News and Reviews > Mini-Reviews by Members
Comparative Review of Writers' Tools (INITIAL DRAFT)
Dormouse:
I have now uploaded my table on WriteItNow. They were kind enough to allow me the copy to review, so I could test it out, and I think it has been worth it (for me anyway).
My first suggestion to most writers would still be yWriter (free and has mobile), but WriteItnow would be my second suggestion for fiction writers who are likely to need help either with the creative development process or with operating the software - especially if they are likely to be plotters. My guess is that most users are people new(ish) to writing and that some of the successful users may move on to other programs (I've seen two reviews by people switching to Scrivener) but I can see that many would stick with it because it is difficult to find the same features elsewhere. From my point of view it would be better if there was at least a short trial period and not just a Demo version; they have been going a long time though, so maybe they have learned that this wasn't a good idea.
For myself, i would like to try it out with something but don't have anything in mind yet. I suspect that its easy, low learning curve design gets in the way of maximising word count, but I might be wrong. Maybe I would switch between panels faster if I learned all the keyboard shortcuts, (though I have always been mouse centred - well, since the invention of mice anyway). If I do, I will write a 'long term' use review, otherwise I will just do a more detailed review.
Again, I have written the table using WriteMonkey. While I was doing so, it struck me that it would be just as easy, for a lot of uses, to do the writing in WriteMonkey as to use the full screen modes in the other programs. Easy enough to copy and paste back in.
Dormouse:
Another idea for something to cover that I've found myself using enough to pay for a subscription is Gingko. I'll cover that in my eventual article as I've used it a lot, but didn't know if you would be interested.-wraith808 (May 26, 2018, 11:41 AM)
--- End quote ---
So that's the web version? I was having a quick play, before going on to review RightNote.
AFAICS (long time since I have used it), it is still a convoluted process getting cards coloured or images in. And I can't even see a way of doing that in the desktop version.
And without being able to do that what makes it visual? (I always thought that the emphasis on MarkDown and LaTex was a profoundly non-visual way of thinking about things, and enforced a text/keyboard emphasis). And typing MarkDown instructions does NOT make it easier to concentrate on writing the words you want. What makes it different to typewritten sheets laid out on the floor in columns?
The comments I have seen from some users suggest a profound writers block where they were intimidated by the size and structure of what they were doing and just found it much easier to do all their writing on apparently unconnected cards.
So unless I'm missing something important (not unlikely), I think it will do very poorly in all the categories of the review. OK for writing (though good for pantsers) and some organisational capability. So I'd like to know what advantages you have found for it in use as I fear I may have missed them.
When I do a review of it, I think I will within a group of card approaches and do it jointly with NoteZilla.
Dormouse:
I've now put in a card based systems section. Gingko, NoteZilla. I've also added the Google grouping here, because a substantial proportion of the initial writing is likely to be done in Keep.
I'll look around for others too.
wraith808:
Another idea for something to cover that I've found myself using enough to pay for a subscription is Gingko. I'll cover that in my eventual article as I've used it a lot, but didn't know if you would be interested.-wraith808 (May 26, 2018, 11:41 AM)
--- End quote ---
So that's the web version? I was having a quick play, before going on to review RightNote.
AFAICS (long time since I have used it), it is still a convoluted process getting cards coloured or images in. And I can't even see a way of doing that in the desktop version.
And without being able to do that what makes it visual? (I always thought that the emphasis on MarkDown and LaTex was a profoundly non-visual way of thinking about things, and enforced a text/keyboard emphasis). And typing MarkDown instructions does NOT make it easier to concentrate on writing the words you want. What makes it different to typewritten sheets laid out on the floor in columns?
The comments I have seen from some users suggest a profound writers block where they were intimidated by the size and structure of what they were doing and just found it much easier to do all their writing on apparently unconnected cards.
So unless I'm missing something important (not unlikely), I think it will do very poorly in all the categories of the review. OK for writing (though good for pantsers) and some organisational capability. So I'd like to know what advantages you have found for it in use as I fear I may have missed them.
When I do a review of it, I think I will within a group of card approaches and do it jointly with NoteZilla.
-Dormouse (June 01, 2018, 05:19 AM)
--- End quote ---
It requires a change of paradigm... to start thinking of things in a horizontal fashion, rather than a vertical. I use it because it's more intuitive in it's grouping than most notecards within writing apps, or even something like Scapple. I use it to organize text in an outline format; I never use images in these particular tools, so perhaps it's just a different way of doing things.
In one of my outlines, for example:
The first layer is my three major themes.
In the second layer on each, I expand into the major points I want to hit in the themes.
Then the third layer in each starts to get into details.
They're intentionally kept very minimal, and if I need more details on a tangent, I add another level. I can do it all from the keyboard without using any menus, and just let the ideas flow in a format that I can reference, export to JSON, and use easily in a variety of circumstances.
Dormouse:
That makes complete sense. I'd always regarded Gingko as a keyboard oriented, text based card system with some organisation, but was concerned I was missing something when I saw references to it being a visual system.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version