[PUBLIC POST] Tools of the trade

[ljwrites]

What do you write with? What's your workflow like? Is there particular software that you like to use for certain purposes, or do you prefer writing in longhand and transcribing to a computer later on? Has technology affected your writing process in any way?

I have a mix of processes. Generally I like Scrivener for its ability to organize snippets of writing and to keep all my research in the same place, but its lack of mobile options means I use Evernote a lot when I'm away from my computers. I'm also fond of longhand writing when I'm in libraries and on public transport. This means I have a lot of scattered notes and bits in different places, all of which I swear I'm going to transcribe to my Scrivener project someday.

A major boon for research purposes is Zotero, a citations database program where I can organize my citations and take extensive notes, with search and tag functions available for later reference. Like Scrivener via Dropbox and Evernote it's all synchronized online, meaning it's automatically backed up and available on whatever machine I log into.

The availability of cloud and synchronization technology like Dropbox, Evernote, and Zotero made things easier in some ways and gave me peace of mind in the form of automatic backup, but I also have a lot of paper notes that are one careless placement or a house fire away from getting lost forever. Better get to it, I guess.

Comments

[inkdust]

I sure wished I hadn't let my left hand practice drop off when I splashed hot oil on my right hand the other week. In the end I was able to write again quickly, but that first night I would have been very happy not to be tripped up.

Scene order collections is something to remember... I've switched things around quite a bit as well.

I typically only use Scrivener on one computer, so I haven't run into issues with conflicting versions so far. But from the few times I've left a Word document open on my computer, edited something on my phone and then forgot to refresh the open document, I would not want to deal with that with a large Scrivener work.

I LOVE your OneNote/Evernote analogy. And "it's awfully...green." I had a very good laugh.

[ljwrites]

I'm so sorry to hear that! How's your hand? I've never picked up much speed with my own left-handed writing but practice sounds like a good idea all of a sudden.

EverNote really is solid yet stolid. And OneNote has actual multiple colors, which is definitely a plus. XD

[inkdust]

Hand is fully recovered! This is, oddly, three weeks to the day. It only had one small blister, so it healed well and there are just a few faint marks left. Unluckily, exactly a week after the burn (watch out for Tuesdays, I swear) I got caught in a retractable dog leash, between a dog and a squirrel, so now I also bear an impressive red scar from one side of my knee all the way around the back to the other. It was like extremely concentrated rope burn, do not recommend. And I'm such a risk-averse person, I experienced more injury in those two weeks than I have in the past ten years. So let's say I'm set for the next ten, right?

[ljwrites]

Ouuuuch. Keeping my fingers crossed that you are, indeed, set for the next ten years.