Best Tools for Writers
Best Tools for Writers
You only need a few items for success in 2020
The Story Writer’s Path
You only need a few items for success in 2020
One of the best things about being a writer is that you can do it with relatively few tools. Bottom line, you need something to write on and something to write with. And yet, because of the simplicity of our craft, some writers I know even have tool envy. Years ago, in a writing class, a fellow student wrote a story featuring a graphic designer. “Writers have so few tools it pleased me to write about someone who used a lot of them.”
Right? Doesn’t the idea of having tools and needing tools and organizing tools and caring for tools just make you happy? Fortunately, we live in a connected, tech-oriented society these days, so we have many more tool options available to us as writers. Yes, we can do without them and stick with the pen and paper, (and at least one of my writing clients writes her entire first draft by hand), but why, when there are so many tools we can utilize?
I use — and recommend — a variety of them, most available free. So let’s take a look.
The basics
Computer + word processor
You need a computer, of course. And a word processing program. Microsoft Word is the standard these days, and of course there is Scrivener, which many writers I know swear by. I, personally, find it has too big of a learning curve for me. But you might love it!
If you’re on a budget, Google Docs is a great option. I used to detest it — but since one of my clients started submitting work to me through it, I’ve come to appreciate it. It has all the functions of Word, and it’s free. I’ve also read that it is an easy way to make nice looking PDFs, so I plan to look into that this year.
The trick is to find something that works for you on a day in, day out basis. Something that you don’t need to fuss over — a program you can just open and write. Because, that’s the point, right?
Use the tools you love, dismiss the rest.
Notebooks + pens
I love notebooks of all kinds — spirals, perfect-bound, three-ring, pages stapled together. You name it, I’ll write on it. There’s something so amazingly wonderful about a notebook. I love them when they are fresh and new, beckoning me to write, and I love them when they are starting to get filled with ideas and notes and pictures and scrawls.
There are so many kinds of notebooks out there, as you likely know. One of the great joys of my life is visiting an office supply store to browse journals and notebooks. I prefer one that lies open easily (though I’ve been known to be tempted by others). Often a spiral-bound notebook works best if you’re going to be taking it out and about — you can double it back upon itself and balance it on your lap or in small areas while you write.
And pens — don’t get me started. I tend to get very fussy about them. As in, I have a whole metal tin full of pens I don’t like, so I end up not using them. My current favorites are the Schneider pen, which I discovered at a copy center in a small town in France, and the Pilot V-ball. But I could easily be lured away to a new love at any moment.
I’m not much of a pencil user, except when it comes to crosswords, but I’m entranced by the story of the Blackwing pencil and you might be, too.
Yes, it’s easy to roll your eyes at the weird predilections of writers, but hey, we use our tools all day, every day. Might as well enjoy them.
Digital
Sounds
Over the last couple of years, I’ve discovered the benefits of listening to music or sounds optimized for the brain. I swear it helps me concentrate. I use brain.fm, but Google “music for concentration” and you’ll find all kinds of free options. Not only do these block out distracting sounds, they actually help you to focus. Indispensable.
Back-up
I’m old enough to remember the days when we were told to back up our computers every week. But who ever took the time to do that, and furthermore, what exactly were you supposed to back up? I also went through a period of emailing drafts to myself, just in case something happened. Now I use a cloud back-up system that runs in the background all the time, saving me from having to remember to do anything. Well worth it.
Organization
Google Keep is my favorite, though I’ve also used One Note and Evernote. I like the simplicity of Google Keep. I use it for lists on my phone, and for noting to-dos and ideas as well. All three options are free.
And maybe most important — mental
Meditation
Let’s not forget your mental tools, either. They are vital! I recommend meditation (for which I use the free version of the Insight Timer on my phone) for starters. I know, it’s boring, and I also know it is hard to sit still and just be. But what if I told you that not only will it make you feel more relaxed, but that it will boost your creativity in droves, allowing new ideas to come through? Yeah, I thought that might convince you.
Attitude
Writing is a tough gig. It’s the most wonderful job in the world, but it is also rough at times — like when you get rejected, or when you are blocked on a project, or when the check that is “in the mail” fails to come.
It’s times like these that we need to remember to adjust our attitude. Yes, rejection feels awful, but you could be digging ditches for a living. Yes, being blocked is frustrating, but at least you have a creative project you love to work on. And so forth. At the very least, it feels better to be positive than negative. At most, it can be life changing.
Discipline
Okay, not anybody’s favorite tool. But I bet you use it every day — when you decide to go to the page instead of the TV, when you stay focused on your writing instead of perusing the internet, and so forth. Discipline may be a dirty word, but it’s a vital tool in your toolkit.
So those are some of the tools I’ll be using for my 2020 Story Path writing. I’d love to hear about yours.