Writing can take many forms now a days. Some prefer pen and paper and others prefer word processors. I am curious what !writing@beehaw.org uses for their own writing.
For me I have used Scrivener before but found it too powerful for my style of writing. I now find myself using Google docs since it can sync to so many places and I can write wherever I go. (If anyone has a FOSS Google docs alternative I am all ears)
So, !writing@beehaw.org, what is your software of choice? If you prefer pen and paper, what does your process look like?
I mostly use VS Code with Dendron to organize notes and ideas, OneNote for worldbuilding. I like to try different things though, like today I’m going to check out yWrite.
Sometimes, I’ll write in my journal with a fountain pen (right now Lamy Safari + Diamine Jet Black) to capture quick ideas or make small drafts, especially if I’m on the go or if my eyes need a break from the screen.
+1 for the usage of vscode and onenote.
The limitation of style in vscode helps prevent distractions (markdown is great for this), and the flexibility of onenote makes it easy to build a personal wiki and indexing system to support the main text.
I agree - my writing in VS Code is definitely less prone to distraction. I usually enable the zen mode to get rid of all the editor fluff too, makes it less overwhelming to look at. The way I have it set up, the zen mode doesn’t trigger fullscreen mode, and the buffer takes up the entire window except for the file header and the title bar.
I believe I have tried yWrite in the past but can’t remember how it went. I don’t think it was a bad experience, or rather if I was focused on finding the “right” software. Hopefully it works well for you!
Fountain pens seem to be the main writing tool for pen and paper. Excited to look into them more.