Category Archives: Blogging Tools

13 November 2020 · 3:04 pm

What’s In My Toolbox

clipart print of a re toolbox full of writing implements

My Writing Toolbox

Just like every other craftsman, a writer needs her own specialized tool kit. My tools consist of hardware and software, as well as reference books, websites, and whatever else helps me get the job done. Yes, I said “job.” If you don’t treat your writing with the same respect and dedication you would any other job, you’ll never get any better at it.

Let’s Start With The Hardware

(NOTE: Don’t worry about the specific hardware brands I use; when we start discussing software, I’ll cover iOS, Android, MacOS, iPadOS, and Windows applications.)

My iPhone

I have quite a collection of devices for writing. While there’s always good old pen and paper, my arthritis makes it all but impossible to hold a pen or pencil. Instead, I carry my electronic notebook: my iPhone. It’s small, fits into a special pocket in my purse, and crucially, I always have it with me. In fact, it could almost be called a toolbox itself, as I have 14 writing apps on it. Simply because of its size and the fact that it’s always with me, it has become my main writing tool.

iPhone X

My iPhone X

My iPad

Larger than my iPhone, the iPad still has its own pocket in one of my purses, so it’s also easy to carry around. Both devices sync with each other via the Cloud, so what work I do on one of them instantly appears on the other.

Photo of Apple iPad

My iPad

The AlphaSmart Neo

This device was developed for school students in order to give them a tool for doing their in-class writing and then sending the results to the teacher. It never really caught on, but a few writers discovered it and now it’s a hit with the writing community at large. It’s such a great tool that it deserves its own story, which I’ll be posting in the near future.

Photo of AlphaSmart Neo

My AlphaSmart Neo

My Laptop

Finally, we come to my Windows machine. This tool does all the heavy lifting. While so many mobile apps have great capabilities for composing and editing, there are still times when a more powerful device is required.

Here’s an example. I do a lot of writing on Medium. Medium has an app that runs on my mobile devices, but it’s quite limited when it comes to inserting pictures: it doesn’t allow you to resize them, add a caption, or insert photo credits. For those tasks, I have to switch over to my laptop.

Using Evernote, which I do to archive my stories, presents a similar problem: the Evernote Web Clipper doesn’t work on my mobile devices.

Given all that, I’m confident in saying that mobile devices have yet to reach the point where they will replace desktop or laptop computers.

Coming Soon To A Theater Near You

Not really. But definitely to this blog: a review of my favorite writing apps for your mobile devices. Until then, stay safe!

 

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15 August 2020 · 2:48 pm

New Writing Tools

I write. A lot. It doesn’t matter where or when, if I have a few free minutes, I write. At the doctor’s office. On the bus. Sometimes when I’m grocery shopping, an idea will strike me and I’ll whip out my iPhone and write it down.

My iPhone is my main writing tool because I always have it with me. Well, not always—I don’t take it into the bathroom. But other than that, everywhere else. It’s small, handy, and it doesn’t take up much room in my purse.

About the only thing I don’t write with it is blog posts: I find it too limiting. But I will write a post in another app, then copy and paste it into my laptop, then transfer it into Open Live Writer (OLW),  my blogging tool of choice.

I first discovered OLW when Microsoft created it and made it available for free. Since then, Microsoft has abandoned it and turned it over to the free software community, which continues to support and improve it. The latest release is dated 23 May 2017, so it’s not updated all that often.

My Writing Toolbox

While I do most of my writing on my iPhone and iPad, there are three desktop programs I use as well. In addition to OLW, I also have Scrivener and Papyrus Author.

I’ve had Scrivener for a couple of years, but I rarely use it. I just found the learning curve too steep for my poor little brain.

I downloaded Papyrus Author (PA) last month out of curiosity, and have been playing around with it since then. It seems to do everything Scrivener does, but without the learning curve.

Besides, the basic version is free. If I decide to keep it, I’ll probably upgrade to the Pro version, which has several style analysis tools not offered in the basic version.

On the other hand, I have Grammarly Premium, so I might not need to upgrade after all.

I also have the free Grammarly keyboard on both of my mobile devices. The keyboard is free and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store.

Both Papyrus Author and Scrivener are designed for heavy-duty, serious writing, and I can recommend both of them. Grammarly is like having a style manual at your fingertips.

Ulysses

I used to use Ulysses on my mobiles, but recently deleted it, because I wanted a tool I could use on all three of my machines, and Ulysses is only available for iOS and MacOS. Not Windows. But if you’ve got a Mac, give it a try.

Summing Up

That’s it for my laptop. In my next post, I’ll cover what I use on my iPhone and iPad.

Until then, thanks for reading!

 

 

 

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2 August 2019 · 6:17 pm

AlphaSmart Neo: Further Considerations

As with everything else new, there’s a learning curve. Fortunately, with the AlphaSmart Neo, it’s not very steep.

At first I was concerned about being able to add special characters and symbols, such as é, î, or even ™ or ©.

Already taken care of! The Neo was, after all, designed to be used in educational settings, so it was part of the original design. Pressing CTRL-H brings up a help screen, including both International and Greek/Symbols key combinations.

For example, typing OPTION E then E results in “é.” For me, this is more than a mere option: without this feature, I wouldn’t be able to type my middle name, “Sinéad” (Irish for “Jane.”

Another blessing is the lack of both auto-complete and auto-check abilities: on both my iPad and iPhone I was constantly having to go back and correct “myself” to “my” because both devices thought they knew better than me.

Still, I will admit that at times I miss the onscreen suggestions of words I can pick to insert. But it’s definitely not a deal-breaker.

Things I Miss

Being able to insert pictures and images. Then again, being able to go on the Internet and searching for anything would defeat the goal of distraction-free writing, so I simply wait until I’ve transferred the files to my laptop to do that.

The ability to use italics, bold-face, or otherwise format my text. Again, I leave that up to the laptop.

I’d like to be able to set the auto-off time to something other than 4 minutes (the default) but that’s the lowest it can go (the maximum is 59 minutes). I’m obsessed with saving battery power—but since 3 AA batteries will last for 700 minutes of use—I can get used to it. And if I’m going to the kitchen to brew a cup of tea, I can simply shut the Neo off. It’s an acceptable trade-off,since sometimes I’ll stare out the window for a minute or two whilst I gather my thoughts. After all, we writers are always writing, even when we’re staring off into space.

Besides, one simply cannot write without a decent cup of tea to hand.

My Workflow

Even though I’ve only had my Neo since last Wednesday, I’ve already figured out a workflow that suits me: Once I’ve transferred a file from the Neo to my laptop (and backed it up as well), I open the file on the Neo and select the Clear File function. When prompted, I select Y (for yes), and it’s gone, freeing up that space for a new file.

That’s pretty much it for now. As always, as I learn or discover more I’ll share it with you right here. Oh, yeah: I’m already doing most of my writing on the Neo. I really do like it that much!

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31 July 2019 · 9:53 pm

Yet Another New Tool!

Neo

As a writer, I find the biggest problem with modern technology is all of the potential distractions. I love writing on my iPhone, iPad, or laptop, but it’s too easy to get distracted by email, IMs, Google searches, etc.

For example, I’ll need to check Wikipedia for information. I find it, but there are so many interesting links in the article, and 30 minutes later I’m down the rabbit hole with Alice only to discover when I surface that I’ve lost my original thought.

Enter the AlphaSmart Neo. Originally designed as a basic word processor for schools, it’s found a new following among writers. It originally cost $200 per unit, and it’s no longer being manufactured. But you can find them on eBay–which is where I bought mine (brand new) for $20.

So what’s the big deal? it’s really quite simple: it’s a word processor. It doesn’t connect to the Internet, so it affords me hours of distraction-free writing. Once I’m done, I can connect it via USB cable to my laptop, open a Word or Libre Writer or Scrivener document, and send the file over from my Neo.

It powers up almost instantaneously, relying as it does on 3 AA batteries which folks I’ve talked with say will give me about a year’s worth of power, or roughly 700 hours.

Mine arrived today, and so I’m still getting used to it. I’ll be giving a more thorough review in a week or so, after I’ve had the opportunity to put it through its paces.

Oh, yes: I wrote this article on my new toy! It’s more like writing on a typewriter than on a computer. And another thing: it only displays 4 lines at a time, so there’s no temptation to go back and edit as I write.

It has a spell-checker, with the option to add new words to the built-in dictionary, as well as a (very primitive) thesaurus.

When I turn it on, it returns to my last position in the last file I was working on, which is handy.

I also like being able to add to a file without caring about where it fits best: I just write without editing, and then edit the document once I’ve sent it to the laptop.

The display is bright enough to use the Neo out of doors–at least in the shade.

Indeed, as I’m writing this I’m sitting outside in an Adirondack chair, enjoying the fresh air.

I thought about buying a protective case for it, but I’m not about to shell out a hundred bucks for a case for a $20 item!

I don’t think I’ve been this excited about a new tech item since 1981, when I bought my first computer–a Kaypro CP/M computer.

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14 December 2018 · 3:38 pm

On Writing On My iPhone, Revisited

Apple iPhone 10X

A Brief History of Technology

It’s funny how succeeding generations take technology for granted. My Nana’s first electric refrigerator must have seemed to her to be a miracle. Nowadays the only time I consciously think about it is when I’m looking in it to make my grocery list.

And even that is more about food and shopping than it is about the refrigerator itself.

June 29, 2007

Not exactly a Day of Infamy.

I sat at the Apple iPhone help desk on the evening of its release. Even though we had just completed 2 weeks of intensive training on the operation and capabilities of the device, that evening was the first time any of us had actually seen one, much less had an opportunity to work with it.

One iPhone between 8 techs. No wonder callers were frustrated.

Now my grandchildren all carry iPhones. And while I still look at mine with an occasional sense of wonder, to them it ain’t no big thang.

During those weeks of training, I had an epiphany: this was no mere mobile phone! No. What Apple had done was figure out how to fit an entire computer in the palm of your hand!

It’s 11 and a half years later as I write this. Cell phone (or if you’re British, mobile) usage has exploded. The phones themselves have evolved into various flavors of smartphone, and whereas they were once considered a luxury, they have become for many of us an essential part of life.

Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few people I know don’t even go into their own bathrooms without it!

But Here’s the Thing…

I love my iPhone X, which I once swore I would never own. My next upgrade was to be to the 8S or Plus or Z or whatever was the top of the line 8 at the time.

But my carrier had a special offer: buy one iPhone X and get a second one free! And so I decided on the X, not realizing that it was about to be replaced by a few newer, more improved models.

But that’s on me. My iPhone X still runs circles around my old 6S Plus.

Writing and Publishing

I’ve written before on how I love writing on my iPhone. How it’s become my main writing tool for whatever site I’m writing: Medium, letters to the editor, blog posts—you name it, I’ve written to it on my iPhone!

And on Medium and WordPress, at least, published as well.

That’s About to Change

Ever have an improvement that really wasn’t? When I bought my new laptop 3 years ago, a Windows 10 machine, it booted blindingly fast. Now, after a long series of updates, upgrades, and “improvements,” I can turn it on and almost have time to get dressed, go downstairs, eat breakfast, and wash the dishes before heading back upstairs in time to see the damn machine is ready—finally—for use.

With the release of iOS 12.1.1, my iPhone is still blindingly fast—compared to my original Motorola flip-phone.

And there are far more things that are easier and faster to do on my laptop than on my iPhone. Things specifically related to publishing what I write.

Even Medium’s own mobile app isn’t designed to publish straight to Medium; more and more often I find I need my laptop to prepare my stories for final publication.

The Solution

So here’s what I’ve decided.

(What? Did you seriously think I was going to invest all this time bitching about things without offering a solution? You obviously don’t know me very well.)

I’m still doing the bulk of my writing on my iPhone, with an occasional detour to the iPad.

But rather than publishing (in Medium’s case, posting) what I write directly to the web or wherever, I’ll save my drafts. Then I’ll move to the laptop to massage them, add images and links, make them pretty, and then publish them.

And Apple? I’m sorry, my old friend, but I was wrong: you still haven’t managed to put a computer in the palm of my hand.

And as we techies like to say in our own inimical, technobabbly way, “Close, but no cigar.”

Image: Plasencia Cigars

 

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