Tools that help writers write
Scrivener, BeemGee and more – oh my!
It’s May and this month we’re focusing on beginning new story projects. We’re kicking things off by looking at the tools out there that help writers plot and write their book. You’ll also see that the full programme for the Summer Festival of Writing is now live and ready to be snapped up! Grab your tickets – it starts in just one month!
EVENT: The full Summer Festival of Writing programme has now been announced!
Our Events Manager Anna Burtt has outdone herself this year. See the full, exciting programme waiting for ticket-holders this summer and bag yourself a seat for one of the biggest online writing festivals in the world. Half-price tickets for members.
This week on Jericho Writers:
WEBINAR: How to Use BeemGee Story Development Software
Thursday 6 May. BeemGee encourages the careful thought about characters and plot that is necessary to get the story right. Exclusive member event – join now to register!
REPLAY: Scrivener: Everything You Need to Know
Typewriter, ringbinder, scrapbook – Scrivener combines all the tools you need to get words down on a page. In this session, you’ll be shown around this comprehensive platform from the team behind the app itself.
NON-MEMBERS – JOIN NOW TO WATCH
COURSES: New tutored courses now open for booking
Spots are filling up fast for our new online tutored courses: Creative Writing 101, Writing for Children and Creative Non-Fiction. Choose your genre and learn alongside an expert tutor and an intimate class of writers.
5 useful non-writing writing tools
This is a strange thing to admit, but I used to collect writing tools. Not in a cool way I might add – I don’t have a collection of antique pens to show you (although like a lot of writers, I have more notebooks than I know what to do with). I just love finding fun ways to use digital tools to procrastinate from my writing, whilst also sort-of staying on task.
So here are the best ones in my personal collection.
1) Diagram software
If you’re stuck in your plot or are planning your novel, diagrams are great tools to help you visualize your thoughts. You can draw these by hand, but I like to use software such as Gliffy to keep them on screen with my work.
2) Avatar creators
If – like me – you can’t draw, think about what your characters look like by creating them using an avatar designer. There are plenty of free ones online like this one (and they can be quite fun to use).
3) Pinterest
Not an app that’s widely in use anymore, but it still remains a useful way to think about a story aesthetic and create a visual depiction of characters, settings and themes. Here’s one I made earlier.
4) Cloud backup
You only lose all your work once. These days, I save all my work straight to the cloud (I use Box) as well as emailing it to myself frequently too. This can also be a handy way of accessing your book across multiple devices too.
5) Graphic Design tools
Need to create some marketing assets but have no idea what you’re doing? Thankfully, graphic design apps such as Canva exist to make things a little easier. You can even find eBook cover templates on there!
What tools do you use? Sign up to the Community for free and add to the collection.
Sarah Juckes x
Plus, don’t miss:
Agent one-to-one sessions (10% member discount available)
Bag yourself a fifteen-minute call with an agent or a book doctor to talk exclusively about your work. Booking now!
Manuscript Assessment (10% member discount available)
Our most popular editorial service matches you to your dream editor and gives you tailored feedback on your work.
Receive a fully-funded place on the ‘Self-Edit Your Novel’ tutored course
As always – we’re offering one fully-funded spot on this life-changing course to a deserving under-represented, or low-income writer. Simply apply with your work-in-progress.
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