Gadgets Writers Love

By Debby Giusti

Over the weekend, I sent out a call to the Seekers and other writers friends and asked them to tell me about the gadgets they love. Here are some of the replies I received as well as my own personal favorites.

I call myself a low-tech mama in a high-tech world so I encouraged simplicity and the KISS principle—Keep It Simple Seekers! For the record, I typed my first book on a manual typewriter—I was in third grade—and I still revert to pen and paper when scratching out the beginnings of a new book. Since technology is not my forte, important gadgets in my writing arsenal include paperclips, staplers and 3-ring binder notebooks.

So, let’s start at the beginning. I type my first drafts on an AlphaSmart. The sturdy and durable word processor has 8 files, which can each hold roughly 25 manuscript pages. The narrow screen and basic functions keep me moving forward, and once a file is full, I download the text to my computer. Created for school children, the AlphaSmart and newer version, NEO2, and upgraded DANA, are powered by batteries and seem indestructible.

Amazon author Sandy Elzie says her AlphaSmart is great “for by the pool or on the beach...times when I can't ‘plug in’ or I'm concerned about moisture. I've also used it in the car when we travel.”

She goes on to add, “For air travel, long-distance travel, conventions, etc., I have an HP mini-computer that I absolutely love. I can carry it in an over-sized purse or I have a small, light-weight carry case that's not much larger than carrying my Bible in a handled case. The HP has a seven-hour battery life, so it covers most of my needs, and I can get on the Internet, use a memory stick, etc, that I can't do with the AlphaSmart. It also fits easily in hotel room safes.” (Visit Sandy at http://www.sandraelzie.com/ and watch for her Oct release, In Daddy’s Shoes.)

Seeker Missy Tippens agrees. “One of my newest gadgets, purchased about a year ago, is a mini-laptop (netbook). The HP 12 inch comes with a long-lasting battery and weighs next to nothing. I can slip it in a large purse or a canvas bag, and I'm ready to go. The only drawback is that it's a little hard on my eyes. So I only use it when I travel. It's wonderful for Internet access and for doing work while on the road. Plus, I LOVE taking notes on it in workshops. No typing them up when I get home. ”

MAC enthusiast and fellow Seeker Julie Lessman says, “I don't have any ‘gadgets’ per se, but I would be LOST without my MacBook Pro laptop!! I was a PC user for years, and my husband was worried I wouldn't be able to convert, but I have and I absolutely LOVE it even though in some ways it is not as user-friendly as my PC.”

Our most prolific Seeker, Mary Connealy, said when asked about her favorite gadgets: “My laptop and my zip drive. I also use my camera a lot for photos for blog posts.”

Those of us who took part in the You Know You’re A Writer If….. Day on Seekerville, (see archives for July 21) may recall, in lieu of taking notes, Mary photographs the educational/information signs for the museum displays and keeps the digital photos on file to be referenced at her leisure.

Seeker Ruth Logan Herne is enthused about the Sony digital camera she received for Christmas. “It's got great definition, is pocket-sized, and it’s easy to upload the pics to my laptop and then use them on my blog or website.” Ruthy added, the digital camera is “small enough to take anywhere and you don't need a science degree to operate it.”

This summer, I purchased a Solo Rolling Briefcase and used it at the RWA National Conference in July. I was at the “other” hotel, which meant more walking so the briefcase on wheels was a lifesaver. It allowed me to cart my Goodie Room giveaways, conference program, handouts, notebooks and paperbacks without pain or strain.

Even though I struggle with technology, I am proof the old adage holds true—you can teach an old dog new tricks. In December, I upgraded to a BlackBerry! Easy access to my Web Mail is the big plus. I use the alarm clock function when traveling. The calendar keeps me on schedule, and the screen can be used as a mini-flashlight when I’m caught in the dark. I can call friends and family, and the camera option not only takes photos but stores them and sends them to others as well.

Myra Johnson says her favorite tool, other than her laptop, is her iPhone. “I love being able to handle e-mail and social networking while waiting in the doctor's office, on a road trip with my husband, sitting in the car while he fills the gas tank, while the ads are on during evening TV shows, etc. Being able to stay ahead of the ‘Internet game’ gives me more time for actually writing once I'm at my computer again.”

YA author Berta Platas, who writes with Michelle Roper as Gillian Summers, agrees with Myra about the iPhone: “I use my iPhone to record all kinds of things, from photos of book covers that I like, to spontaneous notes when the muse hits and I'm in the car. (I use the voice recorder for that--no texting behind the wheel!) I photograph houses I like and buildings for my characters to work in.” Berta creates collages or storyboards with the photos that provide a visual display of her work in progress. She also admits to having stalker traits. Berta secretly photographed a cute young guy at Borders, who looked like her imagined hero. “Hope no one saw me,” she says with an grin. (Check out Berta’s web site,http://www.gilliansummers.com/, and her June 2010 release, Shadows of the Redwoods.)

Julie Lessman offers these tips. “I’m attached at the hip to my Rodale's Synonym Finder and to the Reverse Dictionary website which lets you type in a word and gives you every word that is similar. Very cool! The link is:http://onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml.”

Julie goes on to add, “One ‘gadget’ I always keep handy is a mirror so I can more easily write certain expressions by making faces in the mirror. Weird, I know.”
But cheap and easy to use. No technology involved. Thanks, Julie, for the most unique gadget in today’s blog.

Glynna juggles a day job and writing career and says, “My timer is an electronic gizmo I can't do without. I set it when I begin my daily writing so I won't lose track of time and be late for work. I set it for brainstorming sessions (like how many alternate scene endings or titles or whatever I can think up in 10 minutes), for housecleaning breaks (a "race" to see how much I can get done in periodic 15 minute allotments), and to remind me to move laundry from the washer to the dryer, to take supper out of the oven, to make phone calls, and a million other ‘reminder’ things that can slip by me when I'm immersed in my writing.”

“This isn't really a gadget," says Missy. "But it's some software I've found helps me plan a book. It's called Writer's Blocks (http://www.writersblocks.com/).” Missy uses the virtual plotting board, which she arranges in columns to represent chapters. She describes the scenes in the chapters and writes a brief summary in each block and color codes them, either pink or blue, according to the POV character. “You can download a trial if you're interested,” she adds. “And no, I don't get anything for referring you!”

Love Inspired Historical author Linda Ford uses TextAloud (http://www.nextup.com/), a program that reads aloud from a document. “I find it helpful as one of the final steps in polishing a manuscript,” Linda says. The program provides a selection of voice types. “It doesn't matter what voice I use, they are all boring. And that is half the benefit. I hear the words and the structure without becoming enraptured with the story. I have to admit I hate the whole process, but I once kept track of all the little things I fixed while doing this and it was a very significant amount. So I force myself to endure the read through.” (Visit Linda online at http://www.lindaford.org/. Look for her latest release, Dakota Cowboy, July 2010.)

Dragon Naturally Speaking (http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=)is a voice recognition program Love Inspired Author Barbara McMahon enjoys using. “I speak into the microphone and it types on the page.” Barbara had hoped the program would increase her productivity, but admits, “My mind only thinks in groups of ten pages. I never got more than an extra page or two with the DragonSpeak than I would have by typing.” (Visit Barbara at http://www.barbaramcmahon.com/ and watch for The Firefighter’s Doorstep Baby, Nov 2010.)

“I love my Kindle,” says Love Inspired Author Stephanie Newton. “I email my manuscript file to myself when I'm in the final editing stage. It looks more like the printed page than the computer screen, so I catch different things.You can't make changes on the Kindle, but I keep my computer file up and running and make changes as I go.” (Check out Stephanie’s web site, http://www.stephanienewtonbooks.com/, and pick up her Nov 2010 novella, Christmas Target, featured in HOLIDAY HAVOC.)

Find more gadget information at: www.gadgetsforwriters.com/ or www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2007/02/top_gadgets_for/

Share your favorite gadgets and leave a comment and your email to be entered into a drawing for a $10 Starbucks Gift Card and one of my books, title of your choice.

The coffee is on thanks to Ruthy. She brought her Keurig Single Cup Coffee Maker. Select your favorite brew and enjoy.

Ruthy claims she doesn’t have stock in the company, but here’s her hard sell: “A perfect cup of coffee every time, for $.42/cup and a splash of creamer, it's an amazing machine with no waste, no fuss, no bother and K-cups (the little individual cups) are available everywhere now and often on sale for $9.99 for a box of 16 or 18.”

The breakfast bar is open for business. Eggs, sausage, biscuits and honey, hash browns, toast and jelly, and grits! Dig in!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

http://www.debbygiusti.com/

http://www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/

THE OFFICER’S SECRET, Book One, in Debby’s new series, Military Investigations, is arriving at the Steeple Hill office in New York today and will be on sale in May 2011.