Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Hey writers ... What do you use?
- Thread starter nightlong
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I use a late 2010 13" MacBook Air as my computer to write on and Scrivener software. At one time or another I've tried all of the dedicated writing software and Scrivener is the best, followed fairly closely by Storyist. You can really customize either software, set up corkboards and plot outlines.
The MBA screen is plenty big enough too. I split Scrivener into two vertical panes with an icon bar on the far left that has chapters, characters, locations, etc. The left pane is the writing window and the right pane I vacilate between one of the character files or the plot outline. There's plenty of room for all of this on my 13" screen. When I write I like to relax in my favorite chair and the MBA sits nicely in my lap and is very light. Plus the battery life is excellent.
The MBA screen is plenty big enough too. I split Scrivener into two vertical panes with an icon bar on the far left that has chapters, characters, locations, etc. The left pane is the writing window and the right pane I vacilate between one of the character files or the plot outline. There's plenty of room for all of this on my 13" screen. When I write I like to relax in my favorite chair and the MBA sits nicely in my lap and is very light. Plus the battery life is excellent.
That sounds great, amazed you can fit all that on a small screen. So you are looking down all the time when writing, with the MBA in your lap? The ergonomics sound bad but you must have worked out ways around that.
----------
Are you a scriptwriter.... ?
I do my rough/first drafts on my powermac G5. I use iCloud to sync it to my MBA if I am writing on the patio or something. When I find myself at some sort of boring event my wife has dragged me to I bring my iPad along and work on it.
When I gt o the developemenal editing or copy editing I usually switch to the MBA until the work is done so I can utilize office 2011 for collaborating with my editor and beta readers. Then I stick with the MBA for kindle formatting and the like.
I intentionally do not have photoshop on my MBA because it is so horribly under powered compared to my G5.
When I gt o the developemenal editing or copy editing I usually switch to the MBA until the work is done so I can utilize office 2011 for collaborating with my editor and beta readers. Then I stick with the MBA for kindle formatting and the like.
I intentionally do not have photoshop on my MBA because it is so horribly under powered compared to my G5.
The MBA has a C2D 1.8, SSD and 2GB RAM, but the cooling is so bad protection kicks in and swallows CPU cycles like a madman. I have found that Photoshop CS1 on my Dual 2.0 G5 with 4GB RAM and a SATAII drive kills the MBA running CS3 or CS5. Plus a lot of my games are PPC-based and I cant run rosetta on the Lion partition and I am keeping the Snow partition rosetta free.
I suppose the newest MBAs have solved a lot of the problems I complain about, but If I were to get a new MBA, I would give it to my wife and take over her 2011 MBP.
I stick with Kindle Select for my short stories and do everything for my novelettes and novellas. I used to work for Fox News and did a lot of multimedia and audio editing, but now I just do photoshop on my G5 and some writing on my MBA.
New here, but couldn't resist this thread. I've just written my first entirely original (I've done loads of fanfic, a PhD thesis, and a published spin-off novel before) book. I'm a very recent convert to OS X/iOS, and I've absolutely loved the experience of writing across these two platforms. Gnashing my teeth that I didn't make the move earlier!
Software wise I've used:
iaWriter on the iPad for notes and rough drafts.
Scrivener to write. Such an amazing app, I'd have killed to have had something like it for my doctorate.
I'm going to try Macjournal for blogging, and I realised tonight that the combination of Scrivener, Sigil and the Kindle Previewer between them creates really lovely .mobi files that should read well on any Kindle app or device.
Oh, and Preview allowed me to add text to my cover image and tweak it to my heart's content. Before I realised I could do that I was cursing Pixelmator and missing Paint.Net rather badly....but Preview's sheer ease of use blew P.N well and truly out of the water.
Software wise I've used:
iaWriter on the iPad for notes and rough drafts.
Scrivener to write. Such an amazing app, I'd have killed to have had something like it for my doctorate.
I'm going to try Macjournal for blogging, and I realised tonight that the combination of Scrivener, Sigil and the Kindle Previewer between them creates really lovely .mobi files that should read well on any Kindle app or device.
Oh, and Preview allowed me to add text to my cover image and tweak it to my heart's content. Before I realised I could do that I was cursing Pixelmator and missing Paint.Net rather badly....but Preview's sheer ease of use blew P.N well and truly out of the water.
Congratulations! Are you doing all the coding etc yourself for publishing e-book .... XHTML and e-Pub? Which computer are you using, you only mentioned iPad?
I use a 2011 MacBook Air 11.6 with Mountain Lion and latest Scrivener to write fiction (mostly Sci-Fi.) I especially like Scrivener's full screen mode.
Previously, I used a 2010 Air 11.6 with Storiest 2.0.
The text is very sharp and I have no issues using it for prolonged periods of time. I just finished Camp NaNoWriMo (June 2012) and had a few 8 hour plus days with little to no eye strain. I would highly recommend the MBA as a good writing tool!
Previously, I used a 2010 Air 11.6 with Storiest 2.0.
The text is very sharp and I have no issues using it for prolonged periods of time. I just finished Camp NaNoWriMo (June 2012) and had a few 8 hour plus days with little to no eye strain. I would highly recommend the MBA as a good writing tool!
I use Scrivener, and I vote brilliant. I think it's an excellent program which really enhances my work flow. I love the fact that I can import all my sources, data, and notes and view them side by side with the draft I am writing. I love the snap shot function - I no longer have tons of separate files with previous versions of a document. It's great for work processes that are not non linear (that would include most larger writing projects), and it's really easy to keep an overview of a large project. It also automatically syncs to Elements on my iPad (as well as Simplenote, but I prefer Elements), so my fuill draft is always with me.
Thanks for the info, Scrivener sounds great, ive been checking it out in a tutorial.
Ready to order my MBA but according to the Frustrations With Mountain Lion thread, it's still terrible to the point of unworkable with bugs. Anyone here using ML yet?
I'm still on SL, surely one of the best systems ever.
Ready to order my MBA but according to the Frustrations With Mountain Lion thread, it's still terrible to the point of unworkable with bugs. Anyone here using ML yet?
I'm still on SL, surely one of the best systems ever.
I've been I'm ML since a couple days after launch. One instance of Internet connectivity problems, otherwise no issues.
ML Works great on my 2010 Air - the battery life on the 2010's isn't as good as the 2012 anyway but it doesn't seem to have got any worse (about 4 hours as opposed to the 6-7 on 2012) and it's more of an evolution of Lion than the jump from SL-Lion. I wouldn't let ML put you off - it's worth it for the Notification Centre alone!
I can't code to save my life, sadly. I can just about tweak HTML if I must, but it ends there! I'm using an MBA 2011 base and producing my ePub sources from Scrivener. However, I wasn't entirely happy with Scrivener's version of my ToC, so I downloaded Sigil, and used the sidebar to open contents.xhtml, and removed the entries I didn't want. I then just saved the file and opened it in Kindle Previewer - and that automatically generated my .mobi.
But yes, actual coding aside, I've done everything myself. I'm also planning to do a promotional video using iMovie and Screenflow. The video will be shot using the new iPad.
Oh, and using ML. I'm another who is bemused my all the negative comments - I used my MBA for two hours earlier and I've still got 69% battery life!
I put on a workshop last Saturday with an e-publisher who used In Design, then opened in Dreamweaver where code could be checked and tweaked. Looked do-able for a non- code writer like me. But your solution, from Scrivener, sounds even better, for me, as I don't have In Design.
Neither do I, and tbh I preferred to avoid Adobe in any case. Scrivener's extremely nimble and I have it up virtually all the time. You do need to spend time tweaking the compile settings though, and it doesn't hurt to have calibre on board to check epubs - although Sigil is probably better for that anyway.
I am by no means a writer, but spend about 11 hours a day typing.
My setup is an HP 2560p for work, and a 2012 MBA for home, both have a Razer Blackwidow mechanical keyboard.
This is by far the most comfortable typing experience I have ever had, and my typing speed is massively improving.
My setup is an HP 2560p for work, and a 2012 MBA for home, both have a Razer Blackwidow mechanical keyboard.
This is by far the most comfortable typing experience I have ever had, and my typing speed is massively improving.
Okay, I might be completely dense and missing the point of this thread, but I am absolutely baffled at the hardware discussion regarding WRITING TEXT on a computer. I mean, hasn't Stephen King written REAMS and REAMS of prose on his Batman-esque Pismo G3?
I've done audio production and video production work, and for those applications (especially video), heavy iron is necessary for getting things done. Dual monitors are a must. So are gobs of RAM, fast CPUs, and rock-solid, stable and rocket-fast i/o. But writing? Word processing? Didn't we cross that threshold with the Timex Sinclair?
Software is perhaps a different story. I've used FinalDraft in the past, which is okay, but the customer service is draconian. I'd gladly switch to something else, and the Scrivener buzz has me wanting to have a look at the demo. Right now I am writing a piece of historical fiction, and I'm just using Pages, which seems to be handling the scale of it reasonably well (98,000 words/315 pp. at the halfway point). I have to finish this draft and do at least one complete rewrite and copyediting run before I need to worry about coding for Kindle/iPad/Nook e-readers. It might have been nice to have used a software aid for structuring my book, but it's really an adaptation of an earlier story from another project, so I know where its going ahead of time. Still, I'm going to give Scrivener a once-over in case it can make my life a lot easier.
I suppose if a person were were doing a large research project and wanted a lot of windows open for reference material, research findings, etc., maybe a dual monitor would be helpful. But I wouldn't think dual monitors woul be as necessary as they are for graphic designers who need a dozen palettes open; or audio engineers with sample libraries, track samples, and mixers to view and tweak; or video editors who have audio and video plug-ins and multiple video streams to pull from.
I've run dual monitors while writing, but only to have a free window to surf from when I need a small break. I certainly wouldn't NEED a second monitor to get things done.
So help me understand the hand-wringing over what hardware to use for writing, because to me it sounds a lot like a serious discussion regarding what kind of crane you'd need to lift a feather with.
I've done audio production and video production work, and for those applications (especially video), heavy iron is necessary for getting things done. Dual monitors are a must. So are gobs of RAM, fast CPUs, and rock-solid, stable and rocket-fast i/o. But writing? Word processing? Didn't we cross that threshold with the Timex Sinclair?
Software is perhaps a different story. I've used FinalDraft in the past, which is okay, but the customer service is draconian. I'd gladly switch to something else, and the Scrivener buzz has me wanting to have a look at the demo. Right now I am writing a piece of historical fiction, and I'm just using Pages, which seems to be handling the scale of it reasonably well (98,000 words/315 pp. at the halfway point). I have to finish this draft and do at least one complete rewrite and copyediting run before I need to worry about coding for Kindle/iPad/Nook e-readers. It might have been nice to have used a software aid for structuring my book, but it's really an adaptation of an earlier story from another project, so I know where its going ahead of time. Still, I'm going to give Scrivener a once-over in case it can make my life a lot easier.
I suppose if a person were were doing a large research project and wanted a lot of windows open for reference material, research findings, etc., maybe a dual monitor would be helpful. But I wouldn't think dual monitors woul be as necessary as they are for graphic designers who need a dozen palettes open; or audio engineers with sample libraries, track samples, and mixers to view and tweak; or video editors who have audio and video plug-ins and multiple video streams to pull from.
I've run dual monitors while writing, but only to have a free window to surf from when I need a small break. I certainly wouldn't NEED a second monitor to get things done.
So help me understand the hand-wringing over what hardware to use for writing, because to me it sounds a lot like a serious discussion regarding what kind of crane you'd need to lift a feather with.
In regards to the above reply, how very accurate, if a little harsh...
For serious writers, any computer that has enough memory for spellcheck should suffice...
Or are we just finding out what the "writers" are using at starbucks to look like writers?
For serious writers, any computer that has enough memory for spellcheck should suffice...
Or are we just finding out what the "writers" are using at starbucks to look like writers?
I'm a professional writer: money in exchange for words. Been doing it for 15 years. I use a 15" 2010 Macbook Pro with the 1680x1050 matte screen. Bought it on the refurb site for $1369 plus tax. Don't need a speed demon for writing; however my computer is based on the i7 2.8ghz CPU, and it's pretty darn fast.
Retina Macbook? Not in this boy's future; it's an overpriced luxury in my opinion. Way overkill for a writer. In my world, what matters most is producing clearly written prose on deadline, every time. A matte screen with lots of real estate, and a decent CPU is the only way to go. Pretty much any Macbook Pro from the last 4 years will get you those specs. Throw in Microsoft Word and you're good to go.
Now, if you're a kid who just wants to scratch out a love letter to Ms. Prissy, then buy the latest Macbook Bling Bling.
----------
This, current and future writers, is the kind of "non-professional" advice you don't want to listen to.
Word is the de-facto standard in any profession that requires a transference of ideas in word format. Except for Hollywood, which relies on specialized software to produce movie scripts and other visually appealing entertainment media. When someone says something like, "massive clunky and so PC dull old dinosaur," they obviously do not make their living in any kind of professional writing capacity. In my line of work, Word is my bible, and it's paid for itself time and time again.
Retina Macbook? Not in this boy's future; it's an overpriced luxury in my opinion. Way overkill for a writer. In my world, what matters most is producing clearly written prose on deadline, every time. A matte screen with lots of real estate, and a decent CPU is the only way to go. Pretty much any Macbook Pro from the last 4 years will get you those specs. Throw in Microsoft Word and you're good to go.
Now, if you're a kid who just wants to scratch out a love letter to Ms. Prissy, then buy the latest Macbook Bling Bling.
----------
This, current and future writers, is the kind of "non-professional" advice you don't want to listen to.
Word is the de-facto standard in any profession that requires a transference of ideas in word format. Except for Hollywood, which relies on specialized software to produce movie scripts and other visually appealing entertainment media. When someone says something like, "massive clunky and so PC dull old dinosaur," they obviously do not make their living in any kind of professional writing capacity. In my line of work, Word is my bible, and it's paid for itself time and time again.
DIS Frontman, in reply to the sarcastic elements, yes we could use a quill or typewriter. Photographers could also use equally antiquated tools. However, many new avenues are opening up for writers - avenues for their writing, and also in self-publishing via ebooks and so on, including multimedia with photos, video, etc.
So this thread isn't just for quaint novelists (as you seem to think all writers are) in some attic with fountain pen and parchment paper, it's for people using words in all manner of ways with technology. I started the thread because while I am interested in learning more about the technology I use and to better plan my upgrade steps etc, I'm a writer more than a geek and I thought it might be interesting to connect with others using Mac gear for creative word-based projects.
Like most other people, I use my computers for more than just text. Even if I didn't, I would still want the best system I could afford in terms of productivity, comfort/ergonomics, flexibility (desk and portability).
Text (and the relentless sitting required to do a lot of writing) is very demanding of eyes and body, and people who don't do much writing (just emails etc) often don't appreciate that for a writer who chooses to use technology (rather than quill), the computer, screen, desk, chair, software etc are just as important as they are to programmers, video editors etc.
So this thread isn't just for quaint novelists (as you seem to think all writers are) in some attic with fountain pen and parchment paper, it's for people using words in all manner of ways with technology. I started the thread because while I am interested in learning more about the technology I use and to better plan my upgrade steps etc, I'm a writer more than a geek and I thought it might be interesting to connect with others using Mac gear for creative word-based projects.
Like most other people, I use my computers for more than just text. Even if I didn't, I would still want the best system I could afford in terms of productivity, comfort/ergonomics, flexibility (desk and portability).
Text (and the relentless sitting required to do a lot of writing) is very demanding of eyes and body, and people who don't do much writing (just emails etc) often don't appreciate that for a writer who chooses to use technology (rather than quill), the computer, screen, desk, chair, software etc are just as important as they are to programmers, video editors etc.
lambertjohn ... thanks for the lessons in professionalism! I've been making my living as a professional writer for 43 years, and yes, like everyone, I know how 'standard' Word is. It might suit your needs, but, with new developments it doesn't continue to suit everyone's or not for every purpose.
My comments were more of a jab at the "writers" not at the Writers.
People who actually write will use any machine that works, some have different preferences, but I find a good keyboard is what makes typing easiest for me.
People who actually write will use any machine that works, some have different preferences, but I find a good keyboard is what makes typing easiest for me.