Scrivener: Not Just Any Word Processor

Oh my.

A writer I know and connected with on a message board a couple of years ago wrote to me the other day to tell me that:

(1) I rock. (I know.)

(2) I rock even more now that I’m a hardcore Mac fan. (I know!)

(3) I would continue to rock if I checked out this cool little software called Scrivener. Because you know, you’re not a real writer unless you’ve spent $40 on a program that lets you… well, write.

Well, that’s what I thought initially. The sarcastic part of me. But the geek part of me downloaded it anyway.

And wow. Wow. I’m in love.

The software was clearly created by a writer, because in a single project, you can save parts of the draft you’re working on, you can store research, you can view it all on a single page, and you can access it all in as little as a single click.

I’ve already managed to make some progress on a project that was driving me batty. If you’re bad at organization (and what kind of writer would you be if you weren’t?), you know the frustration of having research that’s scattered across a dozen web pages, stats that are in ten different files, and interviews that are all over the place.

The program makes it easy. Really, it does.

Check it out and watch this video to get a feel of it before you bother spending time learning all the ins and outs to know whether it’s for you.

Overheard in the Newsroom

My new favorite website: http://overheardinthenewsroom.com/

I’ve heard these or versions of these before:

**

Editor-in-Chief: “You know, I always hated it when the media sensationalized deaths, but now that I have a death story, I so want to do it!”

**

Photographer: “Can we find someone who’s unemployed and follow them?”
Business reporter: “I don’t know, there’s not that many.”

**

Reporter to another reporter: “The young girl’s mother is a stripper? She didn’t tell ME that when I spoke to her.”

**

“We’ll still be able to do good work for at least a few more months.”

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“Now that I threw up I should be fine.”

**

“The journalist in me loves you for doing stuff like this. But the boss in me wants to choke the crap out of you.”

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My newspaper-editor roommate leaving the house: “I’m going to Starbucks. I mean work.”

**

Editor to reporter:
“Let’s move voodoo dolls higher… because you just can’t go wrong with voodoo dolls.”

**

Editor 1: “Grammar Nazi.”
Editor 2: “I’m not a grammar Nazi. That’s the point. I’m a grammar enthusiast.”

**

Reporter: It’s raining.
Designer: Where?
Reporter: Outside.

**

I may have said some of them too.

Making Writing Fun

I’m writing this on Write or Die: Dr Wicked’s Writing Lab. I’ve set the challenge to 250 words and 10 minutes.

I’m one of those writers who sometimes needs a challenge to get work done. I love downloading new writing software, especially if they make creating fun. Yeah Write and the Q10 programs were my favorite software programs, but once I switched to a Mac, they were no longer available to me. What was fun for me about both of them was how you could work in different screens, in different formats, in different fonts and colors.

I don’t typically like blank white screens. I love black screens where the words appear in white. Even though I learned typing on a computer, the sound of typewriter keys makes me feel more creative.

When wannabe writers become professionals, we sometimes lose that creativity and that fun that drew us to writing and creating in the first place. It becomes all about deadlines, grammar, writing for the readers, and getting it right. We forget to have fun with it. We forget that the act of creating itself is what was attractive about this career and this lifestyle. Being published and paid is just icing.

Of course, if writing is your career, you should treat it as such. Write every day, submit your stories on time, treat your editors professionally, know the needs of the market, ask to be paid well for your work. But don’t forget to have fun.

Because that’s why you chose this.

Mozy.com

I’ve realized that having the right tools for your business can lead to immense cost-savings and efficiency, ultimately helping you to do things either quicker or better. As writers, traditionally, there aren’t many tools we need– a notebook, a pen. That’s pretty much it, right?

But times have changed. We no longer work on paper, but on the computer. Pretending that we can go back to those times is silly, and we do need the tools to run our businesses. I’m going to start outlining some of my favorites. Some will be free, some will cost money.

I’m going to start with something I’ve mentioned before: online backup systems.

I use Mozy.com. For about $55 a year, I get peace. I lose data fairly often for some reason, so knowing it’s in one secure location away from where I can damage it, is really good for my mental health. The reason I like online backup systems is that they’re automatic. I don’t have to buy CDs or DVDs, I don’t have to schedule backups, and I can retrieve pretty much everything, down to the last hour in case of a computer crash.

Another reason I like Mozy is the customer service. The one time I’ve had a problem, I received a very helpful answer within minutes.

There are several other online backup systems. Most will work only with Windows. Mozy is one of the few that will work with Macs.

Google Alerts

One of the most effective tools for your freelance business can be Google Alerts. How it works is simple: you create search terms, and every time something new turns up in the news or in the blogosphere with that particular search term, you’ll be sent a notification.

Some of the alerts writers can create include:

1. Your name. It’s important to know where your byline is popping up and when. By creating an alert for your name, you’ll know when people are talking about you or your work, something is published, and if someone is misusing your work.

2. Topics of interest. For instance, “Beijing Olympics.” If you’ve created an alert for that particular term, then every time there’s a mention of the Beijing Olympics in the news, you’ll be notified. Very convenient if it’s a topic you write about regularly.

3. Places of interest. Moving to another country or city? Create an alert for that location and you’ll find news, views, and other articles of interest about that location.

4. Titles of articles you’ve written. This helps to identify when there’s misuse of your work or if it’s ever plagiarized.

Any other ideas?

8 Cool Tools for Writers

*These tools are all free for download.*

1. Google Desktop
Ever had a moment where you’re trying to find a particular essay or article or news piece that you just knew you stored somewhere? You don’t remember where you saved the damn thing, and since it was untitled, you can’t remember what the file name was either. But you do remember saving it. And you do remember a particular phrase from it. Google Desktop is great for situations just like that. Finding files and folders on your computer, it’ll search through the text of them and not just the names. It’s great if you want to be able to look through e-mails and chats too.
http://desktop.google.com/

2. SAMM Submission Tracker
I’ve recommended this software dozens of times to hundreds of writers. Its features include reminding you of follow-ups and tasks that need to be done, has a place to store information about markets, stories and submissions, gives you the option of making special notes about each submission/market, has the ability to back-up; and will let you search submissions by market name/date sent out/etc.
http://www.sandbaggers.8m.com/samm.htm

3. Yeah Write Journaling Software
With colored pages and several different styled tabs, it’s almost like a real journal. Great for creativity, and very cool. If you’ve over-sensitive about keeping your journal personal, it has a feature enabling password-protection, too. There’s no Mac version, unfortunately.
http://www.yeahwrite.com

4. My Corkboard
I love this one. It can be used as a screensaver, but you can also just let it sit in the background and use it as per your convenience. It’s basically a corkboard on your computer where you can stick notes, put up framed pictures and have decorative items too. Work and fun, both in the same package.
http://www.mycorkboard.com/

5. Post-it Software Notes Lite
I’ve never met a writer who doesn’t adore Post-its. This site offers you several versions of electronic notes, including the free lite version. While it’s cool to stick real post-its to your computer screen, the electronic ones stuck to your desktop can be just as effective, if not more. Features include alarms, resizable windows, variable fonts, and several different colors to suit your style.
http://www.tucows.com/preview/337614

6. Webshots Screensaver and Desktop Wallpaper
There’s no real use for this one. But the pictures are so pretty!
http://www.webshots.com/

7. FileZilla
This is a free ftp client that can be used to upload files and pages to your website. It’s very easy to set up, very convenient, and makes uploading speedy and efficient.
http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/

8. Free PDF Writer
For those of you who can’t afford the actual Adobe Acrobat Writer, this is the way to go. The only inconvenience is that links aren’t clickable in the resulting pdf files. There are fixes available online though, if you care enough to look.
http://pdf995.com