One of our goals here at Today’s Author is to help all of the writers among us to do what we love to do: write. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by talking to each other and learning from each other. Our Writers Circle series is designed to do just that – provide a chance for us to discuss writing, editing and publishing questions.
This week’s topic is:
What tools do you use for writing – from planning to draft to final edits? What are the pros and cons of these tools and how do they help you keep organized with your writing? Do you use different tools depending on what style or type of writing you are doing?
Let’s discuss this in the comments and see what our community thinks.
Today's Author 
My biggest tool is the computer. I’m constantly amazed to find out writers start with pen and paper. Rebecca Bradley does interviews with published authors and always asks how they start. More often than not, it’s non-digital.
I use fountain pens and notebooks to start and then type up a rough draft, and then hand edit.
I use Scrivener for everything these days – planning, writing, editing; novels, short stories, plays. The only thing I do on paper: clustering for developing ideas.
I suppose the downside is that Scrivener might be a bit intimidating for someone who isn’t comfortable playing around with new, feature-rich software.
Notebooks and pens, then yWriter.
I use Microsoft Word for short stories or novels. I use Microsoft OneNote for poetry, as it automatically datestamps the work and it allows me to organize each effort into separate tabs or notebooks. For scripts, I use a product called Celtx.
And if ever I get stuck…I will move to pen and paper. Something about having that ability to write and scribble out and crumple up the pages when I’m frustrated seems to help get me un-stuck.
Until very recently, I’ve been using the PC almost exclusively. However, I have discovered that when doing the preliminary stuff, I’m better off writing longhand in a spiral.
More than 30 years ago I wrote my very first book* on lined paper which I then transcribed onto typewriters at the library (in 30 minute sessions) before handing over a very sloppy manuscript to a friend who typed it professionally in exchange for child care. *Skipping the work I’d done as a kid and in college.
Now I write on computer, Microsoft Word. Each book has its own file with lots of sub-files, but I’m constantly misplacing things. I’d love to try something created for writers, but I’m not comfortable experimenting on the computer. Writing long hand now makes my hands ache in a few minutes so that strategy isn’t for me.