11 replies to this topic

[hase]

... to introduce myself, since I have no idea how long it will take complete my survey regarding novel writing software. Nevertheless, I did write some screenplays using Final Draft, but now I do think about transforming some to ordinary books.
Currently in Try-Out-Mode are: Ulysses, Scrivener and, of course, Storyist.

I hope that Storyist 2 will see the daylight soon, I am especially fond of Ulysses & Scriveners full screen mode which is not available in 1.5.2. However, the picture of the upcoming release looks just great - I cross my fingers to get it before I have to decide....

During the next couple of days I will probably pester anybody about things I don't seem to understand - I just say 'sorry' to you before I start with it

[Thoth]

Hi hase.

A few of us have been beta-testing 2.0 and it looks great. It has lots of useful new stuff. You won't be disappointed. As a novel-writing tool I think it beats the pants off of Ulysses and Scrivener. In any event, the Bug Hunt continues.

-Thoth.

[hase]

Thoth, on May 18 2009, 07:47 PM, said:

Hi hase.

A few of us have been beta-testing 2.0 and it looks great. It has lots of useful new stuff. You won't be disappointed. As a novel-writing tool I think it beats the pants off of Ulysses and Scrivener. In any event, the Bug Hunt continues.

-Thoth.

Hi Toth

I gather it is not a public beta, right? Ah, well, if it doesn't show up within the next 10 days, I'll probably buy Scrivener for that first novel, Ulysses seems to be too pure for my peace of mind.


BTW, you haven't chosen your name after that David Edding's character, have you?

[Marguerite]

hase, on May 18 2009, 03:42 PM, said:

Hi Toth

I gather it is not a public beta, right? Ah, well, if it doesn't show up within the next 10 days, I'll probably buy Scrivener for that first novel, Ulysses seems to be too pure for my peace of mind.


BTW, you haven't chosen your name after that David Edding's character, have you?

Hi, Hase. Welcome to the forums. Not a public beta, no, although you can send Steve a PM and sign up as a beta tester, so long as you are willing to submit regular bug reports and not share the details before the official release.

I suggest you check the Storyist website before buying anything. I recall reading that people who paid for version 1.5 at this point in time qualified for a free upgrade to version 2. As Thoth says, the new version is far superior to Scrivener (I know, it's an opinion--but I have used both. I think version 1.5 is better than Scrivener. Have never used Ulysses, though). And while you're waiting, you can simulate Full Screen Mode by turning off everything but the main window: check the View Menu for the commands.

Your choice, of course. But why pay for both Scrivener and Storyist if you need only one?
Best,
Marguerite

P.S. Thoth is named after the Egyptian Lord of Justice, Magic, Science, Writing, etc.

[Thoth]

hase, on May 18 2009, 03:42 PM, said:

Hi Toth

Thoth. I'm not Hungarian. Well, at least my screen name isn't.

hase, on May 18 2009, 03:42 PM, said:

I gather it is not a public beta, right?

No, but for a little preview click here.

hase, on May 18 2009, 03:42 PM, said:

Ah, well, if it doesn't show up within the next 10 days, I'll probably buy Scrivener for that first novel, Ulysses seems to be too pure for my peace of mind.

I don't think it will be ready in 10 days but only god/Steve knows for sure. In the meantime, Storyist 1.5 is still better for novel writing than Ulysses (IMHO).

hase, on May 18 2009, 03:42 PM, said:

BTW, you haven't chosen your name after that David Edding's character, have you?

I don't recall ever reading any of David Edding's sword & sorcery books. I chose my screen/forum name for its connection to the Egyptian moon god; the god of wisdom, justice, science, magic, mediation and writing. Click here. (Just look at the picture. It looks just like me!)

-Thoth.
P.S. Dang! M beat me to the punch again! She is a clever minx. Or is that Golden Lynx (the name of her current WIP)?

[Marguerite]

Thoth, on May 18 2009, 04:33 PM, said:

-Thoth.
P.S. Dang! M beat me to the punch again! She is a clever minx. Or is that Golden Lynx (the name of her current WIP)?

Fastest typing fingers in the East.

And so you need not ask, Hase, Marguerite is a character in my previous, as yet unpublished opus (ah, the shortsightedness of agents and editors—one day they will regret their failure to snap it up when they had the chance! ). Also the heroine of The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy, which said opus uses as a subtext.
M

[hase]

Marguerite, on May 18 2009, 10:50 PM, said:

And so you need not ask, Hase, Marguerite is a character in my previous, as yet unpublished opus (ah, the shortsightedness of agents and editors—one day they will regret their failure to snap it up when they had the chance! ).

Being my humble self I'd never have allowed myself to ask a lady anything quite that inquisitive. Nice to know, though

Talking 'bout agents - since this is my first journey into novel writing I sort of look forward to it. It helps, I guess, to have an editor who actually asks you to write a novel...
I, on the other side, am experiencing a lot of uncertainty right now - guess I should have practiced writing novels if somebody told me how to practice that. Alas, there is that monster, the shape of an unwritten novel, knocking at my door, shivers running down my spine - I need to do something completely different right away. Looking at writing tools does dampens the monsters' need, for some time...

[Thoth]

Ernest Hemingway famously called your "monster" The White Bull, referring to that blank sheet of white paper in his typewriter. I mention this only because all writers face the White Bull. You're not alone.

Typewriters, imagine! How did they ever write anything before computers? (Did I mention that Hemingway committed suicide in 1961?)
-Thoth.

[Marguerite]

hase, on May 19 2009, 06:46 AM, said:

I, on the other side, am experiencing a lot of uncertainty right now - guess I should have practiced writing novels if somebody told me how to practice that. Alas, there is that monster, the shape of an unwritten novel, knocking at my door, shivers running down my spine - I need to do something completely different right away. Looking at writing tools does dampens the monsters' need, for some time...

Well, Storyist will certainly help you classify your monster and keep fine academic research notes on its quirks, but at the risk of sounding harsh, the only form of effective practice I know of is to take a seat in front of some form of recording device (computer, typewriter, yellow legal pad, stone tablet and chisel) and let the monster roar. Repeat till you get it on the page. Then show it to one or two people (ideally, fellow writers of kindly personality) and prepare to revise the monster umpteen times until you've tamed it into a sweet and gentle pet, at which point you may be able to unleash it on the outside world.

That and read ... a lot. Not necessarily books on writing, although there are a few good ones (see the Writing Resources section of the forums for suggestions). I read authors I like and books I enjoyed in the past and try to figure out how the authors make their worlds come alive.

You can take classes, of course. But as Steakpirate can testify, you may receive some very weird assignments, so why not start with the idea that's pounding at your brain?
Best,
Marguerite

[hase]

The White Bull - yes, that seems appropriate. And that's why I need a towel, a red one

About that "how to write" I only refer to how to write a novel, I did screenplays so my angst happens to be in how to ... erh ... translate a screenplay which I finished years ago into a novel. I often complain about movies who are not up to the novel they are based upon, now it's the same thing, but in reverse. All the stuff I left out of it needs to be filled up. Like having a good (well, one can hope) bottle of cognac and undestill it into wine again. I don't even have a movie as reference, since I sold it but the company I sold it to never quite did produce the movie - not that I would consider it much help, but still I would have lots of reference material I could knit into it. I know I can do it, it's just... kind of funny doing things backward

[Thoth]

hase, on May 21 2009, 08:09 AM, said:

About that "how to write" I only refer to how to write a novel, I did screenplays so my angst happens to be in how to ... erh ... translate a screenplay which I finished years ago into a novel.

I'd think having the screenplay done would be very helpful in writing the novel.

hase, on May 21 2009, 08:09 AM, said:

I often complain about movies who are not up to the novel they are based upon...

Yeah. Me too. But I've come to realize that there is no getting around the time issue. Distilling a novel into a 90-minute or 2-hour film is bound to leave out some good parts.

hase, on May 21 2009, 08:09 AM, said:

...the company I sold it to never quite did produce the movie...

This is common for film and television, who are always starving for source material but lack the funds and time to do everything. On the positive side, it's relatively easier to sell a screenplay than a novel.

Best of luck.
-Thoth.

[hase]

Thoth, on May 21 2009, 03:05 PM, said:

I'd think having the screenplay done would be very helpful in writing the novel.

Hmm, I'd like that to be true. Back when I wrote the screenplay I had the movie more or less firmly in my head and would carefully omit things which are up to all the others - actors, director, dop and so on. As I am writing the novel, I tend to produce an entirely different movie in my head, but I firmly believe in letting my characters play along as long as they don't do something which might kill my storyline. Or so I hoped, but now my storyline needs to be rethought which in turn may result in three separate storylines - the screenplay's one, an intermediate one, and one for the novel. That'll teach me not to use a movies storyline for a novel, I guess.
But it's still fun, to see what else I was omitting in my screenplay. And, of course, writing all that stuff, all the details - a movie would have had many progenitors. This novel is all mine ...

Happy writing!