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Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)

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wraith808:

I think of writemonkey more as a strict editing tool rather than a writer's tool.  I use it alongside my writing tools- I love the distraction free writing, and the ability to play music while you're there.  But managing projects and such, I find that it falls flat.
-wraith808 (May 18, 2018, 11:26 AM)
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Calling WriteMonkey an "editing tool" rather than a "writer's tool" is an unusual characterisation. You seem to be using the term "editing" in an idiosyncratic way.

To me WriteMonkey is very much a "writer's tool", as it focuses on one of the most important aspects of writing: the act of writing itself.

Once I'd written my text in WriteMonkey, then I might take it to MS Word or some other word processor to edit it, format it, and typeset it.

But even you say that you use WM for writing primarily, so maybe by "editing" you mean 'writing'.

As for lack of project management capability (presumably of writing projects), I don't see that as an absolute requirement for a writing software. I also have Scrivener, which has all the bells and whistles, but I find it too distracting and much prefer to do my writing in WriteMonkey.

P.S. What I'm trying to say is that there are myriad other task and project management tools out there that can be used to manage a writing project, so they don't necessarily need to be built into specialist writing software.



-dr_andus (May 20, 2018, 06:18 AM)
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Perhaps I should have expanded, but I think that the rest of that statement puts into perspective what I mean by 'editing tool'.  Not like something like smartedit or prowritingaid, but a text editor, so I don't find it an unusual characterization, because that's what it is.  But as I said... I think.  And in my experience, I think that the project management is a task that for writing professionally, I've found that I need integrated.  I have to do several self referential checks within the software, so when I'm not just writing a self-contained work, which I've never had the opportunity to do since I've started doing it professionally, being able to easily reference the other work within that project is something that I need.  Not in an external tool, but right there.  This might not be the same for all, but for me, that's what I think and I need.  Which is the way that all of us reference these things, I think- even the creators in many cases.   A plain text editor won't cut it for me in most cases.

Dormouse:
in my experience, I think that the project management is a task that for writing professionally, I've found that I need integrated.  I have to do several self referential checks within the software, so when I'm not just writing a self-contained work, which I've never had the opportunity to do since I've started doing it professionally, being able to easily reference the other work within that project is something that I need.  -wraith808 (May 20, 2018, 09:21 AM)
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There are many advantages of integrated.
And many advantages of separate.
Which is best depends on personal preference and circumstances.
I'm hoping that this review, when completed, will help people consider the optioons available without having to try everything out themselves.

Dormouse:
You have a number of software on that list that have not been updated for a very long time and have probably been abandoned (even if their owners are still using them as cashcows), so I wonder if it might be worthwhile to add a "last updated" note to them, or split them into "actively developed" and "no longer developed."  -dr_andus (May 20, 2018, 06:31 AM)
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True.
I think I have put the information into each table; and it will be a part of the full reviews when I do them.
I'm reluctant to get too heavily into this. The amount of 'development' varies hugely, even if it is 'active'.
Abandoned programs can be perfectly functional; and old programs can be better than new ones.
Programs still being developed can vanish suddenly or not be worth updating if the OS changes.
I don't think Outline4D has been actively developed for the best part of a decade or so; the developers did do what was needed to make sure it would function in W10; they still sell it, and support users, and there's nothing else like it.

Dormouse:
I've been thinking about the best way to post full reviews (when I do them).

My first idea was that I would simply add them to this thread.
I then realised that even the tables were swamping the 'comparative' bit of the review, and thought that I would do the reviews as separate mini-reviews with a link from this thread.
And now, having discovered how to utilise the spoiler mechanism, I think I could just add them to the first post hidden in a 'spoiler'.

I think that separate reviews would be better for finding and discussion, but integrated in a spoiler would be better for reading. Happy to consider all views.

cranioscopical:
integrated in a spoiler
-Dormouse (May 20, 2018, 11:49 AM)
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Seems a good compromise  :Thmbsup:

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