I am currently using LivingWriter and so far it is really working for me. About the only thing I miss is an actual timeline for those of us who really need to see dates laid out in front of them. Other than that though the program is great! I tried scrivener but that was just way to complicated for me. I spent more time trying to figure out how to do things than I did actually writing.
Glad to hear that LivingWriter works for you! I haven't heard from anyone else who uses it, so I'm glad to know its a good tool. Scrivener is for sure not for the faint of heart. I looked at it, and was so confused lol. I prefer much more accessible programs myself as well!
Scrivener is fantastic! And you don't have to pay for updates you just download it. Also I just save the file in iCloud or Onedrive and make it autosave.
Ah! That's good to know :) That for sure makes it a better choice among some of these then. I can see why it is so popular! I just think the look of it for me is just unintuitive so I shy away from it.
I have scrivener 3 and i rly dont know what ppl like in it... :( Much better i like write in word pad or nano, still best for me is wordstar4.0 on my win 98 dos pc, Just best.
Scrivener was a standard writing tool for a long time, but it's very outdated now. They refused to embrace a web/cloud platform and they are going to get left behind They had a headstart over most everyone else, but have largely squandered the opportunity.
@@swbuza while I see your point, I don't think it's outdated. I think it is great for people who want the features it offers that other platforms do not offer. Until other cloud-based platforms offer the same features and still manage data privacy concerns that are common with cloud-based writing software, I don't think it's obsolete at all.
this is fascinating to me because i never even considered that software like this would exist but of course it does! haha you're always teaching me the backend of writers and i appreciate it
I switched from Dabble to LivingWriter. I am a visual person and like the board option allowing you to move around scenes and story elements and the mobile version is on par with the desktop one. Scrivener doesn't have cloud or mobile version.
Never really understood the draw to cloud based programs. I've encountered so many sync issues with every online software I've used. That said, I really enjoy scrivener, Vellum, and Notion.
I use MS Word for composing my manuscripts. I have an ASUS laptop which uses cloud computing (much like a Chromebook), so I pay a $79 yearly fee to re-up my Microsoft license, and that gives me access to all the software. I chose this laptop because it came with Microsoft Word, and as you mentioned, it is the industry standard. I didn't use it to format my manuscript prior to self-publishing on Amazon, but for my next WIP I'm working on now I was gonna give it a shot and see how it works. Since I pay for it, I might as well use it for that too.
Thank you for the extra information, Keith! What have you been using to format your book for publishing? I'm excited to hear how your current WIP goes!
@@EmilyReadsBooks for my first book (The Children of Nowhere), I just submitted the document file to KDP having already worked it so that it was formatted for Kindle and other e-book devices. It came out fine. Paperback versions, however, came out a bit different, and a few of the chapter breaks are off, with the chapter number and sometimes the first line of text appearing at the bottom of the last page of the prior chapter. Anyway, when I get ready to publish my next, I'll use the MS Word formatting tools to do it right. Anywho, I'll keep ya updated, no sweat! 👍
Cloud Based? - No thank you, if something can fail, It Will. Buy what you need and use it forever. Subscription Software in my experience is a nightmare - you may get the subscription canceled only to find it comes back and the horror of cancelation starts over again.(Bank Robbers). Maybe I should use Cuneiform and write on clay tablets (Joke).
I use NovelAi to randomly generate the lore, names, and locations. Because that would take me forever to think up. Plus my names would sound childish, dumb, or boring. I just re-generate the text if it repeats, not on topic, or too dumb.
Do you drop it in a specific Discord server or what? I imagine that could be good to get feedback. I belong to several Discord servers, but I rarely log on to any of them. I'd like to know more about your process if you don't mind sharing. Thanks!
This is awesome! Thanks, Emily, for helping me figure out the right writing software.
I am currently using LivingWriter and so far it is really working for me. About the only thing I miss is an actual timeline for those of us who really need to see dates laid out in front of them. Other than that though the program is great!
I tried scrivener but that was just way to complicated for me. I spent more time trying to figure out how to do things than I did actually writing.
Glad to hear that LivingWriter works for you! I haven't heard from anyone else who uses it, so I'm glad to know its a good tool.
Scrivener is for sure not for the faint of heart. I looked at it, and was so confused lol. I prefer much more accessible programs myself as well!
Scrivener is fantastic! And you don't have to pay for updates you just download it.
Also I just save the file in iCloud or Onedrive and make it autosave.
Ah! That's good to know :) That for sure makes it a better choice among some of these then. I can see why it is so popular! I just think the look of it for me is just unintuitive so I shy away from it.
I have scrivener 3 and i rly dont know what ppl like in it... :( Much better i like write in word pad or nano, still best for me is wordstar4.0 on my win 98 dos pc, Just best.
Can't support a company that can't support an app for decent phones
Scrivener was a standard writing tool for a long time, but it's very outdated now. They refused to embrace a web/cloud platform and they are going to get left behind They had a headstart over most everyone else, but have largely squandered the opportunity.
@@swbuza while I see your point, I don't think it's outdated. I think it is great for people who want the features it offers that other platforms do not offer. Until other cloud-based platforms offer the same features and still manage data privacy concerns that are common with cloud-based writing software, I don't think it's obsolete at all.
this is fascinating to me because i never even considered that software like this would exist but of course it does! haha you're always teaching me the backend of writers and i appreciate it
I switched from Dabble to LivingWriter. I am a visual person and like the board option allowing you to move around scenes and story elements and the mobile version is on par with the desktop one. Scrivener doesn't have cloud or mobile version.
This is great information! Thank you for sharing.
wild that you said “sticky notes all over the wall” because my dining room wall is currently covered in sticky notes for my novel 😅
Haven't heard of most of these, thanks!
Never really understood the draw to cloud based programs. I've encountered so many sync issues with every online software I've used. That said, I really enjoy scrivener, Vellum, and Notion.
I would be cautious of any program that does not let you save offline.
That is an excellent point! Thank you :)
I use MS Word for composing my manuscripts. I have an ASUS laptop which uses cloud computing (much like a Chromebook), so I pay a $79 yearly fee to re-up my Microsoft license, and that gives me access to all the software. I chose this laptop because it came with Microsoft Word, and as you mentioned, it is the industry standard. I didn't use it to format my manuscript prior to self-publishing on Amazon, but for my next WIP I'm working on now I was gonna give it a shot and see how it works. Since I pay for it, I might as well use it for that too.
Thank you for the extra information, Keith! What have you been using to format your book for publishing? I'm excited to hear how your current WIP goes!
@@EmilyReadsBooks for my first book (The Children of Nowhere), I just submitted the document file to KDP having already worked it so that it was formatted for Kindle and other e-book devices. It came out fine. Paperback versions, however, came out a bit different, and a few of the chapter breaks are off, with the chapter number and sometimes the first line of text appearing at the bottom of the last page of the prior chapter. Anyway, when I get ready to publish my next, I'll use the MS Word formatting tools to do it right. Anywho, I'll keep ya updated, no sweat! 👍
Cloud Based? - No thank you, if something can fail, It Will. Buy what you need and use it forever. Subscription Software in my experience is a nightmare - you may get the
subscription canceled only to find it comes back and the horror of cancelation starts over again.(Bank Robbers). Maybe I should use Cuneiform and write on clay tablets (Joke).
I use NovelAi to randomly generate the lore, names, and locations. Because that would take me forever to think up. Plus my names would sound childish, dumb, or boring. I just re-generate the text if it repeats, not on topic, or too dumb.
Campfire is my favorite software
It's not a writing software but I do like using Discord to just drop a quick scene idea in. Someone on Twitter suggested it awhile back.
That's GENIUS!
Do you drop it in a specific Discord server or what? I imagine that could be good to get feedback. I belong to several Discord servers, but I rarely log on to any of them. I'd like to know more about your process if you don't mind sharing. Thanks!
Good review. I am blind so visually organization is not my strength. Do you know of asoftware that has a simple interface and screen reader friendly?
Sometimes writing by hand is good to get a scene out but I wouldn't be able to do it for a whole book
I feel the same. My hand would for sure cramp up after page four lol.
great it Helps!
You can buy lifetime access to living writer for around $600, same for dabble.
5:00 Atticus
I trust google as far as i can push a freight train.
Reedsy
It sounds like you have short-term memory loss.