what software do professional writers use

what software do professional writers use

The Best Software for Professional Writers

1. Introduction

Professional writers are, without question, a demanding group of people. The typical writer is a keen observer of the world around him or her. Meticulously detail-oriented, controlled by deadlines, with a healthy respect and understanding of the power of the written word, such writers won’t touch a regular word processing tool if they can help it. Instead, they aspire to utilize software that is designed for their needs, which are actually quite different from the word processing needs of the general public. The perfect tool for these writers comes in the form of a software application. An application takes the tasks involved in writing to a different level, one in which traditional word processors fall short. This review will cover several such applications currently available, including the buzz on the street from their users. This will be of use to writers who are researching for that perfect tool. Special attention is given to software that could be used for writing articles and fiction, though much of it will also apply to non-fiction writing.

2. Section one: Benefits of using professional writing software

Having structured your story under any method, the first thing to be written is not necessarily the first thing to occur in the story. Professional writers often find themselves jumping around their own stories, writing in bulk that will eventually lead to a completed tale. In some cases, they receive inspiration to write a scene while editing others. A Novel Approach offers the toggling of chapter organization, but arguably the most efficient method in any case is SmartEdit. By creating a temporary document of your work, this program allows you to delete and access written material from your active project file, regardless of whether this is stored in .txt, .rtf, or .doc format. With stored information now much easier to access in comparison to the former paper trail, the professional writer may often find himself returning to older written works that have the potential to be refreshed and published. On the other hand, writers of creative non-fiction may sometimes feel the urge to write a specific section relevant to an earlier work. (Have I gone off-topic again? I think this explains what’s meant by a creative non-fiction writer.) Sooner or later, most writers will have to seek information on a topic from .csv to .doc to .rtf. These files are accessible to anyone and saved everywhere. Research. A physician, heal thyself came to my mind as I write this – don’t ask me why; who else is thus qualified to cure our dying and questionable English language?

The writer is not always at his/her computer or notepad; often a great deal of thinking or planning is done away from the writing machine. Professional writers using yWriter 5 may find this story outlining and project planner particularly helpful. This software encourages you to break your novel into a set of scenes, and then allocate these to chapters. With one-line summaries of your scenes at your fingertips and a summarized sheet of each chapter, the subject and events of your stories are always available at quick and easy recall. Putting it in elaborate terms, you could consider this software a set of interactive index cards. But then again, if you like efficiency and your computer is normally close at hand, you may prefer StoryLines, a program that gives a virtual corkboard for arranging and rearranging the order of your scenes in a story.

In this section, we will consider how professional software can assist the professional writer. We will consider the issues of wise working practice and editing and then focus on the assistance given to the writing process itself. All software discussed in this section is Windows-based unless stated otherwise.

3. Section two: Top software options for professional writers

If you are serious about improving not only the quantity, but the quality of your writing, you may want to invest in some top of the range software to help perfect your writing techniques. All kinds of professional writers need to consider different types of software depending on what their line of work is. The basic tools of a writer are words and phrases and so it makes sense to have a package that provides maximum facility with these. Of these, the most ubiquitous is undoubtedly Microsoft Office. Although Microsoft Word is itself a competent tool for many writers (I wrote this article with it), its strength lies in the whole package’s versatility. For professional writers who specialize in a particular area writing high-end content, one of the best methods to ensure maximum quality is by teaming up with other experts in the field. In such cases, it may be beneficial to all invest in one software package that can be equally used for communication as well as writing, so that papers can be easily exchanged, reviewed and modified between users. In this respect, a tool developed specifically for programmers completely escapes the radar of many writers: the text editor. Though it may sound initially imprudent to downgrade from a word processor, the simplicity and versatility of a text editor can at times be invaluable. TextView++ is a replacement for the standard Windows MediaPlayer and notepad, and provides a platform for an extensible architecture designed to help users play and write their music. Eclipse is a much more infamous editor, known for being a highly flexible platform for writing and debugging code in almost any programming language. However, many of these languages have markup Wiki or similar simple document formatting techniques, and writing them in this sort of environment can be an interesting alternative to the normal word processing. Eclipse is a highly versatile platform available for many operating systems.

4. Section three: Key features to consider in professional writing software

Another important tool for writers is to check word and sentence count. Often they are required to write an article with a specific word count, yet no maximum. More commonly though, it’s required for advertisements and other pointed information. Sentence count is also an important tool for technical writers who need to break down information into smaller points and a tool for students to improve their writing. Both these counts need to be displayed in an easily viewable format, and the software should provide an easy analysis of how the various counts affect readability.

Professional writers are also looking for advanced spelling and grammar checkers so they can save time when proofreading and do so at a better standard. With the increased usage of word processors and other software for typing, spelling, and grammar has taken a slight downturn, and we now see more spelling mistakes and poor grammar in published content. A good writing software will have a spell checker that uses a customizable dictionary for technical jargon and would be able to identify homonyms (words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings) and check that the usage of these words is correct. For example, write and right. A grammar checker should perform its checking on multiple levels, checking punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, and overall writing style. The writer then wants to be able to view and correct errors in a simple format and be able to set problems aside for later review.

Professional writers generally have a lot of existing work saved in hard copy. It may still be quite relevant, good, and usable. It is important that the new software they choose works in editing and converting work of these file types into its own. Old work tends to get lost when overtaken by new software that does not support older file types. A good example of this would be work stored in plain text. Now, good industry writing, and most personal writing is now performed in Microsoft Word. This does not mean that writers want to download Microsoft software constantly to check their work. It is a lot more efficient when the writing program comes equipped with its own grammar and spell checkers that check work on the spot. This also applies to many writers who use software such as WordPad. Plain text and rich text files can be easily edited in Windows default programs. Therefore, the professional writing software should be able to edit content from the Microsoft Word processor and editing programs of plain and rich text.

Key features to consider: software compatibility with the existing and latest applications, its ability to perform as a grammar and spell checker, overall word and sentence count, the presence of a wide range of templates, and its capability to allow for internet publishing.

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5. Conclusion

There is no one best software for professional writers. Only the writer knows what is best for him or herself. Over the years, many professional writers and authors have advised that the best software to use is one that is most comfortable. With that said, it really depends on what you are comfortable with. If you are not sure of what software is best for you, there is always the option of using the software that you currently have on your computer. Microsoft Works and WordPad are perfect for those who cannot afford to spend a fortune on expensive software because most computers come with the software installed. If you decide that you want to purchase software, you can always upgrade to Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word is not very expensive and you can do almost anything with it. As for people who cannot live without the internet, there is an online editing software called EditPad. This software is perfect for those who have internet access at all times because it is readily available whenever you need it. With all the choices made, it really depends on what the writer prefers. Consider the price, the features, and your own personal preferences. As a writer, you are your own boss and simple tasks such as buying software require your own decision making.