Tools of the trade: must-have resources for aspiring writers

Now that you’ve dipped your toes into getting started as a writer, it’s time to get familiar with some of the tools of the trade. I’ve compiled my “must-haves” below—but I’d love to hear what yours are! Leave me a note below. 😊

(Also, I’m not paid or affiliated with anything described below. I simply love these tools and use them myself.)

Writing software

First up is software, which I think is the most important tool because you’ll spend a lot of time with it. I’ve tried a variety of writing software, including Microsoft Word, Google Documents, and Scrivener. 

My clear favorite is Scrivener by Literature & Latte.

I’ll do a more thorough review of Scrivener later, but for now, just know that Scrivener is a computer app that allows you to write and compile notes in one place. It’s pitched as “Typewriter. Ring-binder. Scrapbook,” and I’d say it lives up to that reputation. I love it because it doesn’t slow down or have hiccups when you have multiple windows open that have long-form content in it—unlike Microsoft Word & Google Docs. It is a paid product, so you’ll have to spend about $60 to purchase it, but once you do, it’s yours forever (and all updates are free!). If you’re unsure of spending that much, there is a free 30-day trial with all the features, so you can see if it’s for you or not. It’s available for iOS, macOS, and Windows. 

Although I don’t write in Google Docs anymore, I do keep my Scrivener backups in both Google Docs and Dropbox (just in case!). It only takes 1 time of losing your work to be overly paranoid about it. 

Lastly, I also keep several tabs on my Notes application on my iPhone. This allows me to quickly take notes when I’m not near my computer; I then email them to myself and upload them to my Scrivener later. The tabs I’d recommend using are:

• Names list – for any names you love (character, setting, or otherwise). I often pull from books, TV shows, movies, news articles, games, etc. Anything that catches my attention goes in the names list. 
• Story ideas – for any loose ideas that are rattling about your head and begging to be written down.
• Person/place descriptions – for when you’re out in public and just love someone’s outfit (and think your character would die to wear it) or want to steal details from the real world for your story. 
• Optional: dream diary – for all of the weird ideas your subconscious comes up with.

Products

My favorite products include: 

• Noise-canceling headphones to block out the noise around you. I love these Soundcore ones. 
• Transparent post-it tabs – These tabs from Target are great for marking passages in your favorite books because they are transparent enough to see the words beneath them. 
• Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need by Jessica Brody. I can’t recommend this book enough. I highlighted, tabbed, wrote in the margins, printed the beat sheet out, copied tidbits into Scrivener…I seriously adore this book. If you’re new to writing, it’s a must-have. It will walk you through the 15 standard beats in any story, and give multiple examples across genres, books, movies, and TV shows. This was a game-changer for me. For $14 it’s well worth the money.

Bookmarks on my computer

If you’re like me, you have 1000 bookmarks on your computer, and another 100 tabs open. These are my go-to bookmarks whenever I’m sitting down to write:

• Wordhippo.com – A modern thesaurus for that one stupid word that’s escaping you. 
• Grammarly.com – If you aren’t great with Grammar or want an AI as your editor, I’d recommend Grammarly. I fight with it occasionally (okay, frequently), but I really do like having it spellcheck and grammar check my work. And it’s free! (Note: it doesn’t integrate with Scrivener, but I do use it as a final check when exporting to Microsoft Word for my writer’s group.)
• Spotify.com – Music to get and keep you inspired throughout your journey.
• Pinterest.com – Visual inspiration for your characters, settings, outfits, etc.
• Reddit.com – Please don’t come at me, but I do love a good subreddit. Below are a few of my favorites to creep on. (Also, you can stay anonymous or create an account. It’s free!)
  • r/namenerds – A great resource for compiling names. Includes writers, linguists, and new parents. 
  • r/writing – A good place for discussion of general writing topics.
  • r/YAlit and r/fantasyromance – Examples of genre-specific subreddits, which can provide insight into reader opinions and more.

💬 QOTD: What are your favorite tools? Which ones don’t work for you?