If you’re like most people, you know you have a great book locked inside your head. If only you had the right tools to just pry it out! For an aspiring author, nothing is more daunting than the sight of a blank first page. Fortunately, it won’t stay blank forever, thanks to a fun assortment of novel-writing software that allows you to collect your wits, summon your muse, plan your plots, manage your time and bring your characters to life.
Instructions
Teaching Your Book to Write Itself
1. Purchase a notepad that will fit easily in your purse, backpack, briefcase or glove compartment. It needs to be compact, because it’s going to travel everywhere you go from now on. After, all, you never know when or where inspiration will strike next! You’ll need a pen or pencil, too.
2. Jot down in your notepad every idea you get about your potential book(s) . Whether you have one idea or dozens, these memory joggers will comprise the “ingredients” your novel-writing software will use to help you put together the best recipe for a successful finished product. You’ll want to allocate a few pages to each idea you have, so that you’ll have plenty of room to add new thoughts later on. In some cases, the beginning, middle and end of your novel will be very clear to you and the entry will read like a synopsis. Other entries may be nothing more than idea fragments; i.e., a description of someone you saw on the bus who would make a wacky character, an overheard conversation that sparked your curiosity, a reference to a newspaper story that grabbed your attention, or perhaps even the line of a song that brings back a certain memory you’ve always wanted to write about.
3. Review all of the ideas that you have jotted down. Is there one that especially excites you? Writing a novel takes time -- time that needs to be budgeted for each day. If you’re working on an idea that excites and energizes you, it’s not only going to be enjoyable, but will also make it easier to get up earlier go to bed later, and squeeze as many minutes as you can out of every day to make room for your craft. Novel-writing software makes the process fun, because it allows you to build your novel in any conceivable direction -- including backwards!
4. Experiment with different novel-writing software products before you make a purchase. The online demo programs that manufacturers offer of Windows and Mac-compatible novelists' software provide you with a free test-drive to get a feel for the scope of creativity they can unleash. These are easy and fun to use and will walk you through each step. They’re also highly addictive, so allow yourself plenty of time!
5. Assess what you really need a novel-writing software package to do for you. If you already have a general framework in mind for your book, the product that might be the most helpful for you will be one that focuses on fleshing out the characters that will populate it. Programs such as Dramatic Writer's DreamKit and Write It Now will help you identify which of your players represents the strongest point of view, construct fictional biographies, and anticipate how they might react in any given scenario. If your book idea currently exists as only a general theme you want to explore -- love conquers all, money is the root of all evil, Elvis is still alive -- you’d be well suited to software such as Quick Story and Writer's Blocks, which include comparisons to classic literature, folklore and mythology. These will assist you in developing structure, pacing and plot points that will move your storyline swiftly from start to finish and sidestep the curse of lethargic beginnings, meandering middles and slapdash finales that often plagues newbie authors. If you’ve come up with a spiffy concept for a novel but have absolutely no idea finish it, your best bet will be novel-writing software such as Story Base that allows you to generate a multitude of resolutions and then guides you through what needs to happen in order for your characters to reach the destination you’ve chosen. Likewise, this software has the capability to reverse-engineer an entire story for you. Let’s say, for instance, that you want your final scene to show hamsters taking over the universe. In order for them to do this, however, you’ll need to work backwards and establish a foundation that would make this unlikely “rodent takeover” feasible, as well as plausible to your readers.
6. Look for a software package that will enable you to dabble in different venues, such as playwriting, screenwriting and short stories. Oftentimes, the struggle new writers encounter in starting their project is that the plot they’ve come up with just isn’t a natural fit for what they’re trying to say. A program that lets your plot try on different "hats" will invite you see your idea in a fresh new way you might never have imagined.
7. Review your budget. Novel-writing software programs come in a wide range of prices.That’s why it’s best to try as many of the free demos as possible before you decide on the one that will best fit your needs. There is also no shortage of software-related advice available in writers' chat rooms on the Internet or in writers’ groups in your own community. Whichever software program you choose, the result will be the benefit of a writing coach hovering over your shoulder. And before you know it, that empty white page will be a delightful dare, not a paralyzing scare!
