New text editor for creative writing
by Volker Weber
There is a new text editor for creative writing out there. It looks like this fits my profile much better than any other editor I have come across. I need to explain why:
I have no use for formatting at all. I create text, not typeset. This is fed into an editorial process that finally goes through layout, where the formatting is added. However I do some html-style markup. That is why I use regular text editors like Hydra (Mac) or NoteTab (Windows). Word just does not fit that profile.
Ulysses now adds some features that let you handle chunks of text and keep a state for them. It also does not lock you into proprietay file formats. That's all good.
I am just not ready to shell out 60 EUR to get it. :-)
Comments
if you care to dip into windows again, ed bilodeau [http://pages.infinit.net/blanbilo/weblog/] hooked me onto 'treepad plus' a while ago [http://www.treepad.com/].
in spite of the 'classic' old-style-windows multicolored toolbar mess, the nodes and hyperlinking of text files have mildly revolutionized my writing. i collect nodes of information, copy and paste them together, and then do a much more efficient job of creating written pieces.
'tain't worth moving from mac for, in your case, but i thought you might be interested in peeking at it.
Right, that is a typical Windows program. :-) This one actually has too much structure. I was never a TimeSystems type of person. I prefer journal-style notes. The Newton was perfect for my work habits. Jot down information and let the machine find it later.
I tend to juggle information inside my head and then write it down when it looks ready. I don't invest in any structure outside of my head.
interesting. i tend to do most of my creative writing in notepad for basically the same reason, i'm not there to do typesetting, i just want to focus on the task. i've been wondering for some time if anyone were thinking about writing like this with these constraints in mind.
