If you’re a writer there’s not a whole lot of gizmo. You only really need paper and a writing instrument to write. Sure, it helps to have Microsoft Word, a laser printer, a shiny PowerBook/MacBook Pro, etc. But, really, screw all that. Writing is one of the most lo-tech arts around. That’s one of the reasons we we love it.
But, I’ve confessed before, I’m a bit of a gear-luster, and over the past few months, I’ve noticed some interesting trends in the small but vibrant world of “writing technology,â€? including:
- Anti-word processing — Just text.
- Full-screen writing — No distractions.
- All-in-one tools — Keep your ideas, notes, drafts, all together.
- Paper — Lovely paper.
The dominate theme that I’ve noticed feels like it’s about writing without distractions. No funny fonts, no Yahoo! Messenger bouncing in the background. No trying layout your story in progress so you can pretend it’s in print in the “The New Yorker.”
Writing zen.
I like this trend. I spent most of my failed efforts in this latest round of National Novel Writing Month writing my project in a notebook. I will be compelled to type up what I wrote, but in the frantic draft stage, the connection between my hand, pen, and paper was refreshing after spending eight-plus hours on a computer for work.
Likewise, all the software centered efforts to minimize distractions when you’re on the computer are coming from the right place. A focused workplace has always been conducive to producing, whether you’re sitting across the room from Bartelby or aggravating your RSI on a PC.
I typically use a Mac, and some of the interesting software applications aimed at writers that I’ve seen include CopyWrite, which I’ve used for a couple years. This application offers project management for your writing: keep your notes, various drafts of stories and chapters of novels all together so you don’t have a dozen different verions of Word files floating around. And it offers an optional full-screen mode, so you see nothing but your words.
In a more minimalistic direction, I recently tried a free program called Writer, which can block your Internet access and fade out all the other programs you may have running. A bit foreceful, but strikes me as an effective method to reach focus.
If there’s any moral to this story, it may be that whatever format you spend your writing time on — computer, typewriter, quill and inkpot — you must focus, you must use all your tools to hone in on your words. Stop comparing how your name looks in Courier versus Times New Roman. Stop checking MySpace. Stop clipping your toenails.
Writing zen.
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Comments 4
This is interesting. Sometimes, I also feel like the right technology would make writing easier, but I agree with your supposition that what we really need is to devote our time to writing. Although, if you don’t clip your toenails for a long time, you will put holes in your socks.
Armand
Posted 11 Jan 2007 at 9:54 am ¶It’s a blessing and a curse. I love my computer because I can type so much faster than I can write stuff out on paper, but it’s hard to keep from piddling around with other applications, web surfing, sorting through desktop backgrounds.
What I need is a program like Writer but with a timer. It should lock me into a word processing program for 90 minutes at a time.
Of course then I’d probably just get up and go downstairs for a beer. It’s always something…
Posted 22 Jan 2007 at 7:09 am ¶I’ve heard good things about Scrivener for the Mac as well. Personally, I write most things in Textwrangler, then format later in Word.
Posted 18 Feb 2007 at 11:24 pm ¶Thanks for the note about Scrivener, Robert. I had downloaded that program a few weeks back when it reached v. 1.0, but couldn’t really see the greatness that I’d been hearing about.
But, inspired a bit by your mention of it, I decided to give it a bit more exploration.
It is a very nice program — a lot of features packed into one package and done in a way that doesn’t seem overwhelming — at least after going through the tutorial and some help docs.
Anyway, I think it will be something I’ll use. Thanks for the inspiration to give it another look.
Posted 25 Feb 2007 at 1:43 am ¶Speak Your Mind