Writing gizmos
So…. I have been muddling through writer’s block. As you might notice from my posts, it’s been a while since I’ve shared anything.
Ugh! It’s been a struggle and my old tricks are not sparking any sustainable source of inspiration. I feel absolutely plugged up. Anyways, I’m not going to drone on about my blockages. Hahaha! That could be a topic for another day.
What I have to share is that in my quest for my writing muses, I’ve stumbled upon writing tools. There are all sorts. The big kahuna most writers praise is Scrivener from Literature & Latte. It’s a super powerful word processor that can keep up with a writer’s busy mind — no matter if the writer writes non-fiction, screenplays, or fiction stories. I have this software… and I have installed it, uninstalled it, installed it again, and currently it is uninstalled.
Why? Not because it doesn’t work. It does. I’ve never had a problem with the software being glitchy. As far as my experience, the software was solid and reliable. The software also delivered what it promised to help organize a writer’s mind.
What was the problem? I couldn’t figure out how to use it properly. It does so much sh**, I got overwhelmed. My circuits fried and the tool became useless to me. The learning curve was too steep for me to stick with it. I fell off the cliff so to speak. Yes. I watched YouTube tutorials, read articles, and I think I even downloaded a few ebooks on it. I burned out trying to figure how to make it work for me and I never got any writing done.
Moral of the story? Scrivener is an awesome tool for many writers, but not for me. I actually feel like I’m breaking some kind of writer code by saying this publicly. Scrivener is hailed as the go-to-writing-software by some of the biggest names. I should use it and I can be a great writer too! Well, I tried and failed. Scrivener just isn’t the right fit for me.
And, I suppose that’s the bigger lesson in this post. Every writer is different. We have different rituals, styles, inspirations, and tools. What works for one will not necessarily work for the next. As writers, we have to customize our tools to how we work and how we think.
Currently, I’m playing around with Novel Factory. So far, I’m liking it. There are articles and tips readily available to guide you through the sections. There’s also a questionnaire to help you flesh out your character. For me, I do well with guidance and this makes me feel like I have a navigator next to me. Like Scrivener, Novel Factory also provides a free-trial period. That’s what I’m using right now. The cool thing is that the free trial is a full version of the software, so you get to play around with all the tools and decide whether it will really work for you.
If after my 30-day trial, I decide Novel Factory will not work for me, I’m still in good shape. I have Word in my laptop. The best part is that Word has been by my side forever. It’s a staple and I know how to use it.
If you’re interested in exploring writing gizmos check out this article from Just Publishing Advice. It provides more details on 15 Free Writing Softwares. Enjoy!
p.s.
I’m not an affiliate for any of the products listed.
50 Free Writing Software Tools And The Best Free Writing Apps
Photo cred:
Photo by Olloweb Solutions on Unsplash
