This month, I’m providing a writer’s technology tip-a-day (along with other posts) to help you in your writing goals.
Today’s tip: Do an annual writing tool checkup.
A writer uses a surprising amount of software to support a career. Whether it be blog software such as WordPress, or client blogging software such as BlogDesk, or the software you use to write your manuscripts, the brainstorming and organizational tools to create, the software — and your use of it — changes over time.
Yet, we as human beings use our natural tendency to stay with what we use even though it is not working for us any more.
It requires discipline to clearly examine the benefit of the software to us over time. After our review, it requires effort to change to a different software program that we think now meets our needs.
Sometimes, we change out our software as Gordon over at After the MFA where he stopped using Word over two years ago as noted in “The Last Word on Word“. Steven Poole documents the change that Gordon picked up on in his post “Goodbye, cruel Word.”
Each had used Word in the past, but felt that the software no longer met their needs.
Other times, we find the software is fine for how we are using it now.
This is not to pick on Microsoft. I’ve changed my blogging software, changing from Blogger to Squarespace (a great hosting site) to WordPress. I’ve tried different programs to write my blogs. I’ve changed virus spyware protection programs from Symantec to Zone Alarm.
The point is this: once a year take a hard look at what is working and not working with the tools you use that help you make your writing career a career. You owe it to yourself and career to use the right tools for the job. Don’t just settle.
Scot
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