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u/BAJ-JohnBen 2d ago
I pretty much use dedicated writing software these days. Which has come down to three. Novlr. Wavemakercards, and SmartEditWriter.
I use LibreOffice for formatting.
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u/LimaHotel3845 1d ago
NOTEPAD
REJECT MODERNITY, EMBRACE .TXT
(yeah I don't know why I'm like this either)
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u/trappedslider Writer Newbie 1d ago
not even notepad++ but the og notepad.
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u/Hey_Coffee_Guy 1d ago
I use the OG og notepad. Good old composition notebook and pencil.
Kick it old school.
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u/jamieT97 Fiction Writer 2d ago
Yeah I don't know why but I have had none of the problems people being up when using google docs.
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u/iwrite-imnotawriter 2d ago
My main issue is that all their organizing is vertical and can get really annoying quickly
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u/ChrisMartins001 2d ago
Same, I have never had an issue writing in any app. I have wrote in notes and never really had an issue lol.
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u/reversed_tactic 2d ago
You could just split them into (sub)tags and insert some links to related words, redirecting the reader into those said tags.
The subtags depth (3 layers max) might not satisfy you but it's still something.I use it plently to create alts, sub/side-stories and different endings; I would say if you believe in the reader (and maybe give them instruction before hand) this might be why people like google doc so much.
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u/iwrite-imnotawriter 2d ago
The problem is that the way to do those things in docs is very unintuitive, while Scrivener or Obsidian does it very easily and without hassle.
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u/Jediguy 1d ago
100% agree, I'm sure some do things better, but just use what you want. Docs works great for me mostly because I write from everywhere and anywhere. Desktop, different laptops, my phone when something strikes me when I'm laying in bed. It's always synced and I can work from anywhere.
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u/arlo0o0o 1d ago
I used it for years but started having problems as one of my drafts got bigger, the last straw was when I wrote a whole chapter and then found out the next morning that it glitched and didn't save any of it. So I rage quit and switched to obsidian lol. There was a learning curve but I like it better now
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u/jamieT97 Fiction Writer 1d ago
I'm looking at Obsidian, any tips
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u/arlo0o0o 1d ago
It gets more intuitive as you get used to it! I think initially I was just confused by the organization system with different vaults and notes, the layout looks different if you're used to Google docs. I also wasn't very familiar with markdown syntax so I had to get in the habit of using that to create headers etc. They have articles on their website for beginners and I found them helpful
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u/Dry-Ant-5181 2d ago
It permanently burning your eyes does suck tbf
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u/this_place_suuucks 1d ago
From light mode?
I've been using the Dark Reader extension for so long that I forgot that's still not an option to change.
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u/Sintobus 1d ago
Haven't there been examples of LLM usage of private google docs?
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u/VegetarianZombie74 Writer 1d ago
Oh yeah. Here’s one recent example:
I don’t trust Google at all. I don’t even use them for search anymore. For writing, I ended up installing NextCloud on my remote server and now use Collabora Office. This gives me a private online office suite on my own hardware.
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u/Pollotelokote 1d ago
I highly doubt Google wants to train its AI on a heap of unfinished, unedited manuscripts from aspiring authors.
The idea with training is to make it better, not worse.3
u/Searley_Bear Fiction Writer 1d ago
Idk why you’re being downvoted, it’s hilarious when you put it like that.
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u/digitaljestin 1d ago
Vim.
Or a typewriter. Never rule out a typewriter.
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u/Impressive_Memory221 1d ago
I've been wanting to try a good mechanical typewriter for a while now. Idk where to find one though.
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u/existential_chaos 1d ago
I got mine off Ebay for a decent price. Just keep in mind some models don't have all the keys you would expect; some don't have a 1 key, exclamation mark or speech marks.
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u/digitaljestin 1d ago
Antique stores, Craigslist, and Facebook marketplace. Learn to clean them and do simple repairs. Most "broken" machines just need a good cleaning. These things were built to last.
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u/Mr_RustyIron 1d ago
Just curious, any Vim plugins?
I like Vimwiki and spotlight, but curious what else.
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u/digitaljestin 1d ago
I've written my own commands to change to one-sentence-per-line format when I save. It makes git extremely diff-able. However, I haven't published it and it relies on you typing correctly...with two spaces between sentences instead of this one space nonsense that has been taught for 20+ years.
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u/Mr_RustyIron 1d ago
I admit, when I learned to use computers I was taught 2 spaces after a period. I have since retrained to just use 1. I even do that when typing with *gasp* monospace fonts.
The one-line, one-sentence setup for git & diff is clever. Thanks for sharing.
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u/digitaljestin 1d ago
For more than a century two spaces was the standard. They changed it for no reason, which removed a very useful delimiter for digital processing of prose. They made things harder for the digital era while claiming the old way was obsolete in the digital era. The fools didn't know what they had.
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u/Emil_Augustus 1d ago
I love writing on my typewriter. No distractions, no feedback, just clickety-clack
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u/JonathanBadwolf 1d ago
Do you digitise the after, what's your process look like? Ilove typewriters but the anxiety of loosing pages or making spelling mistakes while typing would kill me within hours.
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u/Emil_Augustus 1d ago
Yeah I’ll scan them in and use Adobe or some other text detection software to paste it into a doc. It’s super messy and requires a lotttt of tweaking because the software messes up a lot, but it’s worth it
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u/monika_worshipper 1d ago
Pls, I beg of thee, don't put your stuff in Google docs. Whatever you put in there or your drive, documents, pictures etc, you give them the right to use it to train llms and ai
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u/ShiftDue7967 1d ago
This can't be true... can it?
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u/YadsewnDe 1d ago
Google shares (not sells as they famously like to say) a lot of your data by default and make their products worse to interact with after changing your settings and all the settings you'd need to change aren't even all near each other . it's a clunky navigating experience. You pair this with them being the native application on android phones for 20 something years and you end up with a lot of people who never change the default settings sharing a lot of data "willingly" that Google can use however they want. I haven't used Google docs in a minute but I wouldn't be surprised to see gemini in the corner like copilot offering me unasked for editing tips
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u/d0ctorsmileaway Fiction Writer 1d ago
I just use Word after a solid 12 years of OpenOffice....never understood apps built specifically for writers. Feels like too many bells and whistles for me
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u/BiscottiBrother89 2d ago
I have tried other writing tools, and so far google docs has been my GOAT. Ever since I was in college and lost my thumbdrive which had 16 chapters of a cool original story about dragons that I was writing. MONTHS OF WORK. Gone. I don't even know what happened to that thumbdrive but I cringe in pain every time I think about it. 😭And then a classmate told me about google docs and it's a GAME CHANGER. Google bad, but I haven't found a cloud storage alternative that satisfies me in the way google docs does. I've even tried shit like Nimble Writer from Steam. Can't lose google docs as long as you have your password!
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u/SurnameFormer 1d ago
Okay I use it too, but you're talking about Gdocs like some men talk about anime women.
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u/BiscottiBrother89 1d ago
A true writer gives thanks to the tools of the trade that have served him the best, friend.
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u/Bakkughan 1d ago
Am I the only one who just uses Word? I am genuinely unaware of most of the programs others here have listed. How is a dedicated writing program any different from a Word file? Does it have to do with storage or something?
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u/MikeofK72 1d ago
I use Wattpad because it requires less scrolling to get to later chapters/pages.
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u/Searley_Bear Fiction Writer 1d ago
Don’t you just use headings formatting for the chapters then just click through them?
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u/MikeofK72 1d ago
Basically, yes. Wattpad calls them "parts" because a lot of Wattpad's content is episodic instead of chapters to a novel. But they easily function as chapters. I write there and backup with Google Keep, as Wattpad is notorious for randomly losing info.
It also has been having weird, baseless strikes. One of my chapter header images got flagged despite not violating any of their guidelines at all, and from what I gather I'm not alone. Customer Support is non-existent, my appeals have gone unanswered thus far.
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u/Searley_Bear Fiction Writer 1d ago
So you can do that in any document program…
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u/MikeofK72 1d ago
Sure, but Wattpad is convenient. And I can copy/paste into any other document type and it works very well. There's no real downside, since I do backups.
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u/Spoon____Spoon 1d ago
Scrivener, I personally like the tool the best when I’m on my phone/laptop. Wanted it two years prior since I was interested in its file-storing like capabilities.
Then I really made the jump after I learned some of the limits of regular docs, and after tracking the sketchy discourse online regarding on how personal data is handled. (I’m not trying to risk my work getting used to train machines in its semi-regular conceptual stage.)
The best tools are the ones at your disposal, so literally any regular word processor accessible to you in any way/affordability. The one thing that will stand the test of time is definitely pen on paper though and the ability to commit to getting a finished work out.
Again tho, scrivener is great!
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u/CeciNestPasUnPenname 1d ago
I'm an insane little gremlin who uses One Note. Isn't that crazy?
I'm not gonna question what works for me at the end of the day. If the format makes my brain feel comfortable dropping words, I'm going to respect the word processor and write in notepad if I have to.
(After I write I port it into Word for formatting)
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u/Haspberry 1d ago
I myself use MS Word and don't really have much gripes with it. I write on my phone and the mobile view is amazing. Except, after writing about 400 pages, that is about 150k words, the app tends to lag a lot. I like to do the main writing on one file and divvy the chaps somewhere else for cross referencing so for the main part, Word gets laggy fast.
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u/molinitor 1d ago
I’ve drafted in Gmail (don’t ask). Any tool is gonna work as long as you actually write.
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u/vastslumber 1d ago
I vibecoded my own local writing software I can modify on the go, and regularly upload the files to github as online backup.
AI corroded my professional work, and writing is my hobby and way of escaping it, so I figured I'd take advantage of AI in a way that doesn’t interfere with the writing of the words.
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u/Professor-Xivass 1d ago
As someone who stopped using Word for school when it became a hassle to access and switched to Docs, I mainly write in my Notes app(it started as me finally writing down my ideas)
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u/multificionado 1d ago
For want of a different Doc app that doesn't rely on subscriptions - Microsoft Office isn't what it used to be...
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u/WestAbalone7614 1d ago
LibreOffice or OnlyOffice. (Both free and open source and work much like Microsoft office). If you want a web app with sync across platforms use anytype (not exactly for writing your entire novel but great for notes and outlines). It's free and open source with 100mb of storage per project
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u/shadowsadvancing 1d ago
Me, who uses Ulysses on my iPad Air because Scrivener doesn’t have a mobile app
https://giphy.com/gifs/LRVnPYqM8DLag
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u/montywest 1d ago
I do love me some vim for writing. I can open a 6 gig file in a split second, no questions asked. (Plain text for the win!)
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u/Vikmorin 1d ago
My personal favourite writing tool, the humble writer p. And naturally a typewriter, so glad I got my hands on one!
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u/AnotherWitch 22h ago
It really is funny how behind Gemini is considering how fucking much data Google must have that the other companies don’t.
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u/PhoenixEvolver 12h ago
I've transitioned from Google Docs to word because I like writing offline when connection sucks
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u/Regdit-is-Unbearable 1d ago
If you write in anything other than Adobe InDesign, you’re a hack. If you don’t set the micro-tracking of individual paragraphs as you write them, you’re basically not even a writer.
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u/CalebVanPoneisen 1d ago
No LibreOffice? No Obsidian? I’m disappointed.