" will get a lot of work that way!
eclipse
macrumors 6502a
I was about to chuck using Scrivener simply because I couldn't find how to search and replace for the entire project! Found it. 🙂
But if you're not writing huge things, freeware is good. Try LibreOffice. What I figure is that even if software is free, there is still an immense 'cost' in your time and money. I like to keep my Libreoffice hand in simply because I know I'll *always* have it for free, and it is pretty much the same on Mac, Linux, or PC. That means I can help my kids with it when they want to use it. In other words, that 'cost' pays off in not having to buy microsoft for my kids.
A good plan ... Writing shorter things before attempting a novel if it seems overwhelming. I did that, with journalism, which progressed to columns and essay-like long opinion pieces. All writing helps to develop skills and writing workshops can help too, but IMO the only way to learn how to write a novel is by doing it.
I found it very difficult when I still had to work full-time and had lots of other calls on my time, I had to be very strict with time management, and disciplined ... writing fiction in the time set aside for that whether I felt like it or not otherwise it was just never going to happen.
eclipse
macrumors 6502a
1 million books were printed last year in America alone, and another 2 million were ebooks. The chances of any of us wannabe fiction authors are a million to one. 🙁
BenTrovato
macrumors 68040
Sure... but there are over 300 million people in the US, and over a billion people in the world can read English (if that is the language you are writing in). So that's a pretty big market to grab a piece of. It's just a matter of being dedicated and producing something great. It's hard work but anyone can set their mind to it. Don't give up 🙂
