Writing tools

Current Project: Leg Shaving Leads to Trouble
Status: First draft

There are a variety of tools all writers keep in their "toolbox." For some, it's a pad of paper and a pen. For others, it's a laptop and a power cord. And you can't forget the chocolate!

Personally, the tools depend on the stage of writing I'm in. If I'm in the plotting stage - I may use a table-top presentation board and sticky notes to plot out some major points of my story. When I want even more details I have an excel spreadsheet that I use for plotting a few chapters at a time.

When it's time to just get out there and write, I usually use my laptop. If I'm somewhere a laptop can't be used (say class...hehe) then I may write longhand. I will sometimes use my Alphasmart 3000 too, but we'll get back to that in a minute.

If I'm editing something, highlighters are an important tool for me. I like to highlight certain elements of my writing a specific color, so I can see where something is lacking, too much of something, repetitive usage, etc.

Okay, back to the Alphasmart 3000. This past weekend I went camping at Lake Billy Chinook. I was wondering how I'd be able to write, as there's no power on the land my inlaws own. They have a generator for the motorhome, but I wasn't sure how often it would be on. My Mac battery lasts about 3 hours, but I was going to be there for a few days. Then a couple days before leaving on the trip, I remembered I had an Alphasmart 3000.

For those of you not familiar, it's basically a keyboard with a small screen. You type on it, it stores the information, then you plug it into your computer and upload the text into Microsoft Word. It originally began as a less expensive tool (versus a computer) to teach children how to type. Students began using it to take notes in class. And writers began using it to write.

I like this tool for many reasons. For starters, it runs on three AA batteries and lasts about 300 hours. The screen is small - only showing four lines at a time, so I can't keep editing. I can only keep writing. It's very lightweight and feels durable. And if it's sunny, it's easier to see this screen than many laptop screens. Plus, the cord used to plug it into a computer is fairly common. I bought this several years ago (and haven't used it in about a year, was still in a box from my move in February) and can't find the original cord. But I have hoards of cords in my place and I found a couple that looked like the outlet on the unit, and they both worked. That's definitely a nice benefit.

There are newer models, this particular model has been discontinued. The newer versions have added features, like syncing with Palm Pilots. They come with rechargable batteries, but the battery life isn't as long (but really, 300 hours is quite a bit and a little more than most need). The Neo and the Dana are the new units, but the Alphasmart 3000 are all over Ebay.

The way it's broken down is in eight "files." It's sort of like the F# keys at the top of a keyboard. You can just start typing in file 1, then when it fills up, move to the next. Or, you can designate one file for a plot outline, one for the characters, and use the rest for writing. I believe you can also download files onto the Alphasmart, in case you wanted some of your most recent writing on there.

So what tools do you all use in your writing?