Literary competitions for novels in large forms. We write well: from idea to book

All my life I wrote books, diaries and articles in Word, created outlines for novels in Excel, stored materials for them in my personal Wikipedia or simply as separate, unrelated files. The volumes of information were enormous, all of this was lost, forgotten and for a long time was looking for, so I urgently needed a program for writers that saves effort and time.

I spent several days, read a lot of reviews and found what I needed - the Scrivener program. I've been using it for several months now and now I can competently write a review.

Scrivener Writer's Program

Main properties of the program:

* The screen simultaneously displays:

b) main text,

c) all kinds of official notes ( summary chapters, tags, explanations, etc.).

* The program has a bunch of useful tools built into it that allow you to organize and quickly find what you need.

* Once you've finished your text, Scrivener writing software will convert it into the format you need, including automatically creating an e-book for you.

Scrivener, a writer's program, is available for both Windows and Mac. The only problem is that Russification is only available for Windows, but if the user knows at least a little English, then understanding even the Mac version is not difficult. You can change almost all the names, markers and labels yourself, so if you are more comfortable working with the Russian interface, just rewrite everything the way you need.

To enable the Russian version for Windows, go to Tools > Options > General and select Russian.

Here's what the Russified version looks like (click on the picture to get a better look):

Illustration 1

I transferred my diaries to Scrivener, and this example clearly shows what and how it works there. At the top is the control panel, on the left is the table of contents, in the center is the text, and on the right are notes. IN in this case Key words are used as notes, by which I can easily find all entries related to the topics “history of Russia” or “the novel “The Argentinean”.”

The guys did an excellent job and fully deserved their fee.

How to get started with the Author Program

If the author has not yet started writing the work, he can select one of the ready-made structural templates in the Scrivener program: novel
story
non-fiction
scientific work
scenario
poetry
lecture, etc.

There is even a book among the templates culinary recipes. You can do without templates altogether and use a blank document. I did this when I created a text layout for the Neonics website. Magic fairy tales for children "(picture clickable).

Illustration 2

If you have already started writing your work, then it is very easy to transfer it to Scrivener (File > Import). First, the program will save the text as a single document, and then it will need to be cut into chapters, paragraphs, etc. (Document > Split). The text is divided according to the same principle as the root directory with your folders and files.

As an example, see illustration No. 1. The project is called “Diary”, then it is broken down by years, months and dates, and for each date there is some kind of entry. The result is a table of contents that can be navigated with a mouse click.

Your work will be stored in a file specially designed for Scrivener with the .scriv extension. But you can easily translate the text back into Word or one of the many formats available. To do this, click File > Export > Files, specify the format you need and the folder in which you want to save the text.

Useful features

Left Column: Binder

Note: Binder is translated as “binder folder”, but for convenience we will call it “table of contents”.

The left column “Table of Contents” initially consists of three sections:

* Draft

* Research (Materials)

* Trash

All names can be changed.

To add a section, select the line in the table of contents under which it should appear and click the green plus sign on the control panel at the top. If we want to move a section, we simply drag it with the mouse where we need it. In order to make a subsection from a section (or vice versa), select it, go to Document > Move and select where we want to move this line - to the right or to the left.

The Research folder can store anything from videos to PDFs or pages imported from the Internet. For example, if you are writing about Venice, you can create a separate folder there with street descriptions, maps, information about the weather, urban services, etc.

In Trash we throw away what is not useful to us. Everything will be saved there in case we change our minds and want to use something.

Center column: Operating window

In the center there is a window for working with text. It can be used in several ways. There are a number of buttons on the control panel:

Illustration 3

If we click on the left button, we will see the text of the work itself. This window can be split in two (the button with a horizontal stripe next to the white arrows). In these windows, open the chapters of your project or texts, pictures, videos and audio files from the Materials folder. This is very convenient when transcribing an interview: in one window we have the recording, and in the other - the text.

If you click on the brown button in the center of the Group Mode tile, a cork board with cards will appear on the screen, which will reflect the text from the upper right window called Synopsis.

Illustration 4

Each card corresponds to its own chapter (paragraph, subparagraph, etc.), and with their help we can cover the entire project with a single glance and build a logical composition - what goes where and after what. Cards can be moved or swapped.

If the option with cards does not suit you, then from the entries in the Synopsis column you can create a detailed outline of the book - exactly the same as in school essay. To do this, on the Group Mode plate you need to press the far right button, and as a result you will get the following document:

Illustration 5

Right column: Inspector

Note: Inspector is translated as “controller”, but for convenience we will call it “Notes”.

The right column contains tools that allow you to quickly navigate within your work. As already mentioned, in the field called Synopsis we enter short description current chapter.

A little lower in the General section ( General information) we make notes for ourselves. For example, we assign a label to each chapter. Personally, I use as a label the name of the character through whose eyes we look at this scene. This allows you to make a selection of scenes of this type and read the entire story from the point of view of one or another character.

But what exactly to use as a label is up to you. This could be place, time, storytelling style, etc.

The Status column shows what stage the work on this chapter is at. There you can note that this is a ready-made text, or that you still need to think about it. Based on these signs, you can also make a selection and see what you have already done and what you haven’t.

Just below are the settings: include this chapter or not include it in the general text; start off new chapter With new page or not, etc.

Illustration 6

a) the leftmost button in the form of a notepad is ordinary text notes in the margins.

c) a button with a key assigns keywords to the chapter (see example in picture No. 1 in this article).

d) a button with a tag is an opportunity to independently set auxiliary parameters for this chapter. This could be dates, a list of heroes, etc.

e) the camera button allows you to make a backup copy of the chapter - in case you want to redo it, but still need the old version.

f) the button with the letter “n” is a list of links and comments.

If you create a selection based on any parameter (label, keyword, etc.), you can save it so you don’t have to do the same work ten times.

In conclusion the review

After you finish working on your work, you can collect it into a single document (File > Compile), check it again, and then print it or save it in the desired format - Word, PDF, epub, mobi, etc. ebup and mobi - these are the most common formats for e-books. That is, if you have a program for writers Scrivener, you do not need to spend money on a specialist who will prepare your work for publication on Amazon and other electronic stores.

Writer's Happiness costs only $40.00 for Windows (with a Russian interface), and for Mac - $45.00 (without a Russian interface yet).

You can buy the Windows version.

You can buy the Mac version

A long time ago - probably 10-12 years ago - I accidentally came across special program for screenwriters and writers. She did everything: she created “cards” of characters and places, and did something with plot lines, included a thesaurus, a calendar, a notepad... I honestly tried to use it for a day or two - and decided that it was nonsense.

Why? In short, because the program tried to replace the process of adding up history, and where it didn’t try, it was simply not needed. Storylines? If you don't type them, a simple text editor will suffice. Calendar and notepad? For pity's sake, there's really a lot of stuff on the market, it's calendars and notebooks.

I'm skeptical of programs that "create an environment for creativity": either you write or you don't write. Crutches won't help. But there are still products that will make the author’s life easier. And - they do not cause rejection. Mainly because they are useful not only to the author, but to any person. In general, everything is as it should be.

Evernote

Price: For free
Language: Russian
URL: Evernote.com
Platform

The main function of Evernote is an electronic notepad combined with a database. In other words, the application creates and stores notes. What is the difference from a regular notepad?

Evernote notes can be very different: text, image/photo, list, table, note with an attached file, etc., etc.
You can organize your notes by section and assign tags to help you find what you need by tag. For example, a standard usage scenario is a cookbook, where each note is a dish, each dish is assigned tags: first course, meat, Italian cuisine, etc. Subsequently, by label, you can select and view only soups, or only French dishes, etc. The same and with writing: you can view only quotes, only excerpts, etc. by tag.
Notes are available on the Evernote website and through the application on any device: write a note on the website - and in a couple of seconds it is already on your phone.
You can attach reminders to your notes: a letter will be sent to you by email within the specified period.

Evernote has a lot of uses, in any field of activity: from the cookbook mentioned above (which is always with you, even in the store when you buy groceries for dinner) to deadline reminders. But even in the specific business of writing, I don’t know what I would do without this database.

What do I use it for?

I save ideas that I don’t want to forget, as well as quotes, articles, and interesting texts.
I make plans for works in Evernote, individual chapters, scenes - and I assign tags to what they relate to, so that later I can select only what is needed at the moment,
I save links to useful resources, books, articles,
I make lists of tasks that take more than a couple of days to complete: for example, all the changes that need to be made based on the results of editing,
I save information about competitions, conventions, seminars, trips - and immediately set a reminder that will pop up in the mail on the right day. At the same time, on the right day I receive not just a reminder - but also the conditions of the competition, everything that is needed to participate in the convention,
I collect databases: names of earthly cultures, details of everyday life, history - everything that may be needed in worldbuilding,
I accumulate visual images: how they dressed, built, what they ate in different earthly cultures,
I save scraps of texts that were not included in the final version of the works, but seem interesting to me, so that they can be used later.

The main thing is that all this is at hand: major changes You can enter on the site even from someone else’s computer, and small ones can be entered from a phone or tablet. For example, an interesting thought often pops up when reading someone else’s book; it can be immediately entered into the database directly on the tablet.

Dropbox

Price: For free
Language: Russian
URL: Dropbox.com
Platform: OS X, Windows, iOS, Android, Windows Phone

Dropbox is a cloud storage that allows you to create backup copies of files in case of their loss or loss/breakdown of the computer on which the files were stored. You install the program, select a folder on your computer - and then everything that appears in the folder will be synchronized with Dropbox servers. Have you made any changes? The file on the server has been updated. Have you added or deleted a file? The same thing happened on the server.

Dropbox allows you to synchronize the contents of a folder not only with the server, but also with other computers that are connected to the same account: for example, if you work either on a desktop computer or on a laptop, you always have the latest version of the file with you, no flash drives are needed. The same goes for phones/tablets.

Unlike simply saving files “somewhere on the Internet” so they don’t get lost, Dropbox is also just a folder on your computer, which means that all the data remains with you, even if there is no Internet at the moment. Even if you are flying on an airplane, calmly make changes to the files - and as soon as the connection appears, the information on the server will be updated.

What do I use it for?

All the files I work with are in the Dropbox folder. I just don't create new documents outside of this folder. This way I know that neither works, nor articles, nor any other file will ever be lost or lost forever.
I re-read the text I wrote last night on my tablet or phone when I have a free minute.
Synchronization latest versions files on the main workplace and on the laptop.
All files are at hand on Dropbox.com, even if I don’t have a laptop or phone with a tablet with me.
Quick transfer of information from one computer to another, be it my computers, or exchange with relatives and colleagues with whom shared folders have been created.
With cloud storage, it’s easy to give a link to a file to any Internet user - no need to upload data to file hosting services, write letters or messages on social media. networks,
Finally, all electronic library I store it in the cloud.

Since this article was written, cloud storage has become popular; now it won’t surprise anyone. Following Dropbox, analogues were created by Google (Google Drive) and Microsoft (OneDrive). As usual, a few years later, with a creaking noise and a lot of errors, Yandex came along with its Yandex.Disk.

The choice of cloud storage is yours. Be sure to store your works - the most valuable thing on which you have wasted the most time - in several clouds at once! In the end, one service may close or fail. There have been cases when the data center where the servers are located was struck by several lightning strikes in a row, so that even the most advanced protection failed, some of the servers burned down, and 0.02% of the data was lost. Anything can happen with one service. Store data in several at once.

I myself started using the cloud when only Dropbox existed, and neither Google Drive nor, especially, Yandex.Disk was even in the project. Dropbox still provides the largest amount of free disk space and works subjectively faster, but for the author the difference is not critical. Text files do not take up much space and do not require super-fast processing speed.

Feedly

Price: For free
Language: English
URL: Feedly.com

The work of a writer is not only about putting together stories, but also about constant reading. We need to be aware of what is happening around us. If you are not going to look at 5-50 sites every morning, but want to be aware of updates, this tool is for you.

From time to time, publishing houses publish announcements of collections on their websites and invite people to participate in them. But this does not mean that you should look at the publisher’s website every morning or once a week: has an advertisement appeared? did I miss it? No, you need a program that will notify you of a new publication as soon as it appears. Even if you forgot to look at the site. Even if you don't remember the name of the site.

In other words, Feedly is just such a program.

All updates are presented in a sectioned feed, like on a social network, only better. Here you will never miss anything, and the update will not “swim away” into the abyss over time. Until you mark an update as read, it will remain waiting for you whenever you visit the Feedly website or open the app on your phone or tablet. In the mornings I'm usually greeted with about 30 unread updates.

What do I use it for:

to read blogs of writers that interest me,
for announcements about competitions, announcements of collections, etc.
to track updates to resources that are important to me.

Insightly

Price: For free
Language: English
URL:Insight.ly

Generally speaking, Insightly is a CRM, i.e. Customer Relationship Management: a system that keeps track of customer relationships. Typically, such systems are used by large sales companies. Within a company, hundreds or even thousands of sales managers can work in such a system, each client company has its own card in the database, contact persons are assigned to client companies, with telephone numbers, addresses, etc. Incoming and outgoing calls, letters, commercial suggestions - everything is taken into account within the CRM system.

What does this have to do with writers, you ask?

The world of Russian-speaking science fiction writers, writers and publishers is small. And yet that's quite a lot of people! Writers, publishing workers, editors, convention organizers, magazines, writers' unions - these are dozens of organizations and hundreds of people who are connected by relationships of the "works in" or "participates in" type. If you have a specific memory and reach a critical mass, you begin to forget who “Alexander Viktorovich” is, whose phone number is listed in the address book.

The advantage of Insightly is that it is a program for small businesses, i.e. this is not initially a grandiose colossus that processes hundreds of thousands of sales data. There's not much that's foreign to her. Finally, it is free for a limited number of entries - but these restrictions are such that they are quite sufficient.

Why do I use the program?

I have separate cards for organizations: publishing houses, magazines, online book stores- up to thematic sites. Types of organizations are marked with tags, so that if I wish, I can select contacts, for example, only online stores.
Many people are assigned to one organization or another. Each one is not just indicated standard set contact information (phone, email), but also social profiles. networks, personal sites, etc.

In other words, I use CRM as an address book with additional options that allow me to organize it.

Google Alerts

Price: For free
Language: Russian
URL: Google.ru/alerts

Do you want to be aware of when you are mentioned on the Internet? I don’t know about you, but I want to. This is what Google Alerts allows you to find out. Every time a search engine indexes information in which you are mentioned, a notification is sent to you by email. In the system, you can configure how often you want to receive notifications (for example, as soon as information appears online or a summary once a week), whether you want to receive all the results - or only the best ones.

Why do I use alerts?

Notifications of all mentions of my name,
Notifications of all mentions of my site,
Notifications of all mentions of my email.

Sometimes the service does not work very reliably: for example, I know for sure that a new information about me - because I know that my text appeared in the online store. But Google may not find it for weeks. On other days, he may send irrelevant information: after all, notifications are managed by an automatic program. And yet, the service is useful at least because it allows you to respond in a timely manner to mentions that you otherwise would never have known about.

I hope this article really makes your job easier!

Concentrating on large amounts of text in the era of Internet surfing and general attention deficit is not so easy - but, fortunately, technology can not only distract, but also help us in our work. “Theories and Practices” has selected several applications that can make life easier for professional writers and screenwriters, guiding them on the path from chaos to order.

The application is intended for authors whose creative impulses are regularly stumbled by the fear of a blank sheet of paper. OmmWriter allows you to turn a white sheet of paper into ash gray, streaky blue, orange-purple or pistachio green with one click. As you print, the background color will gradually change shade.

Those sensitive to the monotonous clatter of keys can choose from alternative sounds (for example, a quiet tinkling sound), as well as background audio designed to set the mood for meditative writing (one option is birdsong).

Several font options, several font sizes - and this is where the laconic list of OmmWriter options ends, leaving the author alone with the desire to immediately compose something beautiful.

Scrivener focuses on people who work professionally with text: writers, publicists, screenwriters, poets and authors of specialized literature. It will take some time to master the interface: the developers seem to have provided for all the nuances that need to be taken into account when creating a book. Yes, for the authors fiction there are special sections “Characters”, “Places” and “Scenes”, for non-fiction authors there is a section where you can write down ideas, and for playwrights the sheets are pre-designed so that it is convenient to write out actions and scenes.

Considering the professional audience of the application, it is difficult to demand grace from it, and yet one cannot help but say that there is some heaviness felt when using it: functionality here clearly prevails over aesthetics.

The full version of Scrivener costs $45, but you can get started with a free demo.

Final Draft - something like magic wand, which turns an ordinary user into a Hollywood screenwriter: it has all the functions necessary for writing a script (except, of course, inspiration and language proficiency). The app lets you navigate through characters and scenes, check spelling in 16 languages, and add watermarks to pages—and that's not counting all the basic features needed for any word processor.

The application is available for both Windows and MacOS, as well as iPad, but to become its owner, you will have to fork out $99 (this is the cost of the most basic version of the application).

If Typed were to be described in one word, that word would be “minimalism.” Three background colors - white, black and beige, several standard fonts, automatic word counting. A bonus is the generation of HTML codes for those who want to export text to the Internet. But the main function of Typed is the so-called Zen Mode: a small text window expands to full screen, and Buddhist gongs begin to quietly ring in the speakers.

Ulysses pleases not only with its functionality, but also with its aesthetic side: there is not a single distracting detail here. The program helps you sort texts using smart filters, as well as create your own, allowing you to select articles based on search criteria. Another nice detail is the variety of document display styles (they are beautiful, there are several of them - and you can also add your own). Navigation is a special delight: paragraphs are numbered, and text statistics and the structure of the current document are visible on the right side of the window.

Documents from Ulysses can be exported to popular formats (PDF, RTF, EPUB and HTML). The application also has a version for iPad, which seems to delight everyone who is used to struggling with Apple on-screen keyboards: here, swiping with one finger moves the cursor in a given direction, and swiping with two allows you to select a piece of text.

The main scourge of writers is the many opportunities to get distracted. FocusWriter works on a similar principle to OmmWriter, but the main focus is on productivity. For this reason, the application was made according to the “nothing superfluous” principle, trying to hide from the user almost everything that could be hidden. However, there are plenty of personalization settings; to find them, just move your mouse to the top edge of the screen. Here you can customize the font, background images, and text color.

Every person who works with text knows how difficult it is sometimes to concentrate on the work process and follow a creative schedule. To help the “workers of the pen”, working tools began to appear - computer programs. The editors of CRN/RE have compiled a selection best apps for those who make money by composing, processing or packaging content.

The application can be installed on a PC, or you can run its test version directly in the browser. Write or Die is a text editor for those who are lazy, often distracted and cannot get their act together. The user sets the desired typing speed and starts working. And if he doesn’t type a text for a long time or even gets up and leaves the computer, the editor will remind you of himself with an extremely annoying siren. For adherents of such a strict approach to oneself, there is an even more serious tool: the service can be configured in such a way that it deletes previously typed text if the author does not press the keys for a long time, that is, it does not work. The cost of the application is $20. If you are a sought-after author, then this program can pay for itself on the first day of use.

This is probably the cleanest and most efficient text editor out there. You can download it directly in your browser. There are no design elements in this program: only text and a “sheet” of virtual paper. The approach is clear: if you do not load the user's head with formatting controls, then his productivity when typing text will be significantly reduced. Quabel developers propose a different principle: type the text, save it in the required format, and then download it for subsequent editing and formatting Microsoft Word- or whatever you usually download.

It is worth emphasizing that we're talking about not about a traditional application, but about a web service. So you don't need to install anything. And you can start the service from any computer - even from your work computer, even from your home computer, even from your friends’ PC.

An online text editor aimed at professional writers. Its main difference from all similar editors is that it deals with issues of text design and formatting itself. The program recognizes where you have a heading, where there is a subheading, and where there is a quote that needs to be highlighted. It is worth noting that this program was initially aimed at screenwriters. But for those who write, for example, blog posts, it is just as suitable.

Work management applications creative people- products are usually of extremely dubious quality, but Wridea is a pleasant exception. This web service offers tools for quick brainstorming. The authors say they will open up access to “hidden folders” in our brains. To add here new idea and save it, it only takes a few seconds. Ideas can be classified, sorted, updated for subsequent “storms”.

This is a great tool for typing, saving and sorting your documents. The application allows you to catalog them simply and quickly. It also has features such as spell checking, syntax highlighting, text formatting, list processing and much more. This tool is also great as a personal notebook- with the only difference that thoughts and notes here will be much better sorted.

If you've never used this tool before, it's definitely worth a try. This is one of best services to create brain maps. They are known to help organize and structure thoughts. About efficiency mental maps(better known as mindmap) there are a lot of rumors going around. At a minimum, it is known that this method is the best for taking notes and structuring own knowledge. The Bubbl.us service has an intuitive interface, as well as many opportunities for sharing your maps with friends on social networks and by mail.

This is an extension for Chrome browser, which can close time-wasting sites for the user while working on the text: social media, blogs, news resources, etc. This helps you focus on your work process. It works like this: the user chooses the time during which he does not want to be distracted. And after the task has been set, it is impossible to restore access to “forbidden” sites before the end of the specified time. Restarting the browser will not help here.

In the West, the Pomodoro productivity technique is growing in popularity among computer geeks. The authors of the concept believe that we cannot remain focused on work for any long time, and therefore the ideal work schedule should look like this: 25 minutes of concentrated work - a five-minute break - 25 minutes of concentrated work - a five-minute break, etc. Each “productive” segment is considered a “tomato eaten.” The user’s task is to “eat” as many of these “vegetables” as possible per day. Tomato.es is probably the most popular and most convenient productivity timer for everyday use.