Four useful online tools for collaborating with other writers
Many writers spend their entire careers working solo. Nothing wrong with that. Others, at varying intervals, work on projects with one or more of their fellow writers. When I do this, I like to use Web applications.
While I know that Web applications have their definite pros and cons, they’re useful tools. When I’m running around, I usually carry my netbook with me. And, to be honest, I don’t like to load it up with too much software. Since I’m usually somewhere with wireless Internet access (and I use Google Gears if I’m not), I have access to what I need to do my work.
On top of that, collaborating with Web applications beats passing files around via email. You’re not going to:
- Accidentally delete a message or attachment
- Get confused about which version of a file you’re working on
- Worry about stepping on the revisions made by your collaborators.
There are a lot of Web applications out there that are incredibly well suited for collaborating on a writing project. Here are four that I find particularly handy.
Google Docs and Writeboard
While I often use a wiki for writing and working on projects (both alone and with others), I realize that not everyone enthusiastic about them as I am. Which is why I find both Google Docs and Writeboard to be useful in this regard.
Both allow for collaborative writing and editing. They do it in different ways, though. Using Google Docs is like using a word processor on your computer — you can get access to one or more files, and share them with others. In fact, Google Docs lets you know when someone else is working on a file that you have open and will automatically update the document with their changes.
Writeboards, on the other hand, are like single documents. If you’re working on a long project, each chapter might be a separate Writeboard — a Writeboard can be a single document, but it will be quite long and unmanageable.. You can share a Writeboard with one or more other people. The problem with having multiple Writeboards is that they can be difficult keep track of. Each one has its own URL and its own password. Google Docs, on the other hand, keeps all of our files in a single location.
That said, I like using both. I prefer to use Google Docs if I need more formatting. On top of that, I can save files that I can open on my computer using OpenOffice.org Writer or Microsoft Word. Writeboard, though, is good for initial drafts and brainstorming. It’s also good for shorter projects. You can add much formatting to a Writeboard, and you can only save one as HTML or plain text.
LooseStitch
Outlines are an essential part of any writing project. For a longer project, they’re indispensable. As I’ve said in the past, an outline is like a set of signposts leading you to where you’re going with your writing.
Web-based outliners are few and far between. Once upon a time, I played with one called Sproutliner. A nice little app, but it didn’t have much to hold my attention. A short while ago, though, I stumbled upon Loosestitch and it more or less blew me away.
Loosestitch is a lot like Writeboard in one respect: it doesn’t collect your outlines in one place. Each outline is a separate document with its own URL and password. OK, that’s not quite true — the professional version, which costs $25 a year, does that. The free version doesn’t. But that doesn’t mean the free version is useless.
Far from it, in fact. Loosestitch rivals the features of many desktop outliners. And it’s easy to use. An outline consists of multiple rows (kind of like a spreadsheet). Each row is an item in your outline. You can nest items, rearrange them, and delete them. It’s easy to invite others to collaborate on an outline; you use a simple email form. And your collaborators can leave comments on an outline, which is very useful.
If you want to get your outlines out of Loosestitch, your options are limited to HTML, plain text, or a format known as OPML (which some desktop outliners can read).
Evernote
Like an outline, notes are vital for the success of any writing project. I used to use Google Notebook, but development on it stopped a few months back. On top of that, Google Notebook wasn’t as flexible as I needed it to be.
After investigating a few other online notebooks, I settled on Evernote, the Web-based version of the popular desktop notebook application.
In the case of a notebook, I use it both before and during writing. Before, I collect basic information for a project. During, I pick up new information that I may or may not meld into what I’m working on. In some cases, I also use Evernote for sharing notes with my collaborators.
While I can use Google Docs or Writeboard to take notes for a project, I find Evernote to be more flexible. With Evernote, I can include images, Web pages, or even tweets from a favourite Twitter feed in a note. Plus, some of the people I work with on projects use the desktop version of Evernote on their Windows PCs or Macs. They can synchronize the notes on the Web with their desktop applications with ease.
Campfire
Keeping in touch with collaborators is essential. There are a lot of ways to do that. You can use email, an instant messenger, or Skype. But threads can get confusing (unless you’re using Gmail; even then), and it’s not unknown for an important message to be deleted. Sure, you can record a Skype conference call but listening to one or transcribing it takes a lot of time.
That’s why I often turn to Campfire. It’s essentially an online chat room. Campfire is designed for chats that include several people, and to use it all you need is a Web browser. On top of that, it’s secure.
Best of all, Campfire keeps record of a chat. And you can join in at any time — even after others have left the chat room. Think about all the times you’ve been in a meeting or chatting with others, and later thought so and so said something really interesting … what was it again? You can go back through a chat and find it quickly.
Campfire offers a 30-day free trial. If you decide you like it and plan to continually use it, you’ll have to sign up for a monthly plan — which starts at $12 a month. It’s definitely a useful tool, and you don’t have to use it only when collaborating on a writing project. You can use it with clients, prospects, and editors too.
Do you collaborate online with other writers? If so, what are your favourite Web applications? Feel free to leave a comment.
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