Which Programs Are The Best For Writing?

When it comes to deciding what program to use for your writing it can be overwhelming. There are a lot of programs out there! A few authors have recently discussed this with me, and I thought it would be a good thing to mention here as well. In my opinion the tools that we use to write with can either be a help or a hindrance. And with writing it is important to get rid of as many hindrances as possible. Writer’s block is enough of a problem by itself without anything else holding us back.

I’ve spoken with quite a few people about what programs they like to use. And really from what I’m seeing it varies from person to person depending on what they are wanting from the program itself. From writing by hand, to speaking and having the computer convert that into writing, to using whatever programs are on the computer by default, there are a lot of ways to go about writing a novel. I like to use Scrivener the most.

For me personally I like to be able to put documents into folders, and section out things in a certain way that helps me keep things organized. Not only do I have my novel in a Scrivener project, but my blogs are drafted there as well (including this one!) The word count feature is something I use a lot, and it’s been helpful to see a bar at the bottom of the screen fill up as I get closer to my word count. Another thing that I like about Scrivener is that you can split the screen and have two documents showing at once. This has helped me greatly with editing, and has also helped me start new chapters, as I can read the ending of the last one while starting the beginning of the next.

I also have a section in it for deadlines, and the overall plot and timeline for the story. Along with that I’ve got a place to note edits that need to be made, and there are many sections that have detailed pages about characters and places. These things have helped me greatly in keeping details consistent. I’ve avoided many plot holes because of how Scrivener helps me keep things organized.

Another program that other authors have mentioned to me is Campfire. I haven’t tried this one out myself, but from what I’ve seen it has sections already in place for things like your places and characters, making it to where you don’t have to organize manually. For me it didn’t look like a good fit only because I organize my information differently. From what I’ve seen it does have a pretty cool user interface though. Another common program that authors use is Microsoft Word. It’s probably the most convenient in that you don’t have to install it, but it does need a monthly subscription in order to use it. I only use Microsoft Word to edit my manuscripts so that they are in a proper format for publishing.

Would I Recommend Scrivener to Everyone?

Scrivener can be great if you like to organize things in a specific way, and it has many features that are made for authors. In the end though it really depends on what you feel most comfortable with, and the only way to find that out is to try different things, or to look at what you’re already using and consider how well it is supporting your work. Many programs offer free trials, so it wouldn’t hurt to check some of them out!