Writers Software Choices

One pet hate is when you pay good money for software you need to help save time and it does the complete opposite. This is frustrating to say the least. Our times as writers is precious especially when writing is not our full time role. Therefore to be facing issues with software, the one thing that allows us to put things onto paper quicker can lead to anger. 

Over the years and during writing the books in my catalogue of work, I have used many different hardware and software devices to put my thoughts down. Some have been good, whilst some have been extremely detrimental to that creative process. 

The important thing to remember before reading on is that what works for one person will not necessarily work for another. The approach that I take will not be the same as yours or should it be. The intent here is to show the development process and some of the struggles I have faced over the course of the years I have been behind a keyboard.

With that in mind what I am about to tell you probably gives you and indication of how long I have been writing. So my first device was an Amstrad 464 which shipped with a tape drive and a free word processor called Easi-AmsWord. This to date is still the best word processor I have every used, which may come as a surprise to many of you considering how basic it was but here are my reasons why.

• No spell checker. Yes that's right. It shipped as is so a dictionary was vital to ensuring you made no mistakes. At the time I had and used a thesaurus which was a trusted tool.
• Max file size. The 464 would only allow you to write so many lines before it would be unable to store any more into temp memory. This meant that you would only ever be able to write ~ 2-5 pages before backing up and moving on. This allowed for a very focused way of writing. There was no ability to go back to a previous chapter or side two different chapters side by side.
• Time to load. It took around 2-3 minutes to load up the word processor then further time to find the file you were working on and load that via the tape drive. All of this meant that once you were ready to start working you were in the zone. Today's ability to flick on and off is good but often allows for personal procrastination.
• The keyboard, oh my word the keyboard was insanely good. The right height the right depth of key for speed writing. It was a dream. Whilst we are on keyboard.

Keyboards:

So keyboards, yes this is my personal addiction. As stated above my 464 had to date my favourite keyboard. It's important to note the to date part of the previous statement. As I am always on the hunt for new ones. My second favourite keyboard is an old IMB model M. Folding spring model but this is too loud at night and keeps most of the neighbourhood awake whilst I am working.

I am currently writing this on a surface keyboard which is very good but still lacks the physical connection to a key press that earlier, sturdy keyboards provide. The recent revival of mechanical keyboards have gone a long way in reviving that experience but with a modern take. Keyboards loaded with Cherry MX or ML keys are good and allow for a very tactile experience when I am writing. The surface keyboard and its folding equivalent allow for lots of high speed word bashing without suffering the wrath of the family shouting at me for interrupting their sleep.

Back to software:

So through the years and with faster devices being made available for cheaper prices the king of the word processor dominated my writing path. Yes I am talking about Word. Love it or hate it you cannot deny that it does exactly what its supposed to do and it does it well. There are too many pros and cons for this one and over the years even MS have listened to their users to reduce some of the later whilst maintaining the for.

I have to be honest here and say that Word has been and will be my fall back tool for years to come. With the bulk of my back catalogue still sitting in .doc format.

Passing word by I moved onto Scrivener for a few years. Again this is a good tool and helped me to start writing again at speed but it also hindered it quite substantially too. Lot's of people love it but after two books I felt we had to depart ways. The process of writing seemed too complicated and if anything a word processor just like a pen is a tool to help and not hinder.

My departure with the above led to a bit of a word processing crisis for me. Do I return to the old ways and use word. Look even further back to the word perfects or push onwards to the Google equivalents.

After dabbling with a bit of nostalgia I decided to move forwards and I am now heavily seated in gdocs. Not perfect but it does allow me to collaborate at speed with my editor and other writers. Simple in nature, a hark back to the very fundamentals of what a word processor should be and for that I am happy.

The biggest single advantage however is cloud computing. An always up approach to writing, any device and connection anywhere. This is where the power in my current choice resides.

I hope this blog was of interest to you. Please remember though. What works for you is the most important choice to make. Be in Mac or PC. MS or Google. Bespoke or generic. Seek out what makes your writing sessions a success. The end of the journey is always the same, a book. The process or getting there can be infinitely different. From paper and pen to computer. Go make your choice but never be afraid to explore and seek out other peoples advice. You never know it might make you sessions more enjoyable.

Long Week: Positive Outcome

Well that was a very long week. Which unfortunately meant that I was unable to join the #5amwritersclub.

Work can be one of those distractions that aids my writing or hinders it. It all depends on the pressure. Let me explain. 

Some days work can be full on 100 mph and 12-14 hour days. When the pressure is so high it can often help to spur my writing on. As long as I can protect that 1 hour slot at 5AM. 

When work is everything and all consuming it can however impact my writing and not just by the fact that I run out of time. It can put my creativity on a negative slant. Where I rush my sessions, looking for work count over content because time is so short. 

Linking back to some of my previous posts, ensure you have the ability to notice the warning sides of this second effect. With my current work 'Top to Bottom: Working Title' the editor is keeping a mindful eye on these tell-tales. When I am working on my own the first edit is usually when I pick it up and this can often be too late. 

Today's point to take away is this: never write because you have to. Never force words because you think you need to. 

Free stuff on Amazon

Well, I almost forgot I had this one published but here it is on a free promotion for all of those people who want something fun to read.

It's short but sweet full of action and magical nonsense but I am still proud of it all the same. A total departure from my usual content.

Go check it out. Hal's Tale: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hals-Tale-Lee-Thomas-Richards-ebook/dp/B007TNWND8

The reason this little book came into life was quite simple. My eldest asked me to write her a book for her birthday. Time was short and with less than three weeks to pull it together, Hal's Tale was born.

It's a good example of how time pressure can work for you and against you. Lot's of words and OK plot, some great scenes and not a lot of editing. The last point is the reason why I have not pulled it down and reworked it, even now after all this time. It serves as a reminder of measure twice and cut once rule but when faced with the time I had and the request of a daughter something had to give. So, this book shows what can be achieved in twenty one days if you sacrificing the second and third rewrites.

One day I will go back and rework the whole thing as this version is the 'Short' version. There is a 'Longer' version kicking about in the cloud somewhere but other projects keep getting in the way.

Anyway, go read if you have the time and let me know what you think. Like or dislike all feedback, when constructive, is useful.

Thanks again for reading the blog. LT.

Chapter 22 - (Four Tips For Today)

Chapter 22 - Not making the rapid progress that I would like. 

Forcing writing is never a good idea but there are tricks you can play to over come those little writing blues we all suffer from now and again. 

In no particular order here are some of my own personal self help tips to get the thread flowing again. 

• Turn the radio / TV on or open a newspaper / magazine. Read or listen to two lines or sentences. Mash two different sources together. Write a paragraph using those subjects within your own story. This can work really well to add back story or sub plots into an area where you are struggling to progress. Sometimes straight through is not always the only answer, sometimes going around can be just as good. This trick I learnt on a creative writing course, many moons ago but it still works for me. 
• Alter your surroundings but do no procrastinate. A change is as good as a... Yep that old chestnut but this works for me too. Change where you are working, alter you outlook. Go look out of a different window. Sit in a Café, listen to other people talking but not in a scary way. Also, exercise, go for a walk or play a game anything to pull you away from what you actually are stuck on. 
• Music, yes this one works really well for me too. In short when I write I often imagine the story in music most likely because I am always writing to music. So it naturally becomes the soundtrack for the final novel. To the point where if I hear a piece of music it will link me to the chapter or the plot I was working on at the time it was added. This trick can help pull you back into the frame and mind set of wiring again. 
• Chat to your editor, this is the replay trick. Talk to the person who is working of the last few chapters you wrote. It's amazing what information you can gleam from this experience. How they expect the book to progress based on the work they have recently edited. You can almost use them as a metronome, a simple beat beat to keep you on track. This last one is a new one for me as this is the first book I have written with an editor on board from the beginning. Note, this could be anyone not just an editor but bouncing ideas off people is always handy.

Just four tips for today because you may have guess I am blogging and not writing, so maybe four tips but this one could fit into option two. 

Well hopefully this was of some use to anyone who take the time to read it. Please let me know if it was either through the website or via twitter, twitter is where I am most active at the moment. 

• If all of this fails the go for the nuclear option and kill off a main character. Only kidding don't do this. This is bad.

Update: So a quick writing session with my eldest was all it took. The eyes of a child is an amazing thing. The ideas they can come up, instantly and without preconception of what is good an bad is truly amazing.

So with all of that in mind, I am back on it. Hammering the keys, well not too had as I'm not totally sure that this keyboard would take it.

Chapter 22 - Writers block

So, lots going on here today.

It is officially my last day of a two week break where the main subject matter was:

1. Spend quality time with the family
2. Spend time making the dog a normal pet and not the muppet he is (puppies)
3. Write
4. Write
5. Game in VR
6. Game in D3

Tick box in all of them, apart from 2 where I swear the dog is being a muppet on purpose just to wind me up.

So back to points 3&4, as some of you may be aware I have been working on a new book with an editor. Yes you read that correctly, an editor. 

A simple project with big promise and as I have already stated in previous posts the editor has both been a blessing and a curse.

• A blessing - Allows me to write at full pace without really having to do any one the fly edits.
• A curse - Always chasing me to produce more, faster, quicker.

The second part is not really and issue as I can write under pressure and usually this is when I produce my best stuff. The first part is a blessing as I feel unhindered by the fact I can just brain dump the story at the speed I can hit the keys.

Like many writers though, the end nigh. We are almost there, another book ready to put on the shelf. However with this one, the plan is slightly different. I have turned over the task of seeking publication to the editor. Yes, delegation is awesome.

Chapter Eighteeen...Chapter 19...no wait 20...wait what...

[Written sometime ago]

So here we are chapter eighteen. Two more to go and then the end will be upon yet another book. One more for the shelf, another set of dreams and nightmares commited to paper.

So now that is out of the way. Interestingly like I always seem to do I was heading for the end. The decision had been made. Chapter eighteen was going to be the crest of the wave that allowed me to start wrapping things up. So where's the but, well here it is.

After starting eighteen 'the altogether' for those that end up reading it in the future or if you find this blog retrospectively it will make sense. Eighteen was going well, all nicely flowing and then I had another thought 'the what if'.

So eighteen suddenly became twenty one and now I am back to adding yet more twists and turns to an already convoluted plot line. I think I still have handles on all the strings but it is getting pretty crowded now. This will all make sense when you read it but the point here is to build to a moment where everyone in the book is thrown together. You the read know how each character came to be in that place and at that time.

It's still going well, progressing nicely through the word count that we writers live and die by. The good session and the bad counter. Yet part of me is looking forward to getting to the end now. What started out as a short story premise has grown and grown to the point where it is now its only animal. There is nothing wrong with this but it is a little daunting to think that it all has to come off in the end and have I led you all to the point where it is going to payoff.

[Written 03/04/2018]

So, here's the really interesting thing. Twenty one got bumped to twenty two and even more sub plots and main narrative has been added. 

It's amazing what two weeks off work will do to for you writing. When work is not the distraction that it always tends to be, lets be honest here it has to be because it pays the bills. 

I was looking back at some of my early stories, early works still unedited and unpublished and it made me think long and hard about how to get them onto the shelf. I think this is why I finally bit the bullet and excepted help in the form of my current editor. It really is refreshing to think that as fast as I can write it he can edit it. The more I put to page, the better the chance is of us getting out there in a more structured fashion.

After all, we write to be read. What's the point in having it static on a hard drive where no one else can see it. For all its good and its bad points.