![]() ![]() Get the best computer you can afford, the latest, the one with the most capacity and speed. Even if someone else is keyboarding for you, you’ll need a computer for research and for communicating with potential agents, edi tors, publishers. If you are one who handwrites your first drafts, don’t scrimp on paper, pencils, or erasers.ĭon’t shortchange yourself on a computer either. I’ve included some of the most well known in my blog post on book writing software and my writing tools page fo r your reference. Tons of other book writing tools exist to help you. Scrivener users know that taking the time to learn the basics is well worth it. ![]() Just remember, Scrivener has a steep learning curve, so familiarize yourself with it before you start writing. It works well on both PCs and Macs, and it nicely interacts with Word files. Whether you prefer a Mac or a PC, both will produce the kinds of files you need.Īnd if you’re looking for a musclebound electronic organizing system, you can’t do better than Scrivener. The publishing industry runs on Microsoft Word, so you’ll need to submit Word document files. No publisher I know would even consider a typewritten manuscript, let alone one submitted in handwriting. Most authors do, though some hand write their first drafts and then keyboard them onto a computer or pay someone to do that. So I have always written at a keyboard and still write my books that way. In the newspaper business, there was no time to hand write our stuff and then type it for the layout guys. My first full time job was at a newspaper where 40 of us clacked away on manual typewriters in one big room-no cubicles, no partitions, conversations hollered over the din, most of my colleagues smoking, teletype machines clattering.Ĭut your writing teeth in an environment like that, and anywhere else seems glorious. Some authors write their books in restaurants and coffee shops. Naturally, the nicer and more comfortable and private you can make your writing lair (I call mine my cave), the better. What were you saying about your setup again? We do what we have to do.Īnd those early days on that sagging couch were among the most productive of my career. In fact, I started my career o n my couch facing a typewriter perched on a plank of wood suspended by two kitchen chairs. To write your book, you don’t need a sanctuary. Don’t shortcut this foundational part of the process. You’d need a chain saw, perhaps more than one. You wouldn’t set out to cut down a huge grove of trees with just an axe. You’ll never regret-in fact, you’ll thank yourself later-for investing the time necessary to prepare for such a monumental task. Part One: Before You Begin Writing Your Book
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