Writing apps? Dedicated writing software? Some people swear by them, some people treat them with utter contempt. I’m somewhere in the middle, I suppose.
Yesterday, I was listening to Open Book, on Radio 4, where authors Stella Duffy and Julian Gough discussed whether the new apps for writers can really get the creative juices flowing, while A L Kennedy bravely road-tested a few of the most popular.
As a screenplay writer, I’ve been a long time fan of Final Draft – especially since yesterday when I discovered it has a profanity report facility to log the number of swear words you use! Here’s an example – not mine, I hasten to add:
Made me laugh!
I reckon I use about 10% of all the fine facilities the software has to offer. It’s a time thing, I tell myself. But does Final Draft get the creative juices flowing?
Not at all.
What it does do is allow you to concentrate on the creative side of writing a screenplay without having to think about formatting it correctly. That happens automatically. Not having to worry about the technicalities really helps me not to get stuck. (And yes, I know there are other bits of kit like this, but Final Draft is the only one I can talk about through experience. )
The writers on Open Book both raved enthusiastically about Scrivener, advertised as a manuscript and script-writing tool. Techie Tim has also been badgering me about this. It’s the same old story for me – I get confronted by the thought of having to devote a lot of time to learning new technology and navigating my way through a whole different program. I can appreciate that, in the long run, it would probably be super-duper but, just at the moment…
I’m an old-fashioned girl…
What about apps for writers?
The trending one of the moment is called Write or Die 2, created by someone called Dr. Wicked. Of course it is.
This app “aims to eliminate writer’s block by providing consequences for procrastination and, new to this version, rewards for accomplishment…Instead of just writing to avoid annoying sounds and alarm warning colours you can now customise your stimulus. If you like to see a cute puppy after you’ve reached a certain number of words, you can. If you’d like to write in fear of a jiggling spider, you can do that too.”
Fun, yes! I imagine so. Helpful? Maybe. Julian Gough described how it made him churn out material with less inhibition, sometimes a surprise even to himself, which he could then edit. Stella Duffy said it was great when she was stuck, as a way of getting started.
Maybe I’ll try it.
In the meantime, here’s a clip of AL Kennedy, doing just that!
On the other hand…apps for writers? Maybe not.
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