When I was in college, I looked forward to virtually every term paper (or essay) because I always enjoyed the research and writing process. Besides, most of the time I received very good grades. As a result I came to realize that keeping track of research notes on longer or more research-intensive papers could rapidly become cumbersome. Plus, from time to time, invariably near the end of the research process, one of the carefully organized decks of index cards would land on the floor, turning organization into chaos.
Enter Mindola Software, who in 2008 released version 2.8.7 of SuperNoteCard ($29.00 for the full version.) Fundamentally this program takes the humble 3" x 5" index card and moves it to the computer screen. In the full version the number of cards per deck is almost limitless, with multiple decks of cards per project possible.
I have been working with this program for a while now and the more I explore its capabilities and features, the more I find to fall in love with. Currently I am developing a critical essay in which I extend the standard interpretation of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to the male to female transsexual’s transition quest. SuperNoteCard is allowing me to both outline my thoughts and notes much more quickly, and without the risk of a dropped or mislaid notecard deck, but it increases the usefulness of each card.
As cards are filled in, color coding them for inclusion in user defined categories is fast and easy, plus the software keeps track of which cards are in which category. With more than one category tag possible for each card, this feature represents a real functional improvement over physical cards. Plus the software automatically keeps track of the cards and card information by category so you don’t have to. Now that is efficiency.
When additional information needs to be added to a card, the software also allows the addition of flags to cards. Each flag has room for moderately lengthy text. Like your categories, the software keeps track of your flags in their own list, which can be consulted whenever needed.
An added bonus is found on the Help tab. Click on “Strunk and White’s Elements of Style” and the software automatically connects you with Bartleby.com, the Internet’s leading collection of books that can be read and explored free of charge on the Internet. This is a very pleasant surprise given that the collection includes a wide range of classic works of literature, science and philosophy as well as classic and more recent reference works.
This last feature has the potential for saving a lot of time and aggravation when, in the middle of a writing project, you discover you need some essential piece of information, or wish for some familiar quote to spice up your text, and can’t find it. With SuperNoteCard help is a click away since Bartleby’s makes the Columbia Encyclopedia (December 2007 update edition) available free of charge, along with its 80,000 plus hypertext reference links. Also, the site has several collections of quotations in addition to Bartlett’s famous collection.
When the current project is finished it can be output to standard word processing software as a Rich Text Format (RTF) file, and it can be printed out as well. As an option, data can be both input into current or new projects or output to disk as .txt files.
Using this software package in conjunction with either Word Perfect or Microsoft Word improves their usefulness on research projects that is quite refreshing and liberating. How? By taking the stress out of background note taking and information organization. Indeed, any project for which recording information on note cards makes sense can be pursued in SuperNoteCard.
In summary, in my opinion, who should consider this outstanding addition to the writer’s software toolbox? Anyone who is at all serious about any form of writing (as well as anyone with an extensive recipe collection.)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
WriteItNow Novel Writing Software: an Outstanding Program at a Great Price
Every writer needs all the help she can get. There are many software packages available today that help with the writing process in one way or another. Some, such as Y Writer, are free. Others often are quite pricy. One of the best is also a very good foundational writing program. Simply put, WriteItNow Novel Writing Software is a very wise investment of $49.95 (for the downloaded version 3.1.0) or $59.95 (for the downloaded version 4.1.0 for PCs.) Currently Version 3.1.0 is available for both the PC and the Mac.
WriteItNow is the product of Ravenshead Services in Scotland. They have been in existence now for twelve years, and it is clear that their software is thoughtfully designed by writers for writers. Their web site is absolutely correct: the software is consciously designed to help a writer sort out all of the details that are involved in writing a publishable novel without getting in the way. I agree with published author Jamie Lankford: this software enhances any writers development of her command of the entire craft of novel writing.
Novice writers might wonder, as I did, why they need a dedicated writing software package when they have Microsoft Word (or Word Perfect, in my case.) Accessability of background and supporting notes and details during the writing process is the major weakness of traditional word processors. In order to have developmental materials available while writing, they need to be kept in a different file, which must be opened up in parallel with the manuscript file. However, the materials must then be searched through for the piece of needed information. This, of course, slows the writing process down significantly.
WriteItNow streamlines this process while slashing look-up time by using tabs to collect related materials. While adding to the text in the Chapters tab, information on Characters, Events, Locations, Ideas and Notes is a very few mouse clicks away. In addition, character development details and sketches are easily organized by character, and each character is assigned its own screen. Shifting from one character to another is easily accomplished through the use of forward and backward arrows at the top of each screen.
When a writer finds herself hung up on either a character’s name, or needs help with character personality development, included modules can generate literally thousands of character names in a reasonable variety of nationalities, In addition, the modules can supply realistic personality description insights based on either the enneagram, archetypes or Myers-Briggs personality theory.
Keeping track of relationships between characters in a novel can rapidly turn cumbersome in a flat word processor. In WriteItNow, relationships each character is connected with, including the nature of the relationship, is rapidly laid out and referred to on its own tab within the Characters tab. Finally, each character’s personality can be graphically summarized in key areas on a separate tab, and rated independently on a scale of 0 - 50.
Developing detailed descriptions of locations is easily accomplished via the Locations tab. Again each location added has its own screen with plenty of room for notes and background information. Navigation between locations is rapidly accomplished either via the use of forward and backward navigation buttons, or by selecting a location from a drop down menu.
Likewise ideas can be accumulated on their own tab and organized in whatever order works best for the writer. A unique feature is the “Generate Random Idea” button, accessed by clicking on the die icon. The software responds to this feature by coming up with a thought exercise involving one or two characters. Such ideas can be excellent ways for getting the creative juices flowing again.
The Notes tab provides the option of adding background information on Ancient Egyptian Gods or Tudor English life characteristics, with additional informational modules available free of charge to registered users at the Ravenshead website. Again, the author is able to organize her notes in whatever manner works best.
When a manuscript is fully written, revised, edited, perfected and ready for the submission process to begin, again WriteItNow streamlines the process. The finished manuscript can be exported to almost any word processing software program by exporting it in Rich Text Format, or RTF. When this is done, all formatting codes are retained in the exported file. In addition the software automatically formats the pages with standard margins of 1" top and bottom, 1.5" left and right. This file can then be opened in your word processor, given a final, more detailed spell checking, and made ready for submission.
Overall, this is an outstanding program at a very reasonable price. It definitely merits serious consideration by anyone serious about creative writing of novels or short stories.
WriteItNow is the product of Ravenshead Services in Scotland. They have been in existence now for twelve years, and it is clear that their software is thoughtfully designed by writers for writers. Their web site is absolutely correct: the software is consciously designed to help a writer sort out all of the details that are involved in writing a publishable novel without getting in the way. I agree with published author Jamie Lankford: this software enhances any writers development of her command of the entire craft of novel writing.
Novice writers might wonder, as I did, why they need a dedicated writing software package when they have Microsoft Word (or Word Perfect, in my case.) Accessability of background and supporting notes and details during the writing process is the major weakness of traditional word processors. In order to have developmental materials available while writing, they need to be kept in a different file, which must be opened up in parallel with the manuscript file. However, the materials must then be searched through for the piece of needed information. This, of course, slows the writing process down significantly.
WriteItNow streamlines this process while slashing look-up time by using tabs to collect related materials. While adding to the text in the Chapters tab, information on Characters, Events, Locations, Ideas and Notes is a very few mouse clicks away. In addition, character development details and sketches are easily organized by character, and each character is assigned its own screen. Shifting from one character to another is easily accomplished through the use of forward and backward arrows at the top of each screen.
When a writer finds herself hung up on either a character’s name, or needs help with character personality development, included modules can generate literally thousands of character names in a reasonable variety of nationalities, In addition, the modules can supply realistic personality description insights based on either the enneagram, archetypes or Myers-Briggs personality theory.
Keeping track of relationships between characters in a novel can rapidly turn cumbersome in a flat word processor. In WriteItNow, relationships each character is connected with, including the nature of the relationship, is rapidly laid out and referred to on its own tab within the Characters tab. Finally, each character’s personality can be graphically summarized in key areas on a separate tab, and rated independently on a scale of 0 - 50.
Developing detailed descriptions of locations is easily accomplished via the Locations tab. Again each location added has its own screen with plenty of room for notes and background information. Navigation between locations is rapidly accomplished either via the use of forward and backward navigation buttons, or by selecting a location from a drop down menu.
Likewise ideas can be accumulated on their own tab and organized in whatever order works best for the writer. A unique feature is the “Generate Random Idea” button, accessed by clicking on the die icon. The software responds to this feature by coming up with a thought exercise involving one or two characters. Such ideas can be excellent ways for getting the creative juices flowing again.
The Notes tab provides the option of adding background information on Ancient Egyptian Gods or Tudor English life characteristics, with additional informational modules available free of charge to registered users at the Ravenshead website. Again, the author is able to organize her notes in whatever manner works best.
When a manuscript is fully written, revised, edited, perfected and ready for the submission process to begin, again WriteItNow streamlines the process. The finished manuscript can be exported to almost any word processing software program by exporting it in Rich Text Format, or RTF. When this is done, all formatting codes are retained in the exported file. In addition the software automatically formats the pages with standard margins of 1" top and bottom, 1.5" left and right. This file can then be opened in your word processor, given a final, more detailed spell checking, and made ready for submission.
Overall, this is an outstanding program at a very reasonable price. It definitely merits serious consideration by anyone serious about creative writing of novels or short stories.
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