Setting up a Home Office on the Cheap
by Laura @ Word Grrls getting startedtoolsNot everyone can decide to freelance write and then go out and buy up a storm. Likely those are very few and far between. So, for most of us we are looking for ways to cut corners without leaving out something or making ourselves feel we are second rate.
My Writing Toolbox, Pt. 2: Filing Systems, Reference Books, & Miscellaneous Hardware
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay toolsWriting, at its heart, is a very simple procedure. Although certain (arguable) improvements have been made in regard to the tools of the trade, most writers can get by very nicely with little more than a notepad and a ballpoint pen. Heck, some of us could even survive with an unsharpened pencil stub and a pile of brown economy napkins. And putting us all to shame is the story about an author, imprisoned for years, who committed long passages of his work to memory, so that he might be able to transcribe them once he returned to freedom.
My Writing Toolbox: Software, Pens and Paper
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay toolsWriting, at its heart, is a very simple procedure. Although certain (arguable) improvements have been made in regard to the tools of the trade, most writers can get by very nicely with little more than a notepad and a ballpoint pen. Heck, some of us could even survive with an unsharpened pencil stub and a pile of brown economy napkins. And putting us all to shame is the story about an author, imprisoned for years, who committed long passages of his work to memory, so that he might be able to transcribe them once he returned to freedom.
Keeping Track of Time
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay time managementtoolsDo you know, without looking, how much time your novel covers? If the question has just pushed you into the predicament of either scrunching up your face or staring at the ceiling in an effort to tally up your various scenes and arrive a reasonable figure of days, then the answer is probably an unqualified “Err… no.”
Do You Know The Way To… Your Screenplay? (Using Scene Cards as a Mapping Tool)
by Laura @ About a Screenplay techniquestoolsScene cards are a great way to visualize your script before writing it. Many screenwriters swear by this technique. It’s pretty much an outline – but on index cards.
Thin is in – The Latest Ultra Portable Laptops for Writers
by Robin @ LitCentral laptopstechnologytoolsLaptops seem to have found a diet that works, and it’s a really good fit for writers. “Ultra portable” laptops fall within certain dimensions to be deemed such. Display size varies between 11″ – 13″ and the unit weighs as little as 2 lbs but no more than 4 lbs. Realize there’s a sector of ultra portable, low performance, cheap computers called netbooks and there’s also a sector of ultra portable yet powerful laptop computers. This article refers to the latter. Netbooks are a low-cost alternative for mobile writers, but if you can afford the whole enchilada – go for more power.
A Writer’s Notebook
by Danielle Buffardi @ Horrible Sanity paper and pentoolsNevertheless, the notebook has been a writers’ best friend for centurys. research proves that writing is a healthy outlet for some. Sort of like petting a cat, or throwing brush strokes on an empty canvas. It allows for one to record dreams, goals, and heart strings. And there’s nothing wrong with writing down your fears either. Look at your notebook as a legacy for future generations to find and get lost in.
What to do When Ideas Hit You Left, Right and Centre
by Samar Owais @ The Writing Base ideaspaper and pentoolsYou’re sitting in a train on your way back from work, staring out the window feeling tired to your bones. Suddenly, as the train stops at one of its countless stations before yours, the graffiti on the wall catches your eye, making you sit up with a jolt. The colors, the message, the sheer creativity of it has suddenly given you inspiration. Your mind is flooding with ideas so fast you’re afraid you’ll lose them if you don’t catch them. But you don’t want to concentrate on any idea for too long fearing that it will stop the flow of other ideas that are just pouring in!
The organized writer
by George Angus @ Tumblemoose technologytoolsworkspaceI am a no-clutter freak. There. I’ve said it. Can’t stand the stuff. I am forever fighting battles because if there is stuff (papers, etc…) laying around, I’m going to scoop them up and put them somewhere (if you come to my house, don’t open any closets 
). Kidding! I put stuff in appropriate places. It still irritates the clutter bugs I’ve lived with. In this post I’m going to write a bit about ways to get and stay organized to help make your writing life easier, more productive and less cluttered.
Backup Laptop Batteries with the Mobile Writer in Mind
by Robin @ LitCentral backuplaptopsnetbookstechnologytoolsFor whatever reason we can rove the landscape of mars with robots and walk the face of the moon, but we can’t figure out how to get 24-hours of juice out of laptop batteries. Nonetheless, this article offers a few solutions to extending your mobile writing time with extended or external battery options.
The Advantages of Multiple Monitors for Writers
by Robin @ LitCentral technologytoolsImagine, you have your trusty screenwriting or novel software open, the internet displaying your latest research, email, your favorite story structure software opened, and iTunes softly jamming in the background. Any computer can do this, but only multiple monitors allow you to view it all at once.
The Benefits of a Smartphone in a Writer’s World
by Robin @ LitCentral smartphonestechnologytoolsSmartphones are quickly propagating the cellphone landscape, making anyone who whips out a mundane flip phone appear slightly “out of touch”. The point of this article is to discuss whether or not the benefits of owning a smartphone are to the writer’s advantage. But first, let’s answer a few general questions about the gadget.
A Writer’s Platform – Want to Publish? Start Building Yours
by Bill Henderson @ Write a Better Novel marketingtoolsLet’s say you’ve written a novel or a memoir that you and others feel is ready for prime time. Be aware that the buzzword in publishing today is “platform.” As in “what’s your platform?”
The UMPC’s (Ultra Mobile PC) Place in a Writer’s World
by Robin @ LitCentral laptopsnetbookstechnologytoolsYou’ve all seen them – those ultra portable computers, with ultra small screens and keyboards that fit darn near anywhere. What writer in their right mind would actually make use of such technology? Actually…there is good reason to look closer at this technology. On the heels of CES 2009 (where new UMPCs like Sony Vaio’s P Series made its debut) I think it’s important to shed light on these devices and how they can be great for writers.
10 things to write on in an emergency!
by Iain Broome ideastipstoolsOnce you abandon your muse and accept the fact that other commitments in your life will sometimes prevent you from writing, you can prepare for the unexpected. When an idea arrives, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, you need to be ready. The truth is, your best ideas don’t always come to you at appropriate times. I used to regularly find myself without a notepad, desperately repeating an idea in my head to make sure I remembered it. It rarely worked. Usually, I’d forget large parts of the idea. Often, I wouldn’t remember I’d had an idea at all. This is my advice:
When paper works better than a word processor
by Samar Owais @ The Writing Base toolsIf you’re having trouble writing, take a good look at your word processor. Give it a mean look (like really mean), then step away from it. Instead, pick up a paper and a pencil and discover the magic of writing like I did.
Fisher Space Pen – Best Writing Pen for Travel
by Robin @ LitCentral toolsI love my collection of fountain pens. They ooze romance and the lore of good writing. But add cabin pressure to that starry-eyed vision and it becomes one gooey, ink-smeared mess! Amidst the friendly skies I’ve even had traditional roller ball and ink pens fail me, bringing an abrupt halt to a perfect time to write. Enter the Fisher Space Pen…
Five Tools You Need To Write From Anywhere
by Sharon Hurley Hall @ Get Paid to Write Online technologytoolsOne of the joys of freelancing is the ability to write from wherever you happen to be. I was able to put this to the test last week as I travelled to Cancun, Mexico. Here’s my list of essentials for writing from anywhere.
This Tape Will Not Self-Destruct in Five Seconds
by Vasilios @ NouveauWriter technologytoolsToday’s technology has given us something superior to “pen and pad”—the compact voice recorder.
Chasing After Ideas With a Paper and Pen
by Samar Owais @ The Writing Base ideasinspirationtoolsSince my post on recording ideas (in which I practically stuffed a pen in your bags/briefcases/pockets), I decided to add something to my pen carrying habit. Instead of just being satisfied at having a pen in my bag, I decided to make sure to take the pen out every time I had a few minutes.
What do you keep in your writer’s tool belt?
by Manuela Boyle @ Write for Your Life toolsI never thought I’d say this, but I envy plumbers. They have a set of tools they need to do their job well, all shiny and useful, and they often wear them on their person, as if to say ‘I’m a plumber, I’m kitted out, and ready for work’. If I could buy a writer’s tool belt, I would. It would probably be utilitarian in look and feel, made from thick red canvas, and have my initials embroidered on it in gold thread. In it, I’d keep the tools of my trade. Which, of course, will vary from writer to writer, but I’m sure you’ll see some tools on the list that I’m about to share with you that you recognise.
Netbooks – Good Geek’dm for Writers
by Robin @ LitCentral netbookstechnologytoolsNetbooks are the latest piece of hardware to target the geek scene. Every manufacturer worth its salt is rushing to get their version of the netbook on the market. Not to be confused with laptops/notebooks, netbooks are optimized for light computing tasks like word processing and heavy internet usage – hence the term “net”. They are the latest craze in computing and are spreading like wildfire. I’ve been watching the netbook craze since Intel introduced the Atom in the spring of 08’. And while the netbook truly has benefits for writers, I believe its greatest purpose will be in offering the ultimate low-cost web portal to the world at large. Mark my words, these things will soon inhabit the Amazon jungle.