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Have
you seen the advertisements for all the writing software that is being
developed? I must admit, I was intrigued – after all there’s not much
more to the process of writing than an individual’s level of planning or
plotting, the actual work of putting words on the page, and then editing
them.
What are the software developers offering that your standard word
processing package doesn’t? There is more than one answer to that
question, but here’s one that may surprise you: “not much”.
What are the BENEFITS of Writing
Software?
Beginner
writers, who will benefit from the “how to” element that the writing
software offers, will gain much more from purchasing a package than more
advanced writers will. The software can assist with areas such as plot
planning, “rules” that need to be learnt (before they can be broken),
and maintaining structure.
Standard
structure
Publishers
like standard formulae that are proven in the marketplace. However, like
everything, a formula for a book will eventually reach saturation point
and publishers will turn to the next in line.
Writing
software may also help writers who’ve worked on a number of books and,
after numerous rejections, are struggling to find where they may have gone
“wrong”.
Features
I
recently spoke to four Australian writers who use writing software. Their
favourite features included:
~
an outline format for planning their stories,
~
organization tools allowing better control to ensure no notes were
forgotten,
~
keywords linking different areas,
~
one program had a character generator
~
another autotypes the character names
What are the DRAWBACKS of
Writing Software?
These writers also noted, however, that the software is expensive for what
you can get out of it. Some of the features are restrictive, forcing users
to conform to the program’s limitations, although one computer-savvy
writer was able to extend the use of a program feature that was
frustrating him.
Forgetting
the
point of being a writer
Some
of the other writers at the function (and this is a point I agreed
strongly with) were a little wary of losing their originality and
restricting their own input as a creator.
Not
using the program you've purchased
Advanced
writers may also find the instructive nature of the software irritating.
Many of the reasons given for investing in the software were for the organization
and planning capabilities, rather than a need for instruction in the
writing craft. By not using the tuition element of the software you’re
paying full price for half the technology. If you’re considering
software for this reason, have you determined whether your word processing
package can be used to organise your work instead?
What
are the ALTERNATIVES to Writing Software?
I
use MS Word for many of the points raised by the writers I spoke to:
~
I outline my novels, link the outline to my notes, which in turn are
linked to the manuscript in progress,
~
My character names are autotyped for me,
~
I can track and connect characters, events, and parallel plotlines, and
organise the order of events according to a timeline,
~
I can see how each storyline will develop, and determine what effect it
will have on the novel as a whole,
~
Everything fits – I never lose my notes (with a scanner I can even add
the note I scrawled while waiting for the bus),
~
I have in-depth character and location descriptions at my fingertips and
can reference the description I’ve actually used earlier in the
manuscript at the click of a mouse…
…all
achieved using software I already have on my PC.
Once you’ve purchased new writing software, you will have to learn to
use it in order to benefit from it. Many of the packages are developed to
look and feel similar to software you’ve already learnt to use in a
Windows or Mac environment. Some, however, require their own dictionaries
to understand just their terminology, let alone the program.
Remember, too, that you still have to type and format your work using your
word processing software. Wouldn’t it benefit you, and save you money,
if you learnt to use the software you’ve already got? It’s like owning
a car that you only drive in second gear. Would you really buy another car
with more features, rather than learn how to change the gears in the car
you’ve got?
copyright © Elsa Neal 2004 (Please contact the
for permission to reprint this article.)
This
article appears in the January 2005 edition of Wordweb
Newsletter
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