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Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

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Dormouse:
This is a real world example of the issues above as I consider my options as I'm about to go into a new project (I usually have a number on the go at the same time, often at different stages). Early brainstorming & mapping out stage, which will move on to planning and organisation. Don't know complexity level yet, but it will be a single piece 50-100k in length; not heavily research based. I prefer visual, so that reduces options.

Lots of possibilities outside the programs listed above, but I'll try to stay within this list.
Considered OneNote. Some advantages (free drawing and can use text boxes as cards) - but I really don't get on with using text boxes for the writing & main narrative.
Evernote allows free drawing, and is OK (but no more) for writing and has no card equivalent.
Notezilla could be made to work for the brainstorming, but not the most natural workflow from a personal point of view. And not ideal for organising.
yWriter's storyboard is OK for organising, but I feel the brainstorming & early development needs to be done first.
The Scrivener beta corkboard would work. Colours aren't brilliant in HC setting.
DoogiPIM's noteboards are much more flexible. Many options for changing card colours (on a per card basis), cards can be individually resized and connecting lines/arrows can be drawn. Also has calendars & spreadsheets and links can be set up between them. That's pushing me to DoogiePIM for this stage.

I realise that I have already split the writing stage into two in my head, partly so that I don't feel tied to all-in-one all-platform solutions. There's the writing, and the test storage (ready for editing, exporting etc). I haven't decided if I will use WriteMonkey. DoogiePIM is fine for storage and my editing. That leaves mobile (Android/iOS) use. yWriter would avoid the need for cut & paste. So would RightNote using Evernote pages. DoogiePIM could be saved with its browser open to my SimpleNote or Evernote account, which would make cutting and pasting quite easy. I've not decided about this, but using DoogiePIM for all these stages feels like the simplest approach. Also using WriteMonkey if I think that works better (using it would lead me to write in longer sections I believe, because of text folding & the potential use of bookmarks).

If I do choose DoogiePIM for this, it also raises the question of whether I put the project into its own database, or whether I have everything in one. Undecided again.

Dormouse:
Just starting early development for another project. Need to do it mobile. Prefer to use tables for this stage. Which brings me back to Evernote (advantage - quick to use pre-prepared templates) and OneNote (advantage - organisation).
Any form of plotting/structuring comes later. I can do the beginning on either with freehand writing, but like to use a corkboard or mindmap after that and wouldn't use either at that point.

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