Yesterday I blogged about some software I find useful, and promised to come back with some more today. For perhaps the first time in history I’m actually following up with one of my blog promises, so here are two more of recommendations for apps/software writers may find handy.
3. Scrivener
I came a bit late to the party on Scrivener, after hearing me old mucker Tommy Donbavand banging on about it time and time again. It’s a word processing programme, basically, but one custom built for authors and scriptwriters.
Tommy has been using the Mac version for a while, so when a Windows version came out I decided to give it a go. The Windows version isn’t yet as fully featured as the Mac one, but within a day of using Scrivener to write with I vowed never to go back to using Microsoft Word.
Short of actually writing the book for you, Scrivener does everything you could want. From creating index cards for all your scenes and chapters to keeping tabs of how close you are to reaching your daily word count targets, your ever writerly need will be met.
Format scripts, create and organise character sheets, insert notes, write your manuscript entirely out of sequence – whatever you want to do, Scrivener will be there to hold your hand. About to embark on a major rewrite? Take a snapshot before you do and you can flip between the old and the new versions to see how they compare. It even comes with the most comprehensive character name generator I’ve ever seen, for those times when you just can’t think what to call the people in your story.
Scrivener costs $40 (about £25) but there’s a one month free trial so you can have a play around with it first and see if you like it. I can pretty much guarantee you will, and considering my description above barely scrapes the surface of what Scrivener is capable of, it might just be the best money you ever spend.
4. Kindle App
Putting aside all the controversies surrounding Amazon for the moment, there’s no doubting that the Kindle has been one of the driving forces behind the ebook explosion of the past couple of years.
I very rarely read ebooks myself, but I’ve got the Kindle app installed on both my phone and my Nexus 7 tablet. Rather than buy books on it, though, I use it to read my own manuscripts, thereby saving myself the time and cost involved in printing them out.
You see, when you register with the Kindle app you get an @kindle.com email address. Any files you send to this address get added to your Kindle library. So last week, when I finished my latest book, I emailed it to my Kindle address, and it was then available to read on my tablet exactly like I’d read any other ebook.
What’s more, the app allows me to make notes, so as I read through and spot things I want to change I just long press in the area I want to change, select “Note” and can type a few words on the changes I’d like to make.
All these notes are then available to view separate from the manuscript, so I don’t have to trawl back through looking for them when I’m done. I can just call up the notes on the Kindle app, then make the changes on the manuscript in Scrivener (which, I should add, allows you to compile your manuscript into any number of Kindle friendly formats).
What’s more you don’t even have to feel guilty about supporting the tax-dodging behemoth that is Amazon, because you aren’t. You’re using their free software for your own selfish ends, and they won’t make a penny of profit from you doing it. Your conscience can remain blissfully clear, and by not printing you’re helping do your bit for the environment, too. It’s a win-win! Or a win-win-win, depending on how you look at it.
The app is available via iTunes or Google Play – just search from your phone or tablet to find the handy little bugger.
Got any apps you think other writers might find helpful? Share them in the comments below.