Snowflake Pro is now Free!
 

Snowflake Pro, the software from Randy Ingermanson, is now free. This used to cost about £100 to buy. Apparently, the burden of requests for more features etc was something he didn't want to deal with.

I found out about this from the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UdYlEhAuTE

Randy explains why it's free, and the conditions for downloading it here:
https://www.advancedfictionwriting.c...ownload-again/

Basically, you either have to already own an older copy of the software, or to have bought his book (I bought a kindle version of the book from Amazon.)

I haven't tried the software yet as I'm in full flow writing something with Scrivener, which I still haven't taken the plunge to upgrade. I downloaded it and briefly played; Novel Factory (I have the desktop version) does much the same thing, but in a simpler form.

Anyway, someone might find it useful.

Thank you for the info. It looks like he's contributing ideas to Plottr, which is what I'm currently using in the Demo mode.

When my Demo of Plottr ends, I'll either be subscribing or I'll buy the software.

Also, I just purchased Highland 2, which is GREAT for just writing.

If I owned a Mac I'd buy Highland 2. As it is I can come pretty close with Fountain-Mode in Emacs and 'Afterwriting CLI in Linux (but not for normal writing).

Beat is another Mac-only, Highland-like application. It looks pretty good and it's free (though you can donate). I don't know if that one has the ability to do standard writing, however.

https://www.kapitan.fi/beat/

I've taken a look a Plottr and come to the conclusion that it's far too expensive for what it does. Scrivener does far more and is much less expensive. I like Plottr's timeline, but Scrivener 3 has this too.
But that's just my opinion.

I came to the same conclusion, it's nice, but WAY too spendy for a hacker like me.

Thank you for the info on Beat. I'm going to check that one out right now.

:thumbsup:

ADDED: I see it's for screenwriting, whereas I do fiction. (Still, it appears to be a great bargain.) By the way, Highland 2 may appear to be primarily for screenwriting, but it's also promoted as a tool for Fiction writers.

You might, then, wish to check out babisco. They have a Free version, and a one-off version for [$20.00 ?].

Also, let me add that there is a completely free version of Papyrus Author, if one needs a word processor.

I think the novel (standard) writing feature in Highland 2 is relatively new. At least I think that's the case, I'm on the outside looking in.

Yes, I've tried Babisco, it's quite nice. I own Scrivener, but I find myself using Wavemaker Cards the most. It too, is free and is a PWA (Progressive Web App). It runs as a program in any Chrome based browser, or as a standalone app using the Chrome browser infrastructure. And, it saves your project locally or online in Google Drive.

This means I can use it on ANY platform that has a chrome-based browser (I use Microsoft Edge). I personally use it on my PC, and my Samsung 10 inch A10 (2019 version) with a BT keyboard or mouse. Theoretically, I could use it on my Android phone, but I've never been into pain in a big way.

I'm uncertain how new it is, but it's wonderfully in tune with the way I write, in addition to having a number of pluses that assist in the writing process.

I wish it could save directly in .docx, because I also own Vellum and I really like the final formatting features of that program, which requires a .docx file for import.

Do you mean Bibisco? Not being pedantic, just wondering if you're refering to a different software. I have the free version of Bibisco on my pc; the nagging Only For Paid Version which appears when trying to use some options is really annoying.
Not sure it's worth paying for.

It looks like I misspelled that sucker. Yes, I meant bibisco. :thumbsup:

Interestingly, the name of the program - like calibre - is intentionally not capitalized (or was, at least, when calibre was first introduced).

By the way, I would like to clarify: Plottr is $25 per year. For me, that's quite reasonable, although I realize that the asking price may be too much some people, or that the program might not do enough to justify the price for some writers.

Interesting, I've bought a copy of his book, but never had gone around reading it from cover to cover. Looks like this is a good opportunity to go over it.

It doesn't look remarkably different than anything else, from Novel Factory to Power Structure to Scrivener to Dramatica Pro and ad nauseam. I mean, seriously, how many different ways can you see/say the same thing?

Anybody here think it's special? I'm genuinely curious. If something gains popularity, I need to stay up with it for all the obvious reasons.

Hitch

Bibisco is very basic and simple to use which may be an advantage some people. Various software you mention is more complex. If you've learned how to use Novel Factory and/or Scrivener, stick to those. Power Structure doesn't appear to be sold anymore. I have it but rarely use this because it's so finickity. I've never tried Dramatic Pro.

To me, DP is a bit...foofy. Not to any good reason. Of course, I find Scrivener a lot of foof, for what it does. I mean, people love the "corkboards" and all that and that's nice. If it works for them, I certainly don't begrudge it. It just doesn't float my boat. I've tried Plottr, which to me, is much ado about nothing. I have it; I have a lifetime license, but...I mean, where's the beef? If I could use it and then export it in a usable format to something OTHER than Scrivener, that would be great. (Like YWriter, which is still my rave fave). I have Truby's software, too, but it DESPERATELY needs updating. I mean...it's like, 1998-ish and it struggles to work on anything after Win7.

I just like simple stuff that WORKS. I downloaded Bibisco, because it appeared to have a lot of behind-the-scenes functionality that I like. I like tracking action/reaction (which I can do in YW, happily) and all that. the only thing I don't love about YW is that I can't segregate acts. That's about it. I can do chapters and scenes, which is fantastic and track people places, objects and IT will put together a character timeline for you (which nothing else does), which is awesome sauce, but I do wish I could designate ACTS somehow more...IDK. Sure, you can make empty chapters and mark them that way, but I like having the various segments visible to me.

And there's always good old Word. Using heading styles, you can easily make Acts, Chapters and scenes, and use the Nav Pane to drag-drop 'em around. Hell, it's where Scrivener got the idea!

I buy this crap mostly because we get files output therefrom, to use to make books, but if I were seriously writing, I can see how this crap would SQUIRREL! people away from getting any SQUIRREL! real work done.

Hitch

There is a Power Structure update info page:

https://www.powerstructure.com/

New owners, etc. This does not benefit me, however.

I have a Mac Air (2020; M1; Big Sur)

The new owners are revamping the product, and it has yet actually to be released, although there is a cloud-based version available.

I think that they emailed me and basically thought I should buy it AGAIN. Yeah, no thanks.

Hitch

Weird how this works. One of the products I used for a long time, when I used Windows, was ScriptThing for DOS and Windows, and then (eventually) Movie Magic Screenwriter after they sold the product.

When they sold it (around 2000) one of the new products they were touting was PowerStructure (also PowerWriter, but I think that came around a little later).

This was just a small outfit started by screenplay writer named Ken Schafer, who was also a programmer. The original name was Script Perfection — I think they changed the main name to Write-Brain after they sold off ScriptThing. I think they managed to hold on to PowerStructure until about 2018 (looks like of the other products disappeared along the way). Now I don't know who owns it, you've got to wonder if it will ever actually make it to market.

Small world sometimes.

Some antique websites associated with this company...

https://web.archive.org/web/20000229...erfection.com/

https://web.archive.org/web/20010201...erfection.com/

https://web.archive.org/web/20010201...ite-brain.com/

^

I purchased Power Writer for my desktop Power Mac (6500 ?) back in 1999 or 2000. It cost $99 and I really loved it at that time.

TBH I don't really like Power Structure enough to update it especially as the update won't work on my Windows 7 pc.
The newer UI looks a bit like WriteItNow, which I have and rarely use.
I'll stick to my old version of Scrivener for now.

Does anyone else seem to collect writing software which they hardly use?

Yeah, me too! :thumbsup:

I seem to carry on an internal dialog, one that eventually convinces me to buy the damn thing!

OMG, me too. I seem to be a total sucker for writing programs, even though I don't use them. I evaluate them for my customers and in some cases (Yeah, Scrivener, I'm lookin' at YOU!), you get packages, zips, or at least, exported files for formatting.

Hitch

My internal dialogue is about writing my own writing software (obviously the world needs yet another :p) ... but I have so much other work on that it's still a long way down the queue.

Of course such plans means I am perfectly justified in collecting existing software to see what works and what doesn't as I plan for my own. :D

Let me know if you ever make one. ;-)

Hitch

Yes! That's three. Success if guaranteed. :yahoo:

:2thumbsup

Hitch

Four! I am an unrepentant software geek. Have you ever used quoll writer? It's actually pretty good!

Make that five -- and now I have the Linux beta of Quoll Writer. I must have about 20 ways I can write screenplays — but I basically only use Emacs with Fountain-Mode now.

And I have about 10 general word processors and several text editors (which is what I mainly use for general writing — Jstar being the main one).

I've obviously looked at it before because I can see it in my bookmarks collection, but I don't remember much about it*. A glance at it now shows progress is slow (last update 3 years ago, although some - very few - comments going through about the v3 beta, in more recent times).

* At a guess I may have been put off by it being based on Java, I've never had much luck with Java based user interfaces, they tend to feel slow and clunky. The other thing about Java is that I hate working with it, so this takes away from what would otherwise have been a major attraction: open source.

Make that six, if it will work on my ancient pc.
I've used Quoll mainly for the "warm ups" which are fun, but never really used it to write anything lengthy. Seems a bit faffy.

I just realized I still have BB6 on my damn laptop (Truby's program. Blockbuster-something-something). Man, that is really...not great. It had great concepts, one of the earliest programs to really delve into everything a genre writer needs, for a solid piece of fiction, but OMG, it's clunky as s**t. Like, Win98 clunky.

Hitch

But not Win95 or Win3 clucky ... or, heaven forbid, Win2 clunky? :p

(Not a serious question. It just amused me that you picked on Win98. I still possess an old text-based game called "Rogue" in which various villainous monsters roamed the screen as simple ASCII characters - a Z for zombie etc. (OMG, I see it's even earned its own Wikipedia page.) So there's clunky and then there's clunky. :) )

Akshually, I was picking on BB6. I was pretty happy, at the time, with old Win98. And I loved XP, too. Supported by them for nearly,what, 15 years?

But this thing with BB6; every time I try to run it, I get a compatibility error. I even aided the software guy--don't recall his name now--in some testing waaaaaaaaay back, for...Win7? Maybe Win8. Anyway...it's just clunky as poop.

Hitch

FAFFY? I don't get out much.

"faff", verb, is a mostly British colloquialism meaning to fuss or differ dither about ineffectually.

OED suggests it derives from "faffle": a. To stutter or stammer; to utter incoherent sounds. b. To saunter; to fumble. c. Of a sail: To flap idly in the wind.

So faffy would be a product that has us doing lots of fussing about to little effect. Which sounds like exactly what we are looking for. :D

Thanks, yes that's exactly what I meant: too much faffing about.
Sorry, I didn't consider it might be an exclusively British colloquialism.

Thanks! QW isn't my favorite, but it's fairly decent, and not impossible to use.

This seems to be a lot of kerfuffle about nothing.

:D:D:D
:):):)