For those of you who write creative fiction, do you use any other software besides a word processor?

I use Final Draft for screenplays (or did until work started requiring so much time and energy that I stopped writing).

Sigh.

Nope.

Nope.

No.

Wait -- I use a ton of post-it notes. Does that count?

Until they make a easier formatting program for fiction and non-fiction writers that isn't a screenplay program, I stick with just Word (I really hate Word.. I started with Word Perfect long time ago, and gave up the fight when everything went to Office at the place I worked.. I was the last holdout, so the IT people was glad to see me give in.)

So until they make a software program that will allow you to set parameters for various publishers and formats without delving deeply into Word's setups then I am just going to write and edit then format after I am done. :)

No. I occasionally mess around with some of those "creative writing" apps, but I never used any of them.

I occassionally use Microsoft OneNote, as it's a pretty easy way to keep a bunch of separate documents organized in tabs and such, but for the most part, it's MSWord... although sometimes I'll use Notepad for online stuff, because the plain text copies-and-pastes better.

Has anyone used LaTex? I've never seen it, but isn't it supposed to be for formatting large documents?

I always used latex to keep from getting dishpan hands...and to keep the squigglies from slipping into the Egg of Doom.

Has anyone used LaTex? I've never seen it, but isn't it supposed to be for formatting large documents?

I used to use LaTex when I was in college. From what I remember, it's used a whole lot by the research community to publish papers, that sort of things. Not sure if they've put some sort of GUI for it, but it was pretty rough back then, like a text HTML editor would be...

FM

You honestly don't need to worry about formatting...just worry about writing. The formatting thing won't come along until you're looking to publish, and at that point it takes about half an hour or so to format a manuscript.

Sadly, there are no shortcuts for the real business at hand. :)

I'd like software that would write what I'm thinking rather than me having to type it out. A feature that would also figure out the complex plot bits would be good, too.

I'd like software that would write what I'm thinking rather than me having to type it out. A feature that would also figure out the complex plot bits would be good, too.

Well, just send in your application and fee to the local Tommyknockers guild...I'm sure they'll be happy to hook you up.

For screenplays, I would say Movie Magic Screenwriter. Great for formatting.

Now if you are talking novels, just use MSWord. Since each publisher has their own formatting guidelines, you can't really use just one template. However, if you write screenplays and novels, Movie Magic Screenwriter does have a few novel writing templates that you can fudge with, but I haven't used them much.

...A feature that would also figure out the complex plot bits would be good, too.

Have you ever tried Dramatica Pro. It is a great little program for creating and tracking plot points. However the theory behind it took a while for me to grasp, so I wondered if you had an opinion on the software one way or another.

Dramatica Pro is a decent program, helps generate ideas and plot ideas and twists that you might not normally think of, and would help newcomers and experienced folks.

I just didn't like the price format for what you got.

Now if you are talking novels, just use MSWord.

Interesting suggestion coming from someone who pimps a freeware/shareware website. :)

I personally use OpenOffice for pretty much everything I used to use MS Office for now.

Dramatica Pro is a decent program, helps generate ideas and plot ideas and twists that you might not normally think of, and would help newcomers and experienced folks.

I just didn't like the price format for what you got.

I found a demo of it: http://www.screenplay.com/Support/demos/index.html

Messing around with it now, but it sells for $200 on Amazon and that seems really expensive to me (someone who writes just as a hobby/for fun).

Interesting suggestion coming from someone who pimps a freeware/shareware website. :)

I personally use OpenOffice for pretty much everything I used to use MS Office for now.


I've tried OpenOffice twice now and didn't like it either time and switched back to MSoffice.

I've tried OpenOffice twice now and didn't like it either time and switched back to MSoffice.


Actually I do a lot of work in flowcharts and other things that Microsoft Office doesn't include in their main Office suite, and I find that while it takes a little getting used to, i can have the things I create set up for emulation into Office and can send and receive things that Office doesn't have issues with.

I just find that most word processors have been dumbed down and made too simplistic and easy for the masses, and feature heavy for most writers.

I remember using Wordstar and Bank Street Writer back in my Commodore 64 days. :)

I have also tried 602 Suite PC Write, Lotus Word Pro, ThinkFree Office Write, and yWriter, (I might have to pull out yWriter again and see if it works better than the last time I tried it.) http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter.html

Steve Gerber (who created Howard the Duck among other things) came up with a comic-book template for MS Word, and I use that for my comic-booky things. I use Final Draft when I dabble in screenwriting.

Have you ever tried Dramatica Pro. It is a great little program for creating and tracking plot points. However the theory behind it took a while for me to grasp, so I wondered if you had an opinion on the software one way or another.

I actually meant something that would do all of the thinking for me. :)

That said, I looked at Dramtica Pro back in the day. Seems like a decent program for folks who want to write a novel but don't know how to organize their thoughts or get going on a big project. It might also prove useful for those novelists who work on more than one novel at a time (to keep their plots and details straight, especially if they're going to frequently be coming back to latent projects after a few weeks away). Other than that, it's way overkill.

I used to have a freeware/stripped down version of Dramatica-type software, but I never used it, so eventually deleted it. Realize that I'm also a seat-of-my-pants writer who doesn't even use an outline, so most of Dramatica's features wouldn't do me any good. I simply wouldn't have any idea what to put in most of the buckets until I'm already well into writing it.

Thanks for the information.

I submitted a short story to a writing forum, the same story I posted on the dynasty board, and have yet to get any feedback.

I hope it's not horrible.

Post it here. Nobody 'round these parts is afraid to tell you if you suck. ;)

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=57704

Flame Away!

So has anyone had some success writing? Any novels or screenplays? I decided to take a creative writing class this sesmester and one of my assignment was to write a short story. Anyway my professor recommended that I expand on my short story and make it a movie. So I am guessing Final Draft would be the program for me right?

So has anyone had some success writing? Any novels or screenplays? I decided to take a creative writing class this sesmester and one of my assignment was to write a short story. Anyway my professor recommended that I expand on my short story and make it a movie. So I am guessing Final Draft would be the program for me right?

Drake's written and published at least one novel IIRC... I've got many scatterings of short stories and novels, but nothing concrete, unfortunately... My dynasties are the closest I've come to a completed work.

Drake's written and published at least one novel IIRC...

http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Hostile-Gods-Darren-Hawkins/dp/1931095752
True. I have it, I read it, I liked it. Good work, Drake!