This isn’t going to be your usual guide. And it’s a short blog. So win win.
Because I don’t believe in excessive tools.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve used a lot of tools, for everything from writing to marketing to social media to pretending I’m a writer (it’s called word counter, okay).
It’s all bullshit.
Why excessive tools suck
The tools will make you feel better about being a writer, give you a mask of competency. And it is never enough. You’ll use so many over and over again and you’ll buy some and never use them. And each time a tool ‘fails’ to make you a better writer, you will play a blame game that doesn’t point the finger at the only culprit that matters.
You.
So do not go putting $500 in programs and subscriptions that you won’t know how to use. It won’t do you much good unless you can write them off as a business expense.
You do not need Scrivener, Campfire, Grammarly, Microsoft Office, Evernote, worldbuilding tools, formatters, or any of that, especially if you can’t afford it. If you can genuinely look at a program or tool and go “Hey, I can use that to make my life easier!” and it survives the stress test of ‘Am I getting this to just streamline processes versus this will make me a better writer’, then fine. Try it.
What do you need?
If you’re not into publication, just write in a notebook with a pen.
Simple. Unless you buy a slew of notebooks like I do.
Okay, fine. You want to do something digital.
Download Evernote or Google Docs if you want a file to be accessible everywhere. Or, just write on your notepad on your computer. Don’t pay a subscription to Microsoft Office if you don’t want to.
Do you need help putting your book together for Amazon or agent/publication standards? Follow an online tutorial (lots of them on Youtube fyi) to learn how to put everything together. It’s not as bad as it seems. It takes some time.
Time strapped or just want to get it done without learning anything new? I really recommend looking at simplistic programs like Atticus or Vellum, which just helps you format ebooks and print books, and you can write in them as well. It makes things pretty simple if you want to self-publish with minimal fuss. But. They are costly for first time writers sometimes, so weigh the pros and cons.
For editing, nothing will ever, ever beat having a professional look at your book. You can use your spell checker to see if something is right or wrong, but find a professional editor to work with you. Use what’s available to you, but I won’t make recs about editing software, it’s simply not on par with humans yet.
That’s it? Really?
That’s it. Don’t buy into program hype, especially if you can’t afford it. Especially if you are struggling to write anything. Simply put, it isn’t the tech that will make you a writer. Perseverance, grit, all of that? That will. The tech is just to make the final product easier to put together, if you need it.
It’s my opinion, of course. If buying software makes you happy and more efficient as a writer, go ahead. Have fun. I like what I use but I do really like keeping it very simple with pen and paper right now for scenes.
Any fave pieces of tech? Let me know.