And if you don't want to write and maintain an outline, consider writing using Scrivener (paid) or yWriter (free, and my personal choice due to its simplicity). They arrange your story into individual chapters and scenes, naturally forming an outline and allowing you to view your story as such at any progress level. This is incredibly helpful for keeping things organized with a large fic.
Mac OS/X - Ywriter6
http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter6.html
Windows - YWriter5:
http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter5.html
Also Android and iOS versions on the site.
For script-writing nothing beats Celtx. If you can find an old copy of the free version for your PC (otherwise it is now a paid portable version) but IMO the old free version is still very good.
I had been meaning to get some writing software for a while, took a look at this but noticed from the reviews that the Windows version was far less functional than the Mac one.
I'm instead taking a look at ywriter6, which seems to have all the same features and is free (donations encouraged).
Has anyone used both who can perhaps compare?
[](/hmmm)A technical question: What exactly do you write your stories in, and do you use other tools/software to help you with writing? These days, I write using LibreOffice Writer, though I have installed yWriter6 to see if I could outline better with it.
I'm writing my second novel using Word and yWriter6 (which also has an Android app, but I've never used it): http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter6.html
If you seriously rely on Word to format the text of your novel, I would stick with a Windows machine. Most things can be done using Word online or the Word Android app, but you'll be MUCH happier using Word on a Windows machine. I make minor modifications to my chapters using my Chromebook, but when I get serious about writing for several hours at a time, I always use my Windows laptop.
Conversely, if you simply want to write text with no heavy Word formatting, a Chromebook will work just fine...it just won't be quite as seamless.
Hah! If you look at my first long form fic, apparently I spend so much time trying to figure out the lore implications and subtle set ups for a "Once upon a time" story set in the universe, that I just stop writing the rest of the story completely. -.-
But more helpfully, I'll leave a [ TO BE WRITTEN ] blank chapter and just jump ahead to the next chunk I 'know' what I want to do with, and write there until I come up with the "From A -> B" Transition (Which is made easier once I start writing the next chunk, since there are transition questions that will need to be answered).
It helps that my writing software is Chapter / Scene separated, so this can all be easily visually done. (yWriter. Free for PC. Amazing. Can sync to iOS and Android, which aren't free, but WELL worth it. Get it today.)
Try Ywriter: http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter6.html
This is free planning software. There are a few tutorials for it. It's helping me put all of my ideas and notes in one file.
Good luck!
yWriter6 is available for Windows, Linux, Android and iOS.
Alternatively, there are a number of web/browser-based writing suites that are totally independent of device and OS.
Open Office is a completely free alternative to MS Office with very similar functionality.
yWriter is a word processor which lets you break up your work by scenes and chapters and has extra functionality for tracking characters, locations, etc.
So you are looking for a kindle-compatible story planning app for free? Do you have a laptop? Because there is a freeware software called yWriter. It's a Scrivener-esque type of word processor software that appears to be only compatible with Windows and Linux operating systems. I can't find a Mac OS or Kindle Android version. It's pretty good for being free if you have Windows or Linux.
Sometimes people here on /r/writing post 20-50% off sales for Scrivener during Nanowrimo, which is like $40 normally. If you can't scrape some 20-ish bucks from somewhere (the price of 2 Chipotle burritos or ~4 craft beers or ~4 Starbucks coffees or 1 video game, whatever), then you may have other budget issues bigger than writing problems to figure out.
Or you could find a way to organize your writing via spreadsheets document in Google Drive. Sure, it's just a spreadsheet, but it's free if you have a gmail account. You'll have to do some nifty spreadsheet organizational designs, but again, it's free and limited only by your imagination. And it's cloud based and accessible by any web connected device that is Chrome browser compatible. And if I haven't said it already: it's free. Don't knock the idea because it isn't "an easy to use app". You aren't paying for a developer to make it easy.
I'm gonna get emotional at how constructive this whole disagreement was, hahahahaha. I love seeing this shit.
And adding to the training wheels analogy (agree it's a really good one btw), I think these things are more useful as a ready-made template for organizing notes rather than for the writing itself. I mean, I've always looked for one but never found one that wasn't more confusing than helpful. Closest I think I got to was yWriter but even that felt like a bit overboard.
Think of it like organizing legos. Yes it's a box of fixed parts that fit to each other in somewhat limited ways, but you can do some pretty creative stuff just by using them in the most straightforward ways possible, and with enough time playing, you can even use them in quite unexpected ways!
(Oh and thanks for the tip on the book u/Cinemaas, it sounds like a nice inclusion to my library)
I've never had a client demand I use Word and most are happy to use Docs, but they're both more-or-less the same in regards to tracking changes.
For novel writing, I love yWriter, which is similar to Scrivener minus as many bells and whistles (which I find incredibly distracting). It's free and has served me well. Apparently, you can very easily publish direct to an ebook format through yWriter, though I haven't tried it at all.
I don't know how it compares to Scrivener, but I highly recommend yWriter - totally free, and truly excellent. I've been using it for years.
http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter6.html
Try yWriter6. It does everything organising-wise you describe (and more), has a reasonable backup system and, most of all, stores your files in .rtf-format you can use directly to copy and paste somewhere else. To use Word as a crutch for formatting with all the superfluous clutter it writes into its code is ridiculous anyway.
​
For Novel Planning (breaking your fic into scenes, have an outline, character profiles, locations, items, viewpoints etc)
if you're using a PC I'd recommend yWriter http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter6.html apparently you can use it with Linux as well.
For Android there's an app but I think it cost money (I've never used it on an android.) I think I started back with version 2 or 3 and honestly, I think its great.
​
For just writing (not editing) I second the person recommending FocusWriter, I think it's a great tool, you can customise it choose your own background picture etc, and its fullscreen and kinda prevents you from constantly being distracted. You can set timers and put in a goal for example 500 words in 30 minutes etc.
I think this is a great tool for a very rough first draft.
​
OpenOffice has always been my go-to free word processor.
​
Don't forget back ups, I have local back ups on my pc, I have a backup on Dropbox (free version gives you I think 2gb of storage not sure from the top of my head) I usually send an email with the files from 1 of my email addresses to another (so that's 2 back ups technically speaking)
Lastly I tend to use Google Keep to copy scenes over so I can instantly access it on any device either by app or browser.
​
I used to be more rigorous with back ups I had like 8 of the same file
I tried Scriveners free trial at one point and personally it didn't do it for me.
As a Windows user I've always used yWriter which is completely free, it may not look aesthetically as pleasing but honestly it does it what I need it to do very well.
I have no idea how well it works with screenreader softwares.
Apparently there is also an yWriter app for iOS which costs 4.99 usd or an Android app (not sure about the price) both i've not tried to be honest.
​
http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter6.html
​
Keep track of your submissions... Some places don't accept a work if it's in submission simultaneously elsewhere... And knowing which places accept which types of work can help once you become more prolific.
Here's a free software for tracking. http://www.spacejock.com/Sonar.html
He has a great free software for writing too http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter6.html
Another piece of software I have come across and been using for a long while now is yWriter. It is also a novel writing software with lots of similar features: Scene & Chapter Breakdowns Character Bio World Bio with Important Locations & Items
And so many more I can not count them all. Plus it is constantly updated, and best of all it is totally free! I was using it like crazy on PC, but there is now a App version for both OS in beta testing. Fantastic software and totally safe, and created by an author!