by Scot Herrick on September 10, 2007
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: Use a Digital Camera.
Many of us are visual — we like the one picture that portrays the thousand words. The notes on the page simply don’t cut it when it comes to remembering a setting, a city, or a landscape.
Enter the digital camera. Digital cameras have really advanced in both clarity of the picture as well as the ability to frame a picture. Easily downloaded to a computer as well, digital cameras allow you to take a multitude of pictures and select the best one that you need to enhance your writing. They are now consistently small where a good digital camera can fit into a shirt pocket or purse.
The picture allows the writer to save a scene, capture a unique feature of a person for a character, or get in close to see the details of something that will add depth to your writing.
A camera is not for every writer. But pictures can allow you to write the thousand words. Before editing, of course…
Scot
by Scot Herrick on September 9, 2007
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: Find the right writing software.
In the beginning, there was Word Perfect. Then came the monster called Word. And that was the end of that.
But several years later, there are far more options out on the market for writing software. While Word can remain dominate, there are now choices. Want a minimally distracting word processor? Try Darkroom. How about a few-featured, but on the mark word processor? Try RoughDraft. Want something that builds in tools that writers also use as part of their craft? Try Writers Blocks.
Today’s market offers a good choice of writing tools that can fit the style of the writer and the technology.
So get comfortable with your writing software — and if you’re not comfortable, give another software program a try.
Scot
by Scot Herrick on September 8, 2007
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: Thin notebook computers.
Notebook, or laptop, computers are a writer’s best friend — especially light weight notebook computers. And given today’s technology, notebook computers have become almost as powerful as their desktop comrades.
There are great advantages to notebook computers for writers as well:
Portability. You can take notebook computers almost everywhere — and everywhere is where I write. At home, on the patio, at the bed and breakfast, and on the plane. And the less weight, the easier it is to take the notebook computer with you.
Wireless Access. Almost all notebook computers today come with wireless access. Many places either offer wireless access to the Internet on the basis of a paid service (like at Starbucks) or free access (like at a bed and breakfast or hotel).
One machine for your writing. The vast majority of writing is done on computers. Having all of your writing on one machine — whether the writing is done on the road or at home — is a great advantage in time and effort to get the work done.
I have both a work and personal laptop and can attest to the fact that having a computer-to-go is a great advantage to a writer.
Scot
by Scot Herrick on September 7, 2007
I do not own a Mac — but I sure wish I did. But three PC’s in the Windows environment would cause a pretty big investment in new hardware and software. So it’s great when another site does a review of what you would need as a writer to have on your Mac.
Ivan Brkan over at Freelance Switch has done the research, has the opinion, and wrote the “35 Absolutely Essential Mac Apps.”
From everything to digital notebooks to billing programs, it’s a quick, but useful review of software applications for the Mac.
Scot
by Scot Herrick on September 7, 2007
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: Technology for Time Management.
Managing your time as a writer is critical to your success. Most of us have day jobs that pay the bills while we carve out time for our passion for writing. Full time writers need the discipline to write full time. It’s not an easy thing to do.
Enter the myriad of time management tools available to writers. Whether it is simple notepads, index cards, notebooks, or digital time management tools, it is critical for a writer to have a time management discipline for managing time and tasks.
Angela Booth is all over the time management needs of a writer. In her series of articles on time management, she starts off with something we all need to understand: See yourself as a competent writer. It all starts with our attitude to writing doesn’t it?
Her next tip is to “list everything.” And whether it is analog like paper or digital like Outlook, the key is that if you don’t capture it, “it doesn’t happen.”
There’s more, of course. The key is: manage your time and use analog or digital tools to do it.
Scot
