My Writer's Toolbox

This week, we're talking about the tools in a writer's toolbox, the things we use to create and share our stories. And no two writers have the same tools, because we each get into a rhythm where we find what works for us and we stick with it for the most part.

As far as what my toolbox looks like, it has gone through several revolutions over the last few years. I've been doing this since 2016 and yes, my tools have changed quite a bit since I first started. Back in the early days, it was whatever I could afford and hope for the best. I’m happy to say that my tools have improved significantly since then. ;)

Here’s my top five tools, in no particular order:

Writing Tools

I do a combo of Google Docs and pen and paper. If I'm where I can't get to a computer, if I just have a random idea, or if I'm even editing and revising, I use pen and paper. For each story or series, I have a dedicated spiral notebook , so that as I'm working, I know that I have all my notes in one spot for that particular project.

Equipment

I am a pretty basic girl. I have a Chromebook that I use at home. At work, I have my office computer where I can log into Google Docs and jot some things down if I need to. That's pretty much it. There are times where I do use a tablet and a Bluetooth keyboard. If I'm traveling and I need something to take with me, or if I don't want to take my Chromebook, I will pack up the Bluetooth keyboard and the tablet and use those. Sometimes the Bluetooth is a little glitchy, so I tend to use that option the least these days.

Story Organization Software

I'm a plotter. When I'm getting ready to sit down to write, I have to know what turns the story is taking as they're taking them . Now that being said, I don't plot down to the finest detail. I have a method where I go chapter to chapter, and I plan out my scenes, writing down what has to happen in that scene to move the story forward, and that's it.

Now, there are people who use post-its on a wall to do the same thing. However, I live in a place where the humidity gets close to 100% in the summer and post-its don't stick anywhere. So. I use a program called Plottr (here’s my affiliate link so you can check that out if you're interested). And Plottr is just a digital way of doing the post-it method. You can move things around. You can keep your notes. You can world build. You can create your characters (down to looks, personalities, tats, etc). You can have reference pictures for people and places, and it's all in one spot. The best part is that when you're done building your book or the series, you can export the whole thing and print it out, which is where my next tool comes in.

The Story/Series Bible

My next tool is my story or series binder. This thing gets referenced all the time. I do one for each series, or even if it's an in depth book. It is a physical touchstone that I can use when I am writing, so that I don't have to log out of the page that I'm writing to find out what color eyes a character had or where they met up in chapter two, and so on. I use these presentation folders, and they are excellent for this purpose. And I will go ahead and link those to Amazon. This isn’t an affiliate link, so I don't get any credit for purchase made on the Amazon link.

Formatting Software

And last but not least is my formatting software. I am a Vellum girl. Even though I don't use MacBook, I still use Vellum and here's why: I can pay a formatter the same amount of money to format my book for one book as I did to purchase the Vellum software. Plus with me being able to access my formatting files, I can do my own updating of back matter (such as adding new books to my backlist, updating social links, and so forth). It is well worth the money, and you can use MacInCloud on a PC. I purchase server time with MacInCloud, then use Vellum to go in and format my my books for all of the major retailers. This also ensures that my titles in a series will match in style.

So that's it. That is the gist of what is in my writer's toolbox. If you have any questions about anything that I use, or what other potential tools are out there for writers, please feel free to comment below. Especially if you are just starting out and you need something that is inexpensive, but effective. I’ll help you out in any way I can. :)

Until next time,

~ HCB