A new distraction-free writing platform has emerged. Can QuietWrite unseat WriteRoom as the best tool for internet-enabled authors?
Distraction-Free Writing Platforms
Some Links
The Poetry Archive: “The Poetry Archive is the world’s premier online collection of recordings of poets reading their work. You can enjoy listening here, free of charge, to the voices of contemporary English-language poets and of poets from the past.”A few days ago the New York Times released its usual 100 book “Notable” list, but now we get the really good stuff: the Times top ten of the year. The big surprise: an appearance by Curtis Sittenfeld’s “calm and memorably incisive first novel,” Prep.Scott and Ed and others have already noted this, but I just got around to reading it: the NYRB piece on our latest National Book Award winner, William T. Vollmann.Also noted by many litblogs, the ever-multitasking Bud has launched a sleek litblog network/aggregator/community: MetaxuCafe. Very cool.
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They Could Make It After All
After word got out last week that J.K. Rowling regrets bringing Ron and Hermione together, many people responded with interesting takes on the news. The hubbub missed the full context of Rowling’s quotes, however, as they leaked from an interview in Wonderland magazine that hadn’t yet been released. Now the new issue of the the magazine is out, and the context changes things a bit: Rowling actually said the two “will be alright with a bit of counseling.”
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These narrators are conspicuously powerless
Over at Prospect, Leo Benedictus takes a look into the subversive “hindered narrators” in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Room, and Pigeon English.
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Brittle Bird Bones
Recommended Reading: This unsettling, important essay by Kira Jane Buxton at The Rumpus: “He starts to move with a slow hiss. This is his place, his world, and so when he walks he does it slowly, time in his pockets. He keeps his eyes on me, keeps me in my place in his world. I can’t hold the fear back for much longer, the bridle is snapping.”
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My own favorite distraction-free writing software is OmmWriter–it runs full screen and creates a sort of zen experience with neutral sound (or music) in the background, as well as satisfying tones as you press the keys. It’s sort of tough to describe, but it’s a peaceful experience and has worked well each time I’ve used it (and God knows I need to use it to get anything done!)
Scrivener is by far the best:
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
Not only for it’s distraction-free full-screen mode, but for all of its great organizational features.
Here’s a second nomination for Scrivener. I hardly ever use the full screen mode, but when I do, it’s marvelous. When I need to check how I spelled a character’s name or how a dragon says “castle”, I can quickly jump out of full screen, get what I need, and then pop back into full screen. Excellent software.