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Metal Mick · 03-27-2014, 07:16 PM

Hi all,

I thought I'd resurrect this thread by providing an update on what I've learnt so far.

1. LSB has proven to be pretty good, but is now underdeveloped and has some annoyances, not the least of which is the lack of text zoom. If you have a low-res screen or young eyes you might well be okay though. It provides no handicap to writing and has an active user group on Yahoo! My novel has topped-out at around 175k and I was able to learn about LSB, the characters, my locations, and many other details as I went. Though it has a lot to offer, it lacks good export (to ePub, for example) features and handy little tools like setting a dedication page. Its timeline and other features are rudimentary and a consequence of the programming language it was written in. An update is unlikely.

2. Because I bought a licence for Scrivener, for the final edit, I exported my novel to that. It is a completely different working environment and will take a lot for me to learn, if I persist with it. The ruler, for example is hidden away under Formatting, rather than in the more common View menu. There are many, many idiosyncratic features to this software, so new users should be prepared for frustrations. One thing I find hard to cope with is the menu item that opens a (dictionary/thesaurus) site in the default browser: in LSB the equivalent worked fine with multiple desktops, but in Scrivener, the window opens in the first desktop which is annoying if you're not working in that one. Scrivener has an active user forum but woe betide anyone who criticizes Scrivener - I added my support for someone who found fault with the UI and was quickly told I didn't even have the right to air my views! The OP was similarly dealt with. The forum I think, is poorly moderated and dominated by some who have fairly strong opinions. I'm tempted to use the word "rabid", but won't just for now. That said, any question you might have has probably already been answered so you can find answers without even joining the forum.

3. Because I have fond memories of how easy it was to get going in WriteWay Pro, I'm likely to use it for my next novel. It costs little and is feature-rich. The worst that can happen is that I return to either LSB or Scrivener. Perhaps there's an Apple vs Windows thing going on in the UI, and how they work, but I tend to think Scrivener has evolved with time with new features added and placed where the creators thought it fitted and not thought about further.

4. None of these pieces of software will make you a better writer, but can ease the productivity somewhat. Being able to collect and keep all your thoughts and research in one place is what they excel at. With a word processor alone, I think I'd struggle to keep track of everything I've been up to. Writing a novel is a complex, extensive task and a conscientious writer will need to keep track of many aspects of the document that specialist tools will facilitate.

Good luck with your writing. Any further questions, please ask.

03-27-2014, 07:16 PM	#264
Metal Mick Addict Posts: 253 Karma: 2383254 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: The Book, PB 302, IQ	Update 2014 Hi all, I thought I'd resurrect this thread by providing an update on what I've learnt so far. 1. LSB has proven to be pretty good, but is now underdeveloped and has some annoyances, not the least of which is the lack of text zoom. If you have a low-res screen or young eyes you might well be okay though. It provides no handicap to writing and has an active user group on Yahoo! My novel has topped-out at around 175k and I was able to learn about LSB, the characters, my locations, and many other details as I went. Though it has a lot to offer, it lacks good export (to ePub, for example) features and handy little tools like setting a dedication page. Its timeline and other features are rudimentary and a consequence of the programming language it was written in. An update is unlikely. 2. Because I bought a licence for Scrivener, for the final edit, I exported my novel to that. It is a completely different working environment and will take a lot for me to learn, if I persist with it. The ruler, for example is hidden away under Formatting, rather than in the more common View menu. There are many, many idiosyncratic features to this software, so new users should be prepared for frustrations. One thing I find hard to cope with is the menu item that opens a (dictionary/thesaurus) site in the default browser: in LSB the equivalent worked fine with multiple desktops, but in Scrivener, the window opens in the first desktop which is annoying if you're not working in that one. Scrivener has an active user forum but woe betide anyone who criticizes Scrivener - I added my support for someone who found fault with the UI and was quickly told I didn't even have the right to air my views! The OP was similarly dealt with. The forum I think, is poorly moderated and dominated by some who have fairly strong opinions. I'm tempted to use the word "rabid", but won't just for now. That said, any question you might have has probably already been answered so you can find answers without even joining the forum. 3. Because I have fond memories of how easy it was to get going in WriteWay Pro, I'm likely to use it for my next novel. It costs little and is feature-rich. The worst that can happen is that I return to either LSB or Scrivener. Perhaps there's an Apple vs Windows thing going on in the UI, and how they work, but I tend to think Scrivener has evolved with time with new features added and placed where the creators thought it fitted and not thought about further. 4. None of these pieces of software will make you a better writer, but can ease the productivity somewhat. Being able to collect and keep all your thoughts and research in one place is what they excel at. With a word processor alone, I think I'd struggle to keep track of everything I've been up to. Writing a novel is a complex, extensive task and a conscientious writer will need to keep track of many aspects of the document that specialist tools will facilitate. Good luck with your writing. Any further questions, please ask.