tools
Fixing broken numbered lists in Word
Numbered lists in Microsoft Word are broken; the situation in OpenOffice.org Writer isn’t much better I’m afraid. If you have a document that contains several numbered lists, don’t be surprised if something goes wrong with the automatic numbering. Usually, this involves a new list continuing from the previous one — for example, the previous list [...]
Word processing, on a diet
Sometimes, using Word or OpenOffice.org Writer is overkill. Actually, it’s overkill for a lot of writing tasks. As I discuss in this article, you can do much of your work in a lightweight word processor — either on the desktop or on the Web.
What is your writing weapon of choice? Feel free to leave a [...]
TextRoom: a full-screen editor with a twist
As you’ve probably read in this space, I enjoy using full-screen editors. They enable me to write without any distractions — I can focus on writing and not have my attention pulled away by email, RSS feeds, or anything else.
My favourite application in this category is JDarkRoom. But I’ve found a new one that’s giving [...]
Going analog
I write a lot about technology in this space. Portable devices, desktop applications, and Web tools. But sometimes you need to go old school. And that means the analog method — writing things down in a notebook.
My weapon of choice is a Moleskine notebook. Not because it’s trendy, but because Moleskines give me a [...]
Tracking your submissions
Dustin Wax at The Writer’s Technology Companion has written a four-part series on software to track your submissions. He looks at a number of interesting desktop and Web-based too, along with the good, old-fashioned spreadsheet.
I’ve tried a number of the tools that Dustin mentions, and (of course) there are a couple that I’ve never touched. [...]
Google Docs adds templates
And lots of them — over 300. You can take a peek at them here.
The templates are a mixed bag. Some are decent, most are just blah. Not a whole heck of a lot in there for the writer, but I’m sure that you can modify any of the templates to suit your needs.
Using a [...]
Writing a book using Google Docs
I make no secret of the fact that Google Docs is one of my favourite tools for writing. It’s easy to use and convenient — no matter where I am or whether I’m using Linux or Windows (sorry, haven’t gone Mac yet), I get the same interface and features. If and when I need to, [...]
Writing with a wiki: an update
A few months back, I wrote in this space about an experiment with writing with a wiki that I was going to undertake. Well, I actually started the experiment and stuck with it. And it’s going pretty well. Here’s an update.
Dumb terminals: the ultimate portable writing tools?
Over the years, I’ve tried a number of portable tools for writing. From a Psion Series 5 to a Palm PDA with a keyboard to an Alphasmart Dana. None of them were quite right, though. Not as right as my Eee PC or even one of my ThinkPads.
Full screen writing on the Web with Darkcopy
As many of you know, I’m a fan of minimalist writing tools. I’ve written about a few that I enjoy using here, here, and here.
But what happens if you don’t want to install yet another piece of software on your computer? Why not turn to the Web. While I enjoy using a Web app called [...]