Writing software

Johnnywriter

I have just purchased a new laptop that I will use specifically for writing.

As I was about to purchase a licence for MS Office (I have always used Word) It occurred to me that there are many software choices for writing; Scrivener, Sage et al. Many of these are a lot cheaper than the MS option, some even free.

As I have little to no use for the entire Office package I thought I might give one of these other options a try.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or indeed, does anyone use any software other than Word for their writing?

Phots Moll

I use open office. It's free and does everything I want it to do. Documents can be saved in a Word compatible form, which is what I do whenever I submit them anywhere.

sandtrekker

Scrivener is excellent and you also get a very good online tutorial with it. An additional bonus is going to YouTube and typing in 'Scrivener' you also get further free instructions.

Webbo

I'll second OpenOffice - the best cross-platform, cross-filetype solution, and free. As PM says, a doc is a doc whichever programme you save it with.
Scrivener is very popular and seemingly well-liked though, although it's not one I use myself.

Johnnywriter

Thanks all.

I'll have a look at OpenOffice; I have nothing to lose after all

Tristram_Shandy

I'd back OpenOffice. Used it for a long time until I was gifted a copy of MS Office.

I use Scrivener for my novel. Brilliant for keeping everything together (research, etc.) and easily editing. But I think you have to export the work to a package like Word for the finished product. I don't have a complete draft of this novel yet, so I haven't explored that.

Mrs Bear

I use Scrivener. You can have a free one month trial - the real thing, not a cut-down version - and if it doesn't suit, you need go no further with it. You can load it onto 3 machines at the same address for free.

danfango

I really like Scrivener. The way it lets you build up a book from much smaller chunks that can be moved about whenever you want really suits the way I work. It's worth a go (the free trial is a bonus), but don't expect it to be just like Word - it has its own pros and cons and takes a little getting used to. But there's no way I'd go back to trying to write a book in Word.

Johnnywriter

Hmm, a lot of positive feedback about Scrivener (both here and from friends) I will have to give the trial a go and see if it's for me.

I've installed OpenOffice, does exactly what it says on the tin, very impressive for a free download.

Liz

I use parts of the microsoft Office package - once you start investigating what it can do, it is amazing really, there are things i can do on there quite simply that I can't do on Photoshop for example. Bending text etc. for shape poems among them.

But I also make PowerPoints- there are many apps you can use for this but i find the Microsoft one easiest to use, maybe just because I'm used to it.

I've never used spreadsheets, but have been told I should... but heck, that's never going to happen.

Smetcher

I can only agree with the comments made above. Open Office is a serious alternative to MS Office, and whatever you write in Open Office Writer will open just as easily in MS Word, and vice-versa. For longer pieces (books, mainly) I use Scrivener and would not want to be without it. I would certainly not wish to write book-length pieces in Word. As Mrs Bear says, you get a 30-day free trial of the full, no-holds barred package. It's not 30 calendar days, either, it's 30 days of actual usage, so your trial could last a good long time. At the end of that period, you then have to pay to continue use, but it's very inexpensive for what you get, and there is ongoing support and updates as well.

Emma B

I love Scrivener. It's very easily to use and great for working in scenes and if you need to move things about.