I had a great time yesterday with the interview! Jordana and Stephanie were fantastic, and invited me back after their summer hiatus.
One of the things we talked about was how I write, and I mentioned a software I use. NAYY – I am simply a happy customer.
I use SuperNotecard by Mindola. The way I write is I write whatever comes first – that might be just a title, or it might be a snippet of dialog (in “Love & Brimstone,” the whole story spawned from one very brief dialog exchange between Taz and Matthias) or a scene. I write what I “see” when I see it. I don’t outline my fiction – I might jot notes if something comes to me, but I don’t use outlines.
Before SuperNotecard, I would have to bounce back and forth in a manuscript file (I use OpenOffice, not Word) and try to figure out where I was. With SuperNotecard I can simply create a card for a scene and drop it in wherever I need it in the story. I can write a whole scene or just a snippet or even just title a blank card as a holding place and stick it in. I save countless hours with this software. “Love & Brimstone” was the first manuscript I completely wrote using it, and the rough draft was complete in a little over two weeks, where it would have taken me a month my old way.
Needless to say, I now write all my manuscripts with this software. When I finish, I export the rough draft to OpenOffice and format it as a manuscript and then do my final editing.
They also make a version for script writers.