This month with the Fictorians, we spent the month discussing software and tools for writers. Wow. We saw a huge number of tools presented to help in every phase of producing a great story, from brainstorming to writing that first draft, to producing an ebook. The wealth of knowledge shared was simply amazing. Some of those tools included:
Protecting your work:
- Guy Anthony De Marco discussed ways to keep your computer healthy
- He also shared tips for advanced Google searches.
- Travis Heerman shared his Killer Combo – Dropbox + Scrivener
- Kristin Luna presented a compelling argument for the value of cloud-based storage for backing up our work
Getting started, research, and choosing a writing platform:
- Ace Jordyn shared an excellent list of How-to-Write books
- Katie Cross shared the mind-blowing coolness of Novamind for brainstorming
- Evan Braun discussed the treasure trove that is research with Google Street View
- Doug Dandridge discussed the wonders of building your own sci-fi universe with Orbit Xplorer
- Jace Kilian discussed ways to Research
- Joshua David Bennett shared a plethora of amazing tools that can be used in world building
- Mary talked about finding meaningful names
- Colette shared the pros and cons of Scrivener
Collaborating:
- Ryan English shared his experiences using Skype and Google Docs with Writing Groups
- Kim May discussed ways to collaborate
Generating that ebook:
- Colette Black discussed the Magic of Jutoh
Promotion:
- I shared ways to find Images without running afoul of copyright infringement
- Emily Godhand explored using Wattpad to interact with readers in a unique and interactive way
- Tim Reynolds shared an excellent, economical way to make a multi-use banner
- We even fit in another great article from Guy Anthony De Marco on the tricky copyright world of DMCA
- Greg Little discussed ways to best manage and keep track of multiple submissions
- And Nathan Barra walked us through the process of using statistical analysis to help us target promotional and marketing efforts
I’m planning to investigate some of these and potentially add them to my writing tool belt.
Which ones intrigued or excited you the most?
