All I really want to do is write! I don't want to program solutions to problems which I see the writing world having--or problems of any other sort either. I work at an FBO (a private air terminal) and see numerous ways that software and technology could be useful in increasing efficiency, and avoiding mistakes. While thinking about those solutions is entertaining, I don't actually want to invest years of my life into creating those solutions...even if saying so is equivalent to tearing up a winning lottery ticket.
What I want to do is write. I don't want to spend the time I could've spent writing on dreaming up solutions to what's blocking me. Yet, I also feel blocked--like I haven't found the right tools which I need to keep me from being overwhelmed by details; tools which, I hope, would conform to my thought process.
I suppose I feel like I do best when I focus. I'm not sure I'm that great at straddling widely divergent subjects, investing in both, and reaping appropriate rewards. What ends up happening is that I feel torn, dissatisfied, and paralyzed.
Is one of these a distraction from the other one? Is my "dream" of writing a mere excuse not to face the hardship of doing what I really love (i.e., potentially programming?), or is programming and thinking up solutions to problems an excuse not to write?
To some extent I think I'd have an easier time writing back when there were very limited tools available to the writer--at much greater cost, and inconvenience. Think about the days when the tools of writing had to be virtually handcrafted. Think about the days when you were lucky to have a pen, ink, a paper to write on. The ideas, then, were cheap. It was the tools which were rare. Today, ideas continue to be cheap, but the tools are plentiful. Because of this, writers can spend all their writing time evaluating possible solutions to areas in which their writing is hamstrung.
I've tried whiteboards, my Treo, index cards, virtual index cards (i.e., Mindola SuperNotecard), mindmapping, OneNote, Word, Storyview, Final Draft, and so on. I've even tried beating the story out of my skull with rocks. Nothing works. If anyone who reads this knows of something truly revolutionary I haven't tried yet, let me know.
I don't need a scriptwriting or word processing program, I need a tool which helps me outline, organize thoughts, and especially structure the whole mess. I love timeline/card functionality, but it has to be really intuitive, flexible, and useful.
As an idea of what I'm looking for, I'm pretty impressed by Scrivener (for Mac, unfortunately, I have a PC) and I've been impressed by Liquid Story Binder (though some of its functionality is rough).
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Abe, just curious if you started using liquid story binder. i've been using word for years, wanted to try something new, downloaded LSB and am going nuts figuring out how to use it. googled to try to find people who've maybe had success with it. i love the features, or what look to be the features, but can't even create chapters correctly, or order them. annoying! good luck with your work.
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