Free programs that enable you to boost your writing productivity easily and without cost.
Need to boost your productivity with your writing? Here are some programs that can help you;
- Rescuetime- This small programs runs in the background while you work, surf the net, or even waste time. You can personalize goals, and set programs and web sites into categories as well. This allows me to keep track of my writing time and how productive I am while ‘working’. Sometimes I allow myself to get distracted by the Internet or a game. This program keeps track of web sites, email, and other programs. I can also categorize each as I see fit.
- Chapter-by-chapter- This marvelous program works with MS Word (and other word processors) to organize chapters as single documents, but can then assemble them into a book or use the find/replace function for all documents to your story. The ‘notecard’ features works with another program, called supernotecard, which I don’t have, but I simply created another ‘Act’ to store all my story snippets and notes.
- Wordweb works as an interesting dictionary and thesaurus that sits on my taskbar. It also links to Wikipedia, Wikitionary, and WordWeb online.
- Firefox although an Internet Browser, offers some very cool addons that also help an author with their craft. I have Scribefire, which allows me to easily blog within the browser window. The bookmark toolbar also allows me to personalize this to include a ‘writing folder’ where I keep links to Zoho, Google Documents, Google Notebook, Write or Die, Associated Content, and Thesaurus online.
- YLaunch, by Haljock Software, offers a very cool piece of software that enables me to click on it and this opens all the programs, files, and websites I want to use when I write. For instance, right now I have it set to open Chapter by Chapter, Rescuetime, Wordweb, and my Firefox browser with just one click. Its my ‘get-to-work’ button. Check out his other programs there as well. Ywriter is a program specific to writers of novels or screenwriters to organize and complete their manuscripts.
All these programs are free to use, with options to buy the upgrade to broaden your experiences with them. So far, I’ve been very happy (and more productive) with having these programs on hand.













Tue, Apr 7, 2009, by S Poffiberger
Web Talk