Writers, nowadays, have a host of resources and tools at our disposal. I admire the authors of the past who had nothing but pen and paper, or stylus and clay, and I firmly believe that masterpieces can be created in spite of practical limitations; however, in the age of endless distractions, anything that makes concentrating and organising one's thoughts easier is welcome. Below are brief descriptions of my favourite tools.
Scrivener.
I love this software. It’s designed by writers, for writers, and it has everything I could desire in a piece of fiction-writing software. I bought a Mac-compatible version for about fifty New Zealand dollars. I don’t use all the features (incidentally, I’m told that some writers use even fewer of Scrivener’s features than I do), but that’s not the point: what I do use is fantastic. It makes writing faster, easier, and more efficient than using multiple Word documents for each story, which was my previous technique. A bonus: it’s pleasant to use and actually makes me feel more professional and in control. According to the website, it’s great for non-fiction writers too.
Candles and rain sounds or other ambient noise.
For reasons explained here. The short version is that the rain soundtrack, or similar ambient noise, keeps my brain distracted enough from the silence that it can focus, but not so distracted that it abandons writing altogether. There are many websites that supply beautiful, atmospheric ambient noise, often with customisable settings.
Masala chai lattes; hot chocolate; hot chocolate with coffee.
In descending order of healthiness, those are my three favourite beverages to drink whilst writing. I’m not sure that my progress would be what it is if not for those three. I like most types of tea, but they just don’t have the fullness and body that I seem to require from a drink when working. I started making and drinking masala chai lattes with raw honey in an effort to break my beloved but too-sugary habit of two cups of hot chocolate — with or without added coffee — per day, and it worked. I have now replaced the sugary hot chocolate with a sugar-free chocolate mix, with coffee and full-fat milk, but I still keep my first love in reserve for when I need something extra hefty to get me through a painful edit or an all-nighter.
Smashwords.
Best. Publishing. Platform. Ever.
In all fairness, I’ve never tried any other. But I see no need to. In order to publish a book, I upload an appropriately-formatted Word document to Smashwords, plus a cover image, and thereafter Smashwords does all the work for me. My single document is transformed into multiple formats that work on a host of different e-reading devices, and are distributed to assorted online booksellers without any further effort on my part. A couple of days or weeks later, I can search the Internet for my newly-published book and see it sitting on virtual shelves.
My soulmate’s intellect.
My soulmate is the only person I allow to see my work before it is published. He was a published author many years before I was, and he is, to date, the only person I trust to give me feedback. I don’t run every story past him, but the vast majority of them are read by him before being published. I can ask him difficult questions and he will give me considered, respectful responses that make his point without offending my delicate, drama-queen ego too much. If everyone had a friend like him, the world would be a better place and we would all be better people.
