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Ask HN: Helpful software for writing a novel?

4 points by reduxredacted ↗ HN
I have been working on a fiction novel for the last year or so as a hobby.

I've found it difficult to locate good software for keeping track of characters, plot/subplots and have settled on a handful of 11x17 in. pages of white paper with a lot of circles and lines. I am getting toward the end and I'm finding I spend more time deciphering my scribbling, returning to prior pages, and researching my own work than I do actually writing.

I've tried FreeMind, but it just isn't flexible enough. With Dia/Visio, I find I'm bending those applications to do things the authors didn't intend.

I also haven't found a great word processor for writing novels and am actually using Notepad++ because its barron, plain text that I know I can paste that into something else later to get pagination/TOC worked out.

I don't care if it's OSS, free beer or for pay if it can reduce distractions during those critical times when creativity is at its peak.

For writers (published or hobbiest), what software has been the most productive for managing the elements of a complex novel?

9 comments

[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 219 ms ] thread
robin_reala
Scrivener (http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.html) has a good rep on OS X, though I guess by your Notepad++ choice you’re on Windows? If you scroll down on Scrivener’s links page there’s a bunch of Windows-based writing software that the author recommends, so it might be worth looking through those?

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/links.html

reduxredacted
I'm not stuck with Windows, I dual boot Ubuntu, but I do not have a Mac. I know that's sort of a sin in the writing community, but then I'm not part of that community.

Thanks for the link!

dsplittgerber
scrivener is a great tool. I just bought it, used the intro and am putting things into it for my dissertation. you should check it out!
perseo47
Hello, I recomend you Pagefour.

http://www.softwareforwriting.com/pagefour.html

Is a word processor design to help writers.

ScottWhigham
Wow - that looks great. Have you used it? It really looks interesting.
perseo47
Hello, before answer, I must say I don't speak english very well.

*

Yes I do, It's very helpful. You can work with "tabs" like in firefox, so yo are free from the linear structure that microsoft word impose.

It have corretor, and save as RTF, so when you finish can open it in word and make final adjustment if you want.

*

P.S.: I am just a happy user. Don't have nothing to do with the company behind it.

chaosprophet
Trust me, pencil, paper and folder are the best tools to handle the job.
ScottWhigham
If you are on Windows, you might wish to try out OneNote if you haven't already. It's not "for writers" specifically but it is a great place to keep up with things like this. It's extensible, flexible, and allows me to just be as random as I want or as anal as I want about organization.
reduxredacted
I've actually been meaning to look into that one. A few friends recommended it for general organization at work, so I'm tempted to see if it'll suit me for my little hobby.