A Question For LSA Writers: What is in Your Writing "Toolkit"?
What are the main tools or "must-haves" you need in order to be a productive writer?
- General Alphasmart Dana/Neo - I have had both for years now. One I
What are the main tools or "must-haves" you need in order to be a productive writer?
- General
Alphasmart Dana/Neo - I have had both for years now. One I use mainly at home, and the other I use when I'm on the go. I am not the type who can draft on a computer, because there are way too many distractions. When it comes to the Dana and Neo, I sit down and write because that's really all I CAN do. When I plug the Neo directly into my computer, it dumps the text I've typed into a file for editing, and I can just save what I've written to an SD card using my Dana.
Scrivener - This is a must-have for me when I'm trying to put everything together. It's kind of a one-stop app that can handle the whole scope of almost any project, and it allows you to stay organized and handle different types of content with ease.
- iPhone specific
Relax Melodies Premium - This is an app that generates white noise or neutral, inoffensive ambient sounds. If I need to "block out" external noise or get really focused on what I'm doing, I listen to it through headphones.
Dictionary.com - This is, of course, a dictionary app, and it's offline and very comprehensive.
Voice Memos - This is the stock iPhone voice memo app, which comes in handy if I'm on the go and want to make a memo of something and I can't or don't want to write it down.
Baby Names - LOL, Sometimes I use this app to come up with character names.
A variety of writing apps - These are mostly to help jump-start my creativity when I experience writer's block. These are apps that generate random scenarios or writing prompts. I also use them when I sit down at the keyboard and am met with a lack of motivation.
- Other
Notebooks, pens - I'm partial to composition notebooks and four-color pens. I also like little spiral-bound notebooks. I still do a lot of "sketching" and making notes by hand, especially in the very early stages. Page flags and post-its come in very handy, too.
MP3 Player - Every blue moon I want to listen to music while I write, and since I don't keep music on my iPhone and can't keep it on my writing devices, I use an MP3 player.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are the main things I use/need when I write.
What are some of yours?
__________________
Two strangers, not strangers
Only lacking the knowing
So willing, feeling, infinite growing
While we're here the whole world is turning
We should be one--fulfilling the yearning
You can see inside me
Will you come inside me
Do you wanna ride inside my love?
Re: A Question For LSA Writers: What is in Your Writing "Toolkit"?
Ummmmm.......
Can you believe I have never thought about this but let me see.
Microsoft Word
Pens
Notebook
Flash Drive
Manuscript Holder to view my text easily while I type it out.
Soft jazz in the background. Just kidding about the jazz. Usually I do have my iPod on though. I like music.
Re: A Question For LSA Writers: What is in Your Writing "Toolkit"?
I'm pretty low-key.
- Any computer is fine as long as it's quiet around me
- Classical Music Playing (it gives me inspiration for some reason. I only listen to it when i'm writing)
-Stephen King's "On Writing" book
-If I need to research the topic I use research books on the subject.
Location: In a luminescent glow. Come to the light.
Posts: 1,703
Re: A Question For LSA Writers: What is in Your Writing "Toolkit"?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michonne
What are the main tools or "must-haves" you need in order to be a productive writer?
- General
Alphasmart Dana/Neo - I have had both for years now. One I use mainly at home, and the other I use when I'm on the go. I am not the type who can draft on a computer, because there are way too many distractions. When it comes to the Dana and Neo, I sit down and write because that's really all I CAN do. When I plug the Neo directly into my computer, it dumps the text I've typed into a file for editing, and I can just save what I've written to an SD card using my Dana.
Scrivener - This is a must-have for me when I'm trying to put everything together. It's kind of a one-stop app that can handle the whole scope of almost any project, and it allows you to stay organized and handle different types of content with ease.
- iPhone specific
Relax Melodies Premium - This is an app that generates white noise or neutral, inoffensive ambient sounds. If I need to "block out" external noise or get really focused on what I'm doing, I listen to it through headphones.
Dictionary.com - This is, of course, a dictionary app, and it's offline and very comprehensive.
Voice Memos - This is the stock iPhone voice memo app, which comes in handy if I'm on the go and want to make a memo of something and I can't or don't want to write it down.
Baby Names - LOL, Sometimes I use this app to come up with character names.
A variety of writing apps - These are mostly to help jump-start my creativity when I experience writer's block. These are apps that generate random scenarios or writing prompts. I also use them when I sit down at the keyboard and am met with a lack of motivation.
- Other
Notebooks, pens - I'm partial to composition notebooks and four-color pens. I also like little spiral-bound notebooks. I still do a lot of "sketching" and making notes by hand, especially in the very early stages. Page flags and post-its come in very handy, too.
MP3 Player - Every blue moon I want to listen to music while I write, and since I don't keep music on my iPhone and can't keep it on my writing devices, I use an MP3 player.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are the main things I use/need when I write.
What are some of yours?
Damn Boo...you ain't playing. You are very organized. With me and writing I type into my bberry and put on the computer or my small spiral notebook. That's about it. Oh and
this is on my computer.
Location: I'm somewhere where I don't know where I am.
Posts: 16,465
Re: A Question For LSA Writers: What is in Your Writing "Toolkit"?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dany Targaryen
Question: Has any one ever self-published on Amazon?
I haven't. I don't feel I'm ready to, well..."put myself out there" like that yet.
I haven't ruled it out as an option for the future, however.
__________________
Two strangers, not strangers
Only lacking the knowing
So willing, feeling, infinite growing
While we're here the whole world is turning
We should be one--fulfilling the yearning
You can see inside me
Will you come inside me
Do you wanna ride inside my love?
Location: In The James Bond Beamah Chrome Wheel'd Two Seatah
Posts: 9,229
Re: A Question For LSA Writers: What is in Your Writing "Toolkit"?
Mines is simple. Final Draft 8 & Microsoft Word. I'm weird though. I can't listen to any music while I write. I need it to be dead silent so that I can hear my thoughts. I can write for hours in silence, but if I hear so much as a phone ring, or a kid playing outside, it throws me totally off.
Re: A Question For LSA Writers: What is in Your Writing "Toolkit"?
pens (red, black)
pencils
highlighters
notebooks
mood music cd's (they provide me a soundtrack to my story)
laptop
flash drives
ear phones
depending what i'm writing, some reference books (history, geography, psychology, sociology, auto, technology, historical fashion, pop culture)
......could be a doobie in there, maybe there isn't....... *shrug*
__________________
I love you Aubrey..........Fuck you Drake. Shit. I don't even mean it....just come back to bed and shut the fuck up, baby.......sexy fuckin sexy mutherfucker.
Re: A Question For LSA Writers: What is in Your Writing "Toolkit"?
Quote:
Originally Posted by YellowRoses
-Bic Round Stic Grip Pencils w/ 0.7 lead (the erasers are AMAZING!)
-70 sheet spiral notebooks (I stock up once a year during the back-to-school sales. They're less than 20 cents each)
-A red pen for editing
-Index cards (for organizing scenes)
-Kindle (for the quick dictionary and for other references)
-Light
-Peace and quiet
-Sometimes coffee
Great thread!!
I wish I could to get back to actually "writing" on paper. For some reason I can only write poems on paper, but I have to type any novel. I'd love to get one of those old school vintage typewriters , because I just love the clicking sound of keys.
Location: I'm somewhere where I don't know where I am.
Posts: 16,465
Re: A Question For LSA Writers: What is in Your Writing "Toolkit"?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dany Targaryen
I wish I could to get back to actually "writing" on paper. For some reason I can only write poems on paper, but I have to type any novel. I'd love to get one of those old school vintage typewriters , because I just love the clicking sound of keys.
I'm trying to get my "writing nook" together, and this would make a great addition to it. I have a couple of still-usable tower computers with flat panel monitors that I don't really use anymore because I'm always on my MacBook, but I'd hook this bad boy up to one of my desktops and use the hell out of it for basic word processing purposes!
Right now, though...for basic word processing on my iPad, there is a typewriter-like app called miTypewriter. I just don't really use my iPad for serious writing, so it's more of a novelty--although it does work with an external keyboard and it does make the typewriter keys sound.
__________________
Two strangers, not strangers
Only lacking the knowing
So willing, feeling, infinite growing
While we're here the whole world is turning
We should be one--fulfilling the yearning
You can see inside me
Will you come inside me
Do you wanna ride inside my love?
I'm trying to get my "writing nook" together, and this would make a great addition to it. I have a couple of still-usable tower computers with flat panel monitors that I don't really use anymore because I'm always on my MacBook, but I'd hook this bad boy up to one of my desktops and use the hell out of it for basic word processing purposes!
Right now, though...for basic word processing on my iPad, there is a typewriter-like app called miTypewriter. I just don't really use my iPad for serious writing, so it's more of a novelty--although it does work with an external keyboard and it does make the typewriter keys sound.
Same here.
That's really cool. I've never heard of this before. The vintage type writers I looked at are cheap but i'm worried about repairs being expensive for them, and not being able to find ribbon/other parts as easily. I may look into investing in this one, though. It's gorgeous and seems a lot more practical. Thank you for posting it.
Just kidding about the jazz. Usually I do have my iPod on though. I like music. 
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