Every writer uses the current tools of the trade to communicate with their readers.

In the eighteenth century, first drafts were scribbled in pen and ink.  Printing shops transformed an author’s hand-written texts into legible typeset.

In the twentieth century, the demise of perfect penmanship was assured as writers turned to typewriters to create their works.

In the last few decades, the personal computer has allowed writers to create, proof and publish their work globally from their own home.

Today’s writer is faced with a bewildering number of online tools to help polish the most purple of prose into precious pearls  of pulchritude.

I’ve listed below the technological aids that I use to write. You can find a comprehensive list of additional writing tools here.

These tools work well for me – what do you use to create?

Craft: Thoughtful insights on how to create fiction that delights your readers. Sign up for delivery right to your inbox: David Farland’s Writing Tips.

Brainstorming: Talk to yourself! Brainstorm your story aloud, and see where your characters take you. This method is particularly useful for creating dialogue. Dragon Naturally Speaking.

Hardware: At home, I use a custom Windows desktop. For travel, I use the Surface Pro.

Organization: It’s easy to create a novel outline in Scrivener. The tool allows you to put your thoughts on virtual notecards that can be rearranged as needed. Scrivener.

Manuscript: My manuscripts are written in Microsoft Word.

Work Space: It’s better for your health, and possibly your creativity, to move while you write. I use a sit/stand desk from Evodesk.

Music: When writing I play background music scientifically optimized to boost concentration and focus. Focus At Will.

Language: Online Thesaurus and Dictionary. Grammar check: Grammarly. Fiction editing: AutoCrit.

Backups: Auto Backups: Novel MS is saved to Dropbox with a daily desktop backup to SOS Online.

Website: WordPress.