I am the first to admit I am not enamored of all things electronic. I tend to be a bit old school, but I do have my favorite things, which I am going to share today.
The reason I am not fond of many gadgets and apps is that I find they confuse things and make them harder than they should be or at least more cumbersome. When it comes to research and writing, I like to keep things fairly simple, but that is not to say I don’t use technology. I do and the things I use I swear by. Don’t try to take them away from me. You will get hurt.
But I don’t seek out every app or program that promises me writing bliss. I regard most of them the way I do weight loss products that promise I will look like Heidi Klum. I won’t. I never have.
Then again, good tools can make us better organized and efficient. Here are some of my favorite writer’s tools:
A Good Notebook—Moleskin or other version. I prefer narrow ruled and will only use notebooks that can lay completely open on the desk. There is nothing worse than trying to capture an idea while fighting a notebook that fights back. I use one notebook per project. I use it for all my handwritten ideas, notes and research. It is my lifeline.
A Good Pen—A good pen is essential when filling in my notebook. I want it to look good. Not that my handwriting is always perfect. I find it deteriorates in direct relation to the value of the idea. The better the idea, the faster I write and the worse my handwriting is, but a good pen can help keep my notebook looking nice and my writing legible. I prefer felt tip and love the Staedtler brand fineliner, but will take a fine Sharpie too.
Lots of Pens—Okay, one pen is not enough. Not nearly enough. I carry a pencil case filled with several pens in various colors, pencils, highlighters, and post it notes. I can’t stand to be without a pen. They fill my house, office, purses, bags, satchels—they’re everywhere. It’s an obsession nearly as bad as the one I have with books.
Macbook Air—I couldn’t live without my laptop. The Air is great because it is a) a Mac (yes, I am an Apple girl) and b) light enough to carry everywhere. It can handle large applications for when I am reviewing footage or need to run multiple applications at once. It is basically attached to me. I’ve used the Air since it first came on the scene and I have never regretted it.
iMac—I also love my iMac desktop. It is great when I want to have more room and capacity. I could live without it, if I had to, but it is a great computer and perfect for my home office.
Scrivener—I couldn’t live without this word processing program. It allows me to work in chapters and scenes, move them about as needed and then read my novel back in book form. I can attach research in the same project folder, which keeps all of my work together. If you haven’t looked into Scrivener, try it. They offer a free trial. It does take a bit of time to learn, but I use it for everything now. Or nearly everything.
FinalDraft—This is the program I use when I want to write a screenplay or script. I’ve used it for years and it just works. They even have a video format for two column scripts, which is dead helpful.
Backup Drives—I use both a large backup drive and flash drives for saving on the road. If you have ever lost work, you know the value of backing up. Unfortunately, I have had storage failures and lost important documents before. Never again. I back up and then back up my back up. I want a server, but haven’t gotten to that yet. It is on my list. If you can get one and know how to use it, do.
iPhone—Or any phone really (I suppose—see Apple girl comment above). It is invaluable for keeping my life in order. I can sync my electronic calendar on all my devices—phone, iMac, Air, iPad—so I never miss a deadline or client meeting. Siri also takes great notes for those times I am driving around and can’t write an idea down or capture a thought. I used to carry a recorder with me in the car, but my phone replaced that.
A Journal—I keep a bullet journal to keep track of my to do lists. I find that a paper list works best for me. I include sections of things I need to research, ideas to explore, sites to visit and everything else that comes to mind. It prevents things from falling through the cracks. I highly recommend using some kind of reminder system. I used the Things app for a while and liked it, but this suits me better. I keep a weekly to do list instead of a daily because I tend to overbook my day. With a weekly list, I have a better chance of completing everything.
Camera—I use my phone for this mostly, but have a digital camera too that I use to scout locations, take reference photos and capture text from signs or exhibits. I use these photos when I am writing description and setting. It helps get things right and prevents having to make several trips to verify how something looked.
Library Cards—Especially to speciality libraries, like the Library of Congress and the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. There is nothing like old-fashioned research with books and historical documents. I mourn the fact that we can no longer wander the stacks in most libraries, but still love doing research in person. The Internet can help, but there is nothing like scholarly work available in hard copies. Nor is there a replacement for a good librarian.
In my next blog I will share my favorite apps and applications.