A common question I have found from hanging out with others who also happen to be writers is what they use for writing. Among my friends we use a wide range of tools, from books and blogs, to paper/pen and computer, and then there's the question of software. Much like last week when I spoke of the various opinions on writing to music, there is an insanely diverse response to what a person will use for writing.
Me, I am quite eclectic in what I use. I typically always have some sort of notebook or something with me, just in case an idea strikes when I am nowhere near my laptop. I also am not really picky about what writing utensil I use. Sometimes I prefer a pencil, while other times I really want to use a purple gel pen. A lot of times it really depends on the story.
For example, in the case of my Bound duology (Soul-Bound and Free-Born), the story starts in a 6" x 9" notebook being written in pencil. Then, after writing each chapter or two, I will transfer it to my laptop. Then, with my Cursed Gifts Saga (starting with The Life and Death of a Seer) each book is written utilizing a different color of gel pen--Seer is green, Healer is blue, Empath is red, and Witch is purple.
Most of the time, when it comes to using notebooks, I prefer the ones that flip up rather than open sideways. This is so I don't end up having my hand run into the rings along the spine. Mostly I don't care about the size of the notebook, but I do seem to lean towards something that is about a 5" x 7" or a 6" by 9" because they fit quite well into my inner jacket pocket or my purse. I like travel size.
With the Souls Trilogy and the Project Death series, most of the work is done on the computer, with the occasional scene or chapter being written in a notebook. For a great many years I wrote in Microsoft Word, and it works quite well. I still use it when I'm formatting my books for publication, using a template I got from CreateSpace. But, now, I typically use Scrivener for all of my offline writing needs. Scrivener makes it easy for me to have my background research open and ready to go while working on chapters. I can look up character bio information, check my story board to make sure I am getting everything I need in a scene, and I can even set goals for a writing session or the book word count and see how well I am progressing with the novel. Plus, and this is probably the most important part of the Scrivener process, when I close Scrivener it automatically saves a backup of my files just in case something happens. Trust me, I did have a problem with my USB and my external hard drive which both contained copies of my novels and if it hadn't been for Scrivener I would have lost years of work.
One of my absolute favorite tools for writing can be found online, or you can purchase a desktop edition, and it really does help me with productivity by forcing me to focus on writing. I started using it several years ago during NaNoWriMo and it pushed me way over the top during word wars and write-ins. Write or Die is an online writing lab that prods you along by basically punishing you for stopping. You can set the grace period and the punishment, which can be as mild as a reminder that you need to be writing, to having to listen to an annoying sound until you start typing again, all the way up to kamikaze mode, which begins to delete your words if you pause for too long. I don't recommend kamikaze mode when trying to write a novel. That's a bit evil. But you can set either a time limit or a word count goal and then you just start writing. It's great. However, if you mute your computer then the negative punishment of sound effects really isn't all that effective. Also, you can exit out at any time, so there still is the possibility of procrastination. Write or Die also allows you to buy a desktop edition, for I believe $10. Oh, and I just checked the site and there have been a number of updates recently which changes the punishments and actually has given a reward system too that you can set yourself (such as getting a picture of a cute puppy after achieving a word count goal, etc.)
Speaking of Write or Die, there is a pseudo-similar online program that only uses positive reinforcement called Written? Kitten. You set a target like 100 words or 500 words, and after every 100/500 words you write, you get to see a new picture of a kitten. You know, if cute and cuddly is your thing. I personally prefer the threat of punishments via Write or Die.
There is also a really cool site that I've used a bit called 750words. It's pretty self-explanatory. The goal is to write 750 words a day. It will keep track of how quickly you write the words and how many times you pause. And you achieve a "score" similar to bowling (aka spares and strikes). Writing for so many days in a row or completing challenges, etc. earns you what is basically an online merit badge. It's a pretty cool system and is nice when I need a change from my typical writing patterns.
Have you had enough yet, lol? No? Okay, well another online resource I use is Yarny. Right now I am only using it for this librarian superhero novel idea that I only tend to work on when I encounter a serious block on another story. But, it is pretty cool. It has a few similarities to Scrivener, with the people/place/thing area, and you can divide what you're working on into snippets, whether for you that is chapters or scenes, whatever. You can also set a word count goal for the overall project and watch your progress bar increase as you write. I like it, but you have to be connected to the Internet to utilize it, so I prefer Scrivener or my Write or Die Desktop App.
One of my absolute favorite resources as a writer is one that I rely on a lot more after the failings of my USB drive and external hard drive three years ago. Dropbox is a cloud storage system, so as long as you can get yourself to a computer or a phone with access to the internet, you can open up your files. I have Dropbox on both of my laptops and on my cell phone, so I know that I have my files. Because of the technology crash, I also have a tendency to e-mail myself copies of my chapters and/or novels so I have extra backups. Call me paranoid, but I would rather not lose all of my hard work.
Sometimes I just want to get feedback on a story and I'd rather it not be from people I know, so I like to use Critique Circle. Many years ago I spent an incredible number of hours on fictionpress.com, both publishing and updating some of my novels, as well as reading and reviewing the works of others. But after FP got forums and people started doing more RPing than reviewing, the site stopped being as worthwhile for me. CC gets around that issue in a very simple way. To post a short story, a chapter of a novel, etc. it will cost you 3 credits. You earn credits by reviewing the writings of other people. The length of that person's chapter along with the length of your review will determine how many credits you earn. I love that, and have no problem spending time looking for things to read and review. I have actually found an author whose books I have gone on to purchase, and I read a couple of them first on CC.
The best digital writing resource I have ever used will always be and will continue to be NaNoWriMo. I discovered NaNo in November 2005 and started participating in 2006. Since then I have been able to focus on writing so many different novels and I always end the month with at least 50,000 words that I might not have been able to write otherwise. NaNo is amazing and I am so glad to be a part of the organization as an ML for my local region. I look forward to millions more words and countless more years of participating and honing my craft further as I continue to write, edit, and publish.
Well, there you go. It's sort of a long post, and it doesn't even begin to cover every writer resource out there (I didn't even get into the writing guide books I own), but hopefully it gives you an idea of some of the options out there, and gives you a little more insight into my crazy writing process.
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