rebecca LANDO

bobbymiller:

Dropbox

Evernote

Scrivener

I can’t say enough about these 3 programs.  They have changed the way I compile and organize ideas in writing (and life) and also how I collaborate with people.

I use Dropbox to backup everything I do and keep them synced across computers and my iphone, allowing me instant access to whatever it is I’m working on.  Evernote has become my new journal.  Whenever I get an idea I’ll record an audio clip or type it in.  I can than tag it and separate it out later.  Even cooler is I’ve started an image database of stuff I see in the world that inspires me.  Snap a photo on your iphone, tag it, and look at it later on your computer.  I still like the tactile sensation of drawing and writing in notebooks, but now I’ve gotten into the habit of taking pictures of those pages, so I always have them in a digital, organized, searchable, archive.

Lastly, is Scrivener.  It looks intimidating at first, but if you watch some tutorials and mess with it, I think you’ll be hooked.  This is the final dumping ground for all my ideas and offers a non-linear approach to writing.  It’s where all my research for a particular project lies and where my outlines begin.

I guess I’m a bit of a tech geek, but I had to share these programs.  If you’re not using them, give them a try!

Only thing I’d add to this is Celtx. It’s free on your computer and is totally worth the $9.99 iPad/iPhone app. I tend to work from multiple computers in a day, and I can’t overstate how useful Celtx is. Used to be when I got an idea for a scene or bit of dialogue I’d have to email it to myself or scribble it on the nearest scrap of paper. Now I can just sync my script from Celtx’s cloud, make my changes/notes, and resync the file (or rename it as a new draft, even better).