Writing Software

No, this is not a post about writing software code, although that is something I did for a living a few years back. No, it’s about what I use to write books and do my editing.

First up, let me state there are a number of good writing programs out there. Depending on what you’re writing, it might make sense to invest a little money into one. Especially if it’s a non-fiction book where you’re going to have a lot of citations or pictures.

You’re probably going to be disappointed when I say I use Microsoft Word for all my writing. How boring. And how much of a corporate sellout is that?

Before you unfavorite this site, let me just say that I get all that. Here’s my thought process: when I’m writing I don’t want the software to get in the way. In fact, years ago I wrote several books longhand and then typed them up because I didn’t want to get caught up in what the word processor was doing to take me out of the creative mode.

I used Scrivener for a time about 7-8 years ago, but I didn’t really need what it offered. It helped in moving chapters around, but other than that Word does all the same stuff for the most part, and does it the way I’m used to. I liked Scrivener and maybe someday I’ll use it again, but for now I’m keeping it simple.