April 2018: Writing Software
~ P.J. MacLayne ~
CTR asked:
Which writing software do you use (something other than MS Word, like Jutoh and Scrivener)? What’s your favorite feature(s), and why?
P.J. MacLayne said:
My favorite writing software is none at all. Yes, once in a while, I still will sit down with pen and paper and start writing. It’s a different, almost emotional, experience, to see the words flow onto paper.
What I have discovered is that my writing isn’t as ‘tight’ when I write by hand. When I transcribe it into electronic format, I find myself editing before I’m really ready to. Fixing verbs and killing off adverbs, changing up phrases, rewriting whole sentences.
So what I use the most is LibreOffice. Not because it has any special features that other software doesn’t, but because it’s free. And hey, it does everything I need to do as far as basic writing goes. I can save it into any format I need, including MS Word. It checks spelling, helps me find passive verbs, (with an add-on) and counts words.
It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of Scrivener that help develop an outline of your plot. But I’m a pantser, not a plotter, so that doesn’t matter. And although it might have the capability of perfecting your formatting for Kindle and other platforms, I’ve never tried to do it. I’m willing to pay someone else to make sure it’s correct.
But let’s go back to my favorite method of writing. I always carry a notepad with me. I don’t have to worry about lugging around a laptop. If inspiration hits me, all I have to do is pull the notepad out of my purse, dig out a pen, and scribble it down. It’s easy to make changes on the fly- all I have to do is cross off a word and write in a new one. Heck, I can cross off an entire paragraph and not worry about never getting the thought back again, because it’s still there. On paper. And chances are I’ll never throw that notepad away, even after I fill it up. I’ll stick it in a file cabinet and there it will stay. Forever. Or at least until I run out of room years into the future.
– Website – http://pjmaclayne.blogspot.com/
– Twitter – @pjmaclayne
Wolves’ Gambit
[ Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance ]
Wolf-shifter Lori Grenville was rescued from near-slavery and a brutal pack leader by the Free Wolves. To pay back the favor, she’s dedicated her life to helping others in the same situation, leading shifters to safety and a new start, risking her life in the process. She’s faced down alphas and has no qualms in undermining pack structure.
Now she’s challenged with the task of restoring an alpha to his rightful place. If she gets it right, she can stop a war from ripping apart two packs and spreading across an entire state. If she fails, she’ll be among the first to die.
There’s still the option of walking away and letting the Jaeger and Destin packs destroy each other. That means she’ll fail in her original mission of rescuing the daughter of the Jaeger alpha before the girl is forced into marriage for political gain.
Lori hasn’t failed in a mission yet. This one may be the exception.
Available in Ebook:
– Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BZLFCPV
– Nook – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolves-gambit-pj-maclayne/1128396666?ean=2940159062932
– Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/ebook/wolves-gambit-1
– iBooks – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/book/id1368542376
More Authors Dish about their writing software of choice.
Read them all: https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/authors-dish-april-writing-software/
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