Two nice freeware programs:
- If you're a fiction writer and you work on a Windows machine, consider yWriter. This is a nice writing platform that focuses on issues that fiction writers care about. Unlike Word, it is not about formatting. It allows you to organize chapters, keep track of characters and scenes, take notes that are important to background, and view a storyboard of your work in progress. You can export a project to various formats or print in a submission-ready format. Nice!
- For all writers, keeping track of submissions is important. I use ancient software built on a Microsoft Access framework but I'm thinking about switching Sonar or Writer's Database. Both are free. Sonar is built by the same person who did yWriter, which has gotten great reviews. At first blush, I like Sonar better. Why? No reason that will hold up: mainly I like a program on my own computer rather than one that's web-based. But that just shows my age.
As the holes in the pockets of the publishing industry widen, how do you think they are able to make these sites free? Do you have to sign up for something else? Are they advertising it?
ReplyDeleteGood question. The author of these programs is Simon Haynes. He's a novelist who wrote these programs for himself. On his page he explains:
ReplyDelete"Why is most of my software free?
Because I like giving things away, and the feedback I get from users helps to improve my software. Remember, I write all my programs for my own use - and I'm a very picky user. Can't stand bugs, don't like eye-candy.
I sometimes get emails asking how to thank me for my free software, since I don't charge anything. Well, why not make a small donation towards the cost of developing my software?
What happens to your donation? Like many I have a family to feed, and every day I face a choice: do I spend time working as a programmer for hire, or do I improve my free software programs like yWriter, Sonar and yBook? The answer is simple: the more people donate towards my projects, the more time I have available to work on them.
Alternatively, you can pick up my novels as DRM-free (non-encrypted) ebooks for under US$3.50 each. The more copies of my novel sold, the more motivated I get ;-)"