Novel Writing Made Easy

Can you believe it’s December already? Where has the year gone? My Christmas present cookie jar still has moths flying around in it. Hmm, I better get creative choosing presents this year. Or start crocheting up a storm, LOL!

Okay, so now it’s December. For everyone who participated in NaNoWriMo last month, I congratulate you on your courage and efforts. To everyone who completed their 50,000 words, tell me in the comments and I’ve got a copy of my debut book, Rocky Mountain Hero ready to send to one lucky NaNo-ite : )

As I worked my way through NaNo this year, I found myself easily distracted. Sure, I finished my rough draft at lightning pace, but I still needed to pull off along the side of the writing road occasionally to catch my breath and snoop through favorite blogs. One of my favorites is The Writers Alley and on that day, a post by Julia Reffner on organizing your writing caught my attention.

YeeHaw. A topic very near and dear to my heart : )

Not only did Julia pique my curiosity with her topic, she gave links to FREE software programs for those of us who have more thoughts scribbled on sticky notes that the law should allow.

FREE. Did you catch that? FREE.

Let me introduce you to a FREE software program every writer should have on their hard drive, yWriter5 by SpaceJock Software. Goofy name, but kids, this program understands how to organize the muddled (ie. creative) mind.

Here’s a quick list of its features:

· Organize your novel using a 'project'.

· Add chapters to the project.

· Add scenes, characters, items and locations.
· Display the word count for every file in the project, along with a total.

· Saves a log file every day, showing words per file and the total. (Tracks your progress)

· Saves automatic backups at user-specified intervals.

· Allows multiple scenes within chapters

· Viewpoint character, goal, conflict and outcome fields for each scene.

· Multiple characters per scene.

· Storyboard view, a visual layout of your work.

· Re-order scenes within chapters.

· Drag and drop of chapters, scenes, characters, items and locations.

· Automatic chapter renumbering.

Simon Haynes designed yWriter5. He’s a software designer and programmer. He has twenty years programming experience and is also the author of the Hal Spacejock series published by Fremantle Press and distributed by Penguin Australia. If you’d like to learn more about him and his programs, visit Space Jock and take a peek at his creative processes.

His philosophy for yWriter5 works with scenes rather than chapters. He has this nifty Index card screen that allows you to write out your scenes and then gives you the ability to move them around like a story board. Personally, I have issues with successful sequencing when left to my own devices. This method makes it easy for me to move scenes around and play with the timing of the plot.

Another great feature of this software is the simple character chart. The chart allows you add characters intrinsic to all the books of a series without having to recreate the wheel, so to speak. I can add all the character details and idiosyncrasies I want and not kill a single post it note.

The overall user friendliness of this software makes me look forward to writing. I finished my 50,000 word rough draft for NaNoWriMo and am now loading the scenes into the yWriter5 program. I love the simplicity of seeing my plot lay out before me. I can design my chapters to fit my characters’ scene and chapter goals.

And did I mention this program is FREE??? Fits beautifully into my tight budget and I’ve just given myself a Christmas gift without feeling like I’ve shortchanged my kids or other relatives. Or friends. : )

Check it out at Spacejock. 

Besides giving away a copy of Rocky Mountain Hero to one lucky NaNo finisher, I’m also giving away another copy--just because. Winners will be announced on Sunday in the Weekend Edition.

Be of good cheer! Christmas is almost here!

Blessings to you all : )