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malenkayacherepakhaI'm changing up a bunch of stuff about the way I write when it comes to my new project, and one of the biggest is that I've shifted from writing in GDocs to OneNote. I think it was Quicksilvermaid who said they use it, and it got me intrigued.
So far, I'm loving it. I really love the way you can have different tabs in the notebook, which is proving really useful as I'm putting more effort into planning this fic than normal. I've got tabs for details about each character (no more forgetting those little details about who's taller!) and each location, as well as the main outline and then of course each chapter has its own tab. I can already tell it's going to be a lot easier to refer back to previous chapters or notes than it would be if I had to flick through multiple gdocs to find what I'm looking for. It sounds like it does some of what Scrivener does, but without me needing to pay for it.
I've also found that so far at least, changing up my routine has made it easier for me to write. Maybe it's just because I'm excited about the story, but I'm finding myself a lot more willing to write and make mistakes and then go back and fix them later. The ability to have two blocks of text next to each other in the same doc is really helping with that editing (I realise this probably makes zero sense without seeing it in action, I have no idea how to describe it better!) - yesterday I realised I needed to switch round the order of my opening, and I could do that side by side without needing two different docs or needing to immediately delete things I'd moved.
We'll see if it keeps working well - I already know it's going to be annoying to have to keep updating separate gdocs for betas - but so far so good! Over the past few days I've managed to get the main relationship outlined, a whole bunch of plot ideas noted down, and the first 2k of chapter one written, so fingers crossed that momentum keeps up.
It's a bank holiday weekend here so I'm hoping to get a lot of words out in between a bit of sunbathing (if the weather cooperates anyway!). I hope you all have a lovely weekend too (and enjoy the long weekend if you have one!).
So far, I'm loving it. I really love the way you can have different tabs in the notebook, which is proving really useful as I'm putting more effort into planning this fic than normal. I've got tabs for details about each character (no more forgetting those little details about who's taller!) and each location, as well as the main outline and then of course each chapter has its own tab. I can already tell it's going to be a lot easier to refer back to previous chapters or notes than it would be if I had to flick through multiple gdocs to find what I'm looking for. It sounds like it does some of what Scrivener does, but without me needing to pay for it.
I've also found that so far at least, changing up my routine has made it easier for me to write. Maybe it's just because I'm excited about the story, but I'm finding myself a lot more willing to write and make mistakes and then go back and fix them later. The ability to have two blocks of text next to each other in the same doc is really helping with that editing (I realise this probably makes zero sense without seeing it in action, I have no idea how to describe it better!) - yesterday I realised I needed to switch round the order of my opening, and I could do that side by side without needing two different docs or needing to immediately delete things I'd moved.
We'll see if it keeps working well - I already know it's going to be annoying to have to keep updating separate gdocs for betas - but so far so good! Over the past few days I've managed to get the main relationship outlined, a whole bunch of plot ideas noted down, and the first 2k of chapter one written, so fingers crossed that momentum keeps up.
It's a bank holiday weekend here so I'm hoping to get a lot of words out in between a bit of sunbathing (if the weather cooperates anyway!). I hope you all have a lovely weekend too (and enjoy the long weekend if you have one!).
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Date: 2020-05-07 04:45 pm (UTC)I've used OneNote for years and years, back in college to take notes and afterwards for my job, so it's totally associated with work/school for me and I don't think I could ever use it for fannish purposes!
As for betas, TBH, when I'm working on longer fics, I actually tend to make separate files to share with each beta separately anyway, and then use their feedback to update my "primary" doc. Obviously more work, but I don't like having multiple betas in the same doc (and as a beta, I don't like other betas in somebody else's doc either while I'm betaing), so going back and forth between programs in that instance wouldn't be too much of a hassle, at least for me!
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Date: 2020-05-07 07:12 pm (UTC)That's a good idea - in the past I've tended to only have one beta anyway so it's not been an issue, but I'd like to have quite a few different pairs of eyes on this one and I think I will give them their own doc. I've had one fic where I've had multiple cheerleaders in the doc and they've kind of built off each other's feedback - it would have been interesting to see their reactions without influence from other people.
And totally agree on it from a beta point of view too, just the other day I was britpicking a fic and the main beta was in the doc at the same time and I had to stop when I caught up to them - it was just too confusing to be working on the same bit at the same time.
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Date: 2020-05-07 09:01 pm (UTC)I'm intrigued and might check it out.
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Date: 2020-05-08 09:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-05-08 09:30 am (UTC)But I use it for personal tracking, would love to hear more about how you are using it for fandom things! (even dm me screenshots, if you're happy to!)
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Date: 2020-05-08 09:45 am (UTC)More than happy to dm you screenshots, it's definitely a lot easier to explain with photos! Will message you :)