A lot of people think you need to have the newest and largest application stack to be a writer.
Truth is, you don’t.
I mean you just need a word processor and a place to save your documents.
But there’s a bit more to it, especially if you want order and a more effective writing rhythm.
But instead of giving you a list of “This is the best writing apps you need to implement.” I want to do it a bit differently.
As you’re still an aspiring writer, there’s no reason to spend hours trying to figure out what works or thousands of $$$ for license.
Instead, I’m going to take you through my journey and how my writing tools has developed and the mindset behind every choice.
The obvious: The writing program
In case you didn’t know your writing program is the program where you write things.
It’s where the magic happens.
Sounds exotic, doesn’t it?
That’s out of pocket, I know.
But let’s be real. With the current technology whatever program that lets you write down your thoughts is possible to use.
I know something like notepad doesn’t offer the same functionality as Microsoft Word or Google docs, but it’s still possible to use, and don’t require you to install anything.
But let’s be real: We’re writers, We don’t just want functionality, we want our stuff to look pretty too.
And I, therefore, won’t recommend you Docs it as it’ll lead to issues later down the line, especially when there’s great free alternatives available.
My weapon of choice
As I quickly touched upon, all word processing program (as they so fancy are called) are the same. The only difference? Their price tag.
When I first started on my writing journey by only writing tools were pieces of paper and a pencil.
Old school? You bet.
But once I got over it, my frugal butt didn’t want to spend any money, so I went directly to the free alternatives.
My first weapon of choice was LibreOffice (Link: https://www.libreoffice.org/)
It looks identical to Microsoft Word, except it’s free.
It did the job, and I think I used it for about a year before switching over to Google Docs.
This was mainly done from a perspective of productivity.
Because I already used Google Drive, it was easier for me to keep everything connected. (I know you can save your documents inside Drive, but I was naïve back then and felt I needed to support Google to the fullest.)
I don’t know why, but the design of Google Docs irritated my eyes and after a short period of using it, I switched.
This time to Microsoft Office (and, therefore, Word), which I have used ever since.
“But Jack why switch to Microsoft Office (Paid) instead of LibreOffice or any other free alternative?”
Good question.
I’m sure the answer might make you cringe.
But I just didn’t like the way LibreOffice looks visually.
LibreOffice is everything you can ask for, but it just doesn’t beat Microsoft Word’s design in my eyes. Besides, I was also lucky enough to get a free license from a family member, so that definitely helped.
Would I have switched to Microsoft if I didn’t get a free license? Probably not.
But it’s important to emphasize: There are thousands of programs out there and they are, essentially, are the same.
(And I would highly recommend you don’t pay for anything, especially not in the beginning.)
What about the fancy/expensive programs?
If you look up the best writing program, you might discover something like Scrivener (Link: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview)
It’s one of those fancy programs.
The #1 novel & book writing software.
Sounds impressive and exactly like something you need, but don’t.
Especially not in the beginning.
Yes, they have a whole new set of features that might help you take your writing to the next level, but it’s also the trap.
Because behind all these features there’s a learning curve.
And when you’re just starting on your writing journey, you’re already challenged enough and if you need to go through a learning curve just to write, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
So, before you throw yourself out onto the deep water, give yourself a chance.
Start with the simpler programs.
Save money and time.
And then you can switch to a paid software in the future, if you find it necessary.
Folder structure and storage
Okay, it might be wrong to call this folder structure, because it mainly has to do with your storage.
But come on, it’s kind of the same.
After you start your writing journey and start creating documents, you’ll need a place to storage them and keep them safe.
Because saving directly onto your hard drive is not a good idea.
I mean you never know when your computer decides to give up on life and if you all your work is saved on its hard drive, well. Then all your hard work is gone.
This is crucial to any writer. In fact, it might even be more important than your choice of writing program.
Now, the situation with storage is sort of the same here as with writing software.
All cloud storage does the same thing: They all offer a free version and then some extra if you’re willing to pay for it.
I use Google Drive (I used it together with my Google Docs experiment but has kept using it ever since), and I have 15 GB of storage and it’s nowhere near full.
But it’s a big jungle out there, but since all cloud storage software offer about the same support, it doesn’t matter if the name is: Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.
The most important thing is you have a place to store your files safely and access them.
An important point: If you already are using a program, whether it’s for work, personal files or anything, then I’d highly recommend you continue to use it.
Checkpoint: Take a moment to reflect
Okay my friend, time to take a moment to reflect.
At this point you pretty much have everything you need to get started.
An editor and a cloud-based backup solution.
You’re ready to go, ain’t it amazing?
I think so.
Now, I know you probably expected more, but the truth is when you’re just starting out you don’t need a whole lot more.
In fact, I wrote my first two novels with just Google docs and Google Drive.
And I still haven’t spent a dime on any programs as I would rather spend them on marketing, editors, and design later on down the line.
However, in case you’re curious, there’s one more thing I might recommend using as a new writer, but this is absolutely only if you lack overview and need a place to gather your tasks.
Project management
This is a new addition to my stack as well, so I’m still trying to figure it out.
But a project management program, its function is kind of in the name: it’s a program that allows you to management your project.
Simple as that.
Now what do I use it for and how could it potentially help you?
Basically, I got tired of writing to-do lists. I got tired of the cluttered folders, and I lost track of everything, so I threw a project management program in just for fun.
And I ended up trying Monday.com (https://Monday.com)
It’s allows you to build a table with tasks, which you can then organize into groups, categories, and even leave comments if you need to track progress.
I’m, for sure, not using it to its full capacity, but it gets the job done and I don’t have to waste any more time trying to find my way through another boring to-do list.
For anybody curious, this is Monday.com (My management board called book publishing):
A word of caution:
But as much as I like not having to look at to-do lists, I also noticed I created a need I didn’t have.
You see, while I like using Monday.com, I don’t use it nearly as much as I could.
At this point, because my editing focuses on one thing at a time, I mainly use it for keeping track of my working hours and blog posts stats, but I keep it around for the future when things start to get more hectic.
Therefore, would I recommend it? Only if you really feel like you’re lacking an overview and need a bit more visual than a to-do list.
Basically, you need to consider the following: Will this just clutter my day or will it actually improve my efficiency.
An important point
Whenever I start a new program, it’s always a struggle. I want them to be perfect: The perfect setting, the best layout, the best anything. It’s a constant battle, but with Monday.com, I decided to just set it up to a point where it functioned and follow along.
I didn’t need perfect anything and it’s been wonderful.
For any program you choose, it doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be functional.
There’s millions of settings, programs, and things you have choose, but instead of getting lost in the details and wasting a full day trying to set something up. I’d advise to just set something up to a minimum and then build on the more you use it.
That’s about it.
Now, before we round this off. Let talk about the elephant in the room.
Let’s have a talk about AI.
I don’t use AI. Ever.
I know it’s the age of AI and I could probably increase my productivity ten-fold by using AI, but I like to go through everything myself and think every thought myself. I strive to go through the challenges and try to learn as much possible.
And because I’m a non-native English speaker, there’s something challenging about learning how to properly write and edit my novels.
“But that’s precisely why you should use AI.”
Yes, AI could do it in a manner of seconds.
But it could also just take over my whole career.
But where’s the fun in that?
There’s something special about putting in the hours to improve. The experience of gradually seeing yourself become a better writer.
Going through the stuff line after line.
It’s something I can’t let AI takeaway and neither should you.
I mean, I don’t think I could look myself in the eyes if I used a machine to write any part of my story. It feels like I’m cheating on my mind and the story it’s trying to create.
But that’s just my opinion.
I’m sure there are plenty of usability in them and if it’s something that excites you, then I don’t see why not.
Even though I don’t recommend it. If it’s something you think can help you become more productive: Go do it.
What should you use?
Now, I know it seems like an amazing idea to use as many writing tools as possible.
I know it can be difficult to figure out if you’re using enough or are missing out, but you don’t need anything except a writing program and a program to safely store your files.
The rest is just extra that might hurt your productivity.
Remember, it’s not the application that makes the writing, it is what’s inside your mind.
But I’d recommend you use any free alternative writing program (This could be LibreOffice or Google Docs) and whatever cloud-based storage you feel comfortable with. (E.g. Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive)
And then voilá.
You’re ready to start your writing journey.
(Need help building a writing system? Take a look at my blog post that’ll take you through three steps to build a writing system that works for you.)
(Or maybe you’re struggling to get started? I’d recommend you do blind drafting. It’s the ultimate exercise for every writer to get started and will only take you 30 minutes.)
That’s a wrap for you today.
Until next time – Hope you have a productive and creative day.
Your writing buddy,
Jack