Writing Tools
The author of the “Scrivener” writing tool has a really useful page detailing a bunch of other writing tools for both Mac and Windows. With Nanowrimo just around the corner something like that might just be worth a look.
I have a strange process when it comes to writing. I guess it’s a sort of “break it down and plan the blocks” process, but it involves wrangling a stack of index cards. These can contain anything from
- Character ideas
- Scene ideas
- Themes
- Activities
- Must-have plot points
- etc.
I generally pull out the list of plot points / scenes and then sort them into a semblance of order. Clearly there will be gaps so more cards get written and filed with the ideas or with the more concrete scenes. Since Nano is 30 days long I like to then use 1 - 30 month dividers so I have a small number (1 - 3) scenes each day that I need to write.
I guess the index cards are my way of “storyboarding” without the torture of drawing anything, these are word pictures and sketches. No software I know can replace the tactile feel of sitting on the floor with 50 index cards spread out randomly around me and the very, very basic organization of tossing them into piles, then organizing the piles. At least, no software that I know of. 