Novel Writing Software for Linux - FOUND!

[kshsj777]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was complaining several months ago because I couldn't find writing software for linux, and now I found one!!!

It's still in development and several features need to be added still, but it's only a matter of time. I love the layout, I love the way it's set up, sort of like WriteWayPro and yWriter combined.

Here's the link to the homepage:

<snip>

It's called Writer's World Maker.

I uploaded a screenshot too.

[steeleyuk]

Wonder if the devs have seen the Gnome HIG... :-)

[lukjad]

Ummm... Is it like OpenOffice or more like Scribus?

[Joeb454]

Ummm... Is it like OpenOffice or more like Scribus?

Looks to me as though it's more for a screenplay type document.

[Vadi]

I think I saw several software of this type before actually. But I don't remember the names.

[rune0077]

I found this one a while back: http://www.writerscafe.co.uk/

It costs money though, and is not open source, but it has a lot of potential if you (unlike me) aren't to lazy to figure it out.

[kshsj777]

Writer's Cafe is more for organizing a novel, though it claims you can write one.

This one has a better layout and it's free. I like having a chapter and scene format so that I can move scenes around and rearrange chapters and all of that.

This program still needs several more features before it's as good as other software for Windows, but it's getting there.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Me I still use Open office and MS office XP as my primaries.

[Warpnow]

Very interesting.

Glad someone is making one...

But its written in basic...

People still use basic?

[chungy]

you could try LyX -- it's pretty much perfect for something like a novel.

It takes a little bit of getting used to, but it's wonderful

[Delever]

Anyone tried CeltX?

[tadcan]

I use celtx, but not for novels. It is primarily for audio/visual projects. It has a generic text file, which you can add notes. But it doesn't have dedicated novel building tools.

[malt7]

Try pyroom:

http://pyroom.org/

[sub_acoustic]

After a little research, I think I'm going to go with this

StorYBook - Organize Your Story
open source story writing software
for novelists, authors and creative writers

http://storybook.intertec.ch/

[Nano Geek]

Who else say the title as Novell writing software for Linux?

[bsharp]

Who else say the title as Novell writing software for Linux?

That's what I thought at first :)

[Dixon Bainbridge]

Scrivener is the best, unfortunately its OSX only.

[hessiess]

you could try LyX -- it's pretty much perfect for something like a novel.

It takes a little bit of getting used to, but it's wonderful

Or just use LaTeX directly.

[dimeotane]

freemind mind mapping is quite useful for creative writers.
This youtube video shows how to get started planning out a story using freemind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miN66kqbilA

[Fourcultures]

Scrivener (http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php) used to be Mac OS only but it's now, finally, available in beta for Windows which also works with Linux. You can read the forum thread (http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=9154) for details.

The down side is it's not free software, but there's an emerging free software solution with LyX-outline (https://launchpad.net/lyx-outline) (this makes more sense if you read the blog (http://blog.oak-tree.us/index.php/science-and-technology/lyx-outline)). It's is an extension to the LyX (http://www.lyx.org/) document processor, which aims to clone the usability of Scrivener.

I think Celtx might give these a run for their money but it's primarily for scriptwriting rather than for novels. Perhaps there's a plug-in somewhere that makes the thing more novelist-friendly, but I haven't found one.

[keithpeter]

...there's an emerging free software solution with LyX-outline (https://launchpad.net/lyx-outline) (this makes more sense if you read the blog (http://blog.oak-tree.us/index.php/science-and-technology/lyx-outline)). It's is an extension to the LyX (http://www.lyx.org/) document processor, which aims to clone the usability of Scrivener.

Looks like it could be handy for large writing projects generally, especially given that LyX can handle tipped in graphics, equations and other kinds of non-text. Thanks for the link.

Back on thread, novels, hum, one well known writer uses a table drawn in biro on a piece of file paper....

http://bitcast-a.v1.lhr1.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/jkrowlingpage.jpg

and Emma Darwin has some really interesting material on her blog - she is a published novelist and teaches on postgrad courses

http://emmadarwin.typepad.com/

best of luck with it all

[Lightstar]

Unless it's cross-platform, I see no use in writing something professionally on it.

I kinda like the design though, looks fun to write short plays.

[Rachel_Eliason]

Interesting. I bookmarked several of those links and intend to download and experiment with some of these programs. I write using open office, doing most of my organizing work with old fashioned pencil and paper, or in my head depending on the project. Still a better way to organize a novel is worth looking into...

Coming back to this thread after a couple of days... I have downloaded and played around with WWMKR. It has a few bugs on my computer, and frankly I am not sure if it's worth trying to fix them. this program seems more geared towards fantasy writers. For example the character info includes race, class, type.. seems pretty D&D to me. (not to knock D&D, it's just not how I write.)

I also down loaded story book. I was all excited for about a half an hour. I played around with some characters and scenes, and then I figured out that it didn't have an actual text editor to write the scene. using Storybook to outline and research a novel, but having to use open office to actually write it won't work for me, it's too cumbersome. In fact my feeling is that while most of these programs can help with organization, they get in the way of actual writing.

I am still trying things out though. I have downloaded the program from Writer's cafe. I'll try that next.

[pat5star]

Rachel,

I'd be interested in hearing more on how you're making out if you don't mind updating us. I appear to be in the same boat as you and would love to find that 'perfect' software for writers that helps without getting in the way! If I find anything myself, I'll post about it as well.

-Pat

[markMDW]

How are the novelist doing?

I've been creatively writing for a while, composing in Open Office (since Libre Office isn't available in the software center for Ubuntu 10.04). Most of my sketching is done in Tomboy Notes. I haven't been able to organize much using Open office. It seems something more html oriented, and very simple, with a sidebar table of contents to shuffle around scenes, clips and character sketches, and possible be linked to a spreadsheet, would be all that's necessary. I'm afraid if I bought a full fledged novel writing application it would destroy my creativity [storybook? snowflake?] since I'd have to spend most of the time being the applications beast of burden rather than the application being mine. That could be the case of any of these that do much organizing at all. Especially if you have to fill out tons of dialog boxes for every little aspect of each character and scene.

I've read Writing Fiction for Dummies and have several other references at hand as well. It seems Snowflake Pro would work well since the book did a great job endorsing it as an alternative to other methods.

Tomboy Notes [not enough organizing power, no fonts]

OpenOffice / LibreOffice [not enough organizing power]

celtx [locked into the system, can't export]

LyX [for writing long books with formula]

Storybook Pro [looks neat, but is it a chore to use? [$29]

Snowflake Pro [locks you into the snowflake method? [$50+book]

Does anyone recommend snowflake pro? Its at the top of my to buy list for now.

[mips]

If you are gonna write novels/books then look at something like FocusWriter, PyRoom etc. It essentially gives you a blank page without any extras to distract you. You should not be worrying typesetting, formatting etc while writing which is a creative process. That stuff you do after all your writing has been completed.

[Warpnow]

Kabikaboo is the best in my opinion. Didn't exist when this thread started though I don't think.

[markMDW]

Thanks for those recommendations. I've downloaded Kabikaboo 1.7 from the Ubuntu Repository to give it a test drive... Kabikaboo has a great hierarchy, very simple to use, features spell checking. It's very promising! They still need to develop fonts and print, but one handy function is export to html. I can preemptively add html tags for bold italics, colors, headings, and internal links to the pre-exported html and then observe my formatted masterpiece that could be printed from the browser. It also exports to txt. nice!


Here's some information I found to share with others... I

==== About Pyroom: ===========
isn't at version #1 yet.
looks like VI except with the the line numbering distraction removed.
I assume it exports to at least ascii text or some other standard.
doesn't seem to have spell checking or any organization by any type of hierarchy (Book > Chapter > Scene > Clip)
--web listed features---
no visual clutter
work on multiple documents at once (main text, outline, etc)
control PyRoom via keyboard shortcuts
autosave your work
check wordcounts on keypress
choose from preconfigured designs or create your own color scheme
further customize visual appearance and whitespace (line spacing, border, padding...)


======About FocusWriter 1.3.5.2: =============
not available in the Ubuntu Repository [10.04]
---Website info About FocusWriter---

FocusWriter is a simple, distraction-free writing environment. It utilizes a hide-away interface that you access by moving your mouse to the edges of the screen, allowing the program to have a familiar look and feel to it while still getting out of the way so that you can immerse yourself in your work. It's available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X, and has been translated into many different languages.

Features:
TXT, basic RTF, and basic ODT file support
Timers and alarms
Daily goals
Fully customizable themes
Typewriter sound effects (optional)
Auto-save (optional)
Live statistics (optional)
Spell-checking (optional)
Multi-document support
Sessions
Portable mode (optional)

====== About Kabikaboo 1.7 =========================
[[weird name. The website then calls describes another name I like better. I suppose the better name is protected from being used, or something..]]

Novel Writing Assistant (Version 1.7)

Available for Linux and Windows!

Kabikaboo is a tree-based note pad, designed to help you plan a book or complex project.

Featured books made with Kabikaboo:
- A Spark at the End of Summer: http://www.creationmyth.net

Features (1.7):
- Note Tree: infinitely customizable; you create all categories and subcategories.
- Edit Nodes: a simple node that you can write text inside of.
- View Nodes: recursively see any section of your tree, as if it were one document.
- Tabbed Notebook: keep as many nodes open as you want.
- Bookmarks: help you jump back to your favorite/important nodes.
- Visits: three different automatic lists of visited nodes.
- and much more

Upcoming Features (1.8):
- Fonts: change the default fonts and sizes on your text, tree, tabs, and more! (complete)
- Node-to-Node Links: Link your scenes to characters, for example (in development)

Repository: https://launchpad.net/~kabikaboo/+archive/ppa
Screenshot: https://sourceforge.net/project/screenshots.php?group_id=251844&ssid=119538

Kabikaboo is meant to help you plan a novel, but could be used for anything that would benefit from tree-based text organization. Kabikaboo is not meant to create a formatted document - you should use AbiWord/OpenOffice/LaTeX or some other editor for that purpose.

In the future, we plan to support more writing features, such as: rich text editing, timelines, in-text node links, recursive editing, templates, and more.

Free and open source, created with Python, PyGTK, Glade, on Ubuntu Debian Linux GNU.
=============================

[Rubykuby]

I use Libreoffice Writer + Calc for novel writing. Works like a charm. I don't need much, anyway, as I'm a fairly straightforward writer.

[markMDW]

Hey Ruby, I'm trying to figure out how to organize a novel with hyperlinks. I guess you track your characters and scenes in Calc. Do you have multiple files in Writer for the chapters? Or just one file with a lot of bookmarks? Thanks

[dragonfly41]

I've just come across this thread ..

Have you tried Scrivener which is designed for novel writers?

I'm not a novelist .. but I'm trying the beta which runs on Ubuntu (there is a version for Windows and Mac users)

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33

[Redcard]

Scrivener is good, but the beta you're using is going to lock in a few weeks, and that is not good. Also, it sounds like they are not going to be supporting the linux edition any further, so you'd need to run it in Wine or a VM.

[markMDW]

Scrivener sounds great; I've heard that it was arguable the best available, but for Mac.

I had no idea there was a linux version. It might be worth the purchase after the Beta addition is developed and stabilized, but I guess that's not in it's future.

I'm still doing occasional draft writing in Tomboy Notes. Thanks for the updates!

[Terreville]

Scrivener is available for Windows in beta version. It's a timed trial. When the devs will have finished the port, we will have to pay.

Like you, I love writing stories and I love Linux. Since 2007, I tested several programs to help me write on Linux :

- Kabikaboo : nice but too simple for me. It's not comfortable to write 3 hours on a white screen.

- LibreOffice : Good. In fullscreen mode and "web display", switching from the blinding white background to a soft grey, I wrote an entire novel with it.

- yWriter : Unusable. Even using the latest Wine or Mono, it crashed. Tested on Windows : too complex for me, it's distracting.

- NoteCase : hierarchical note manager (or "Outliner"). Not reliable since it's no longer supported (but there is a supported pro version... at a price...). I lost datas due to crashes on recent linux systems.

- Lyx : the idea is simple : don't lose your time formatting, tickering texts, simply write. Very heavy on the disk. You write a thesis ? Use it. Warning : It's difficult to use it.

- FocusWriter : http://gottcode.org/focuswriter/ good fullscreen editor. I used it for months, copying/pasting in LibreOffice the texts.

- StoryBook : I can't write body texts with it, but it's a nice outliner to start a novel.

- Plume Creator : http://sourceforge.net/projects/plume-creator/ I'm biased since I'm its developer. ;)It's FocusWriter and NoteCase all in one.
It answers to my specific needs :
- run on Linux (+Windows and Mac)
- manage multiple projects
- manage characters, items and places
- have an outliner
- write fullscreen
- manage notes

I have stopped using Libreoffice three months ago.

[markMDW]

That's a great list of programs. Plume Creator sounds like a top bet.

I found yWriter to be unstable and to complicated as well. If I spent all the time to fill in every little slot it would be wasted effort, because the data is stored away never to be seen again, unless that is the user happens to click the one particular button that contains that crucial one particular detail that's archived away, most likely forever.

I've been using SnowflakePro for my outline and character development (It costs $50 and is written by the author of Writing Fiction for Dummies). It's completely stable and directs the new novelist every step of the way.

LibreOffice: if it had a table of contents where I could click to a subdivisions of Book, Part, Chapter and Scene, then I could use it. Wow, for the life of me I can't imagine having to scroll up and down through potentially hundreds of pages to find a particular scene you want to edit. Clearly its designed to format documents well, but not anything that needs to be organized into subdivisions.

I'm running into a problem with Tomboy notes not synchronizing with ubuntuOne. Otherwise, Tomboy Notes would allow hyperlinks between notes. For example, I had tried setting a note: Long Synopsis, then another Short Synopsis, then other's for Scenes. Another for Characters. Another container of notes held research materials. All is linkable between the two. There is spell checking, Fonts, hyperlinks. Simple, Quick, Easy..but unfortunately the synchronization I had used between computers is hit or miss.

[phibxr]

Also, it sounds like they are not going to be supporting the linux edition any further, so you'd need to run it in Wine or a VM.

This is incorrect. Please see the quote below from the Scrivener developers:


"Linux is a high priority for me, it's not going anywhere, it's my
preferred platform for development. We have spent considerable time on the
upcoming 1.1 beta release fixing many outstanding issues on the Linux
platform.

Performance and stability have been our focus for 1.1 for Linux and
Windows. Scrivener will now start-up at least twice as fast as before and
feel much snappier in general.

We have fully automated the build and packaging for Linux. We have found a
solution for implementing a pdf reader (a key missing feature for Linux);
although this will not make the 1.1 release - but it will come. We have
added Markdown and MultimMrkdown compile support allowing plain text
exports to: xhtml, opml, odf and Latex tex format. We have also
implemented MathML support, as the Windows MathType is not supported on
Linux. There's a stack of bug fixes and a few new features.

Linux 1.1 will be released a week before the end of March, so folks will
have a full week before expiry. The new beta will run until end of June
2012 i.e. another 3 months.

There is no way, we are dropping the Linux platform for Scrivener - it
will only get better and there stills so much more to come on the desktop
and mobile arenas."

[Copper Bezel]

I'm running into a problem with Tomboy notes not synchronizing with ubuntuOne. Otherwise, Tomboy Notes would allow hyperlinks between notes. For example, I had tried setting a note: Long Synopsis, then another Short Synopsis, then other's for Scenes. Another for Characters. Another container of notes held research materials. All is linkable between the two. There is spell checking, Fonts, hyperlinks. Simple, Quick, Easy..but unfortunately the synchronization I had used between computers is hit or miss.
You could use Dropbox and trick it - move Tomboy's folder in .local into your Dropbox, then replace it on each machine with a symlink to that new location. I'm really loving Tomboy - I hadn't made much use of it until recently, but I can't imagine managing any large-scale project without it now.

[markMDW]

thanks Copper Bezel; Tomboy notes is great. I'm going to setup a dropbox account like you suggest and use that as a backup method to keep my project in the cloud-space. My synchronization is working now, apparently no fault of Tomboy Notes. Now I've amassed such a large collection of notes that I wish that it would allow an additional hierarchical level for organization of the various notebooks. We can create individual 'notes' and place them into their containers, 'notebooks'. I've got 'notebooks' for one project, and then notebooks for other projects, and so now I'd like a 'project' or 'drawer' or 'box' or 'cabinet' or whatever to organize those into further.


Terreville's 'Plume Creator' looks like a full featured package and very well designed. I haven't installed it yet to test-drive. Scrivener is another piece I'd like to test-drive, as well as a couple of others.

In the mean time I think my development going to take place in SnowflakePro and Tomboy Notes. Then, after its ALL FIXED UP, I'll try to throw it into LibreOffice to format and export. Thanks for the awesome comments and suggestions to this thread from everyone.

[moodle]

An alternative to TomBoy is nvPY, note taking software that syncs with SimpleNote (so you can read and edit notes on your smartphone).

Another brilliant choice, not yet mentioned, is Tree Sheets. It's like a cross between a wordprocessor, a spreadsheet and a mindmap. Take a look. I think the person asking about Snowflake Pro will love it.

You can download nvPY here: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/nvpy

Tree Sheets is free in the Ubuntu Software Center.



- Plume Creator : http://sourceforge.net/projects/plume-creator/ I'm biased since I'm its developer. ;)It's FocusWriter and NoteCase all in one.
It answers to my specific needs :
- run on Linux (+Windows and Mac)
- manage multiple projects
- manage characters, items and places
- have an outliner
- write fullscreen
- manage notes

I have stopped using Libreoffice three months ago.

Wow Plume Creator is awesome! Thank you so much. It's very like Scrivener. Are you continuing to develop it? Would you like any help with the English translations?

[Tombgeek]

I write short stories and novels in my spare time and I have to honestly say the best writing software I've used is a simple text editor. In Windows 7 I use a full-screen text editor called JDarkRoom and once I finish I copy-paste the text onto MS Word/LO Writer and then begin organizing the novel with that.
For notes I usually write them down on a piece of paper or make a text file and then I use XMind to plan the novel.

I've tried Scrivener demo for Windows and yWriter and I have to admit I'm far more distracted trying to organize everything and I never get to actually writing.

But hey, whatever works for the individual.

[moodle]

In Windows 7 I use a full-screen text editor called JDarkRoom.

Pyroom is the same thing for Linux. It's in the Ubuntu Software Centre.

[neu5eeCh]

This is incorrect. Please see the quote below from the Scrivener developers:

"Linux is a high priority for me, it's not going anywhere, it's my
preferred platform for development. We have spent considerable time on the
upcoming 1.1 beta release fixing many outstanding issues on the Linux
platform.

Performance and stability have been our focus for 1.1 for Linux and
Windows. Scrivener will now start-up at least twice as fast as before and
feel much snappier in general.

We have fully automated the build and packaging for Linux. We have found a
solution for implementing a pdf reader (a key missing feature for Linux);
although this will not make the 1.1 release - but it will come. We have
added Markdown and MultimMrkdown compile support allowing plain text
exports to: xhtml, opml, odf and Latex tex format. We have also
implemented MathML support, as the Windows MathType is not supported on
Linux. There's a stack of bug fixes and a few new features.

Linux 1.1 will be released a week before the end of March, so folks will
have a full week before expiry. The new beta will run until end of June
2012 i.e. another 3 months.

There is no way, we are dropping the Linux platform for Scrivener - it
will only get better and there stills so much more to come on the desktop
and mobile arenas."

Yadda, yadda, yadda... Tell it to the hand. I have to say, this group of developers, this business or organization (whatever you want to call it) really ticked me off in a way that software hasn't ticked me off in years.

They (he or she) offer timed trials for linux users. Then, when the trial is up, their next version may or may not be ready but, hey, too bad for you; and, by the way, you won't be able to access your work unless you start twiddling with the time and date setting on your computer which, by the way, could really foul things up. But hey, that's not their problem. And what, exactly, are all these linux alpha-testers getting in return? - a product that may or may not be available or usable?

Right. And then they come up with some finger-in-the-nose rationale. Oh yes, we want to force you to use the next development release so it will be tested. Right, and how long is that going to go on, and how long do we have to wait for their royal PITA's to get the next functioning version up and running?

And, by the way, where is that version for linux? They've been dangling that carrot for how long now? Unless something has changed, my advice for linux users is to stay far, far away from these crack-pot developers. You might actually get some writing done. And you might not be locked out of your own novel. But if you want to play Russian roulette with these folks, go ahead.

End. Rant.

[Warpnow]

Jdarkroom is java so can run on ubuntu as well.

Also wordgrinder is a good command line equivalent. Just fullscreen the terminal.

I write all my first drafts in wordgrinder/pyroom/jdarkroom, then do my structuring in Kabikaboo.

[Lucradia]

Microsoft writes code for Linux too. Not a shocker that Novell was doing it in 2008...

Speaking of Novell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cldeHjFig_c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eTguZ5OzJ4&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-329Czokjk&feature=relmfu

[tushantin]

Hah, Plume Creator! Good thing I bumped into this thread, or I'd have never found this tool! I'll try it tomorrow for sure.

As for writing, I actually use a netbook (Xubuntu) with FocusWriter, LibreOffice, Celtx (which I'm trying to move away from) and Zim Desktop Wiki.

However, more and more I find myself moving towards RedNoteBook, which is admittedly a personal journal app, but still works excellently for creative writing (it can separate posts into categories! All my notes and chapters in one place, huzzah!)

[Terreville]

Hi everyone,

I'd like to add a few more programs I have tested on Linux

Celtx : Linux/Windows/ maybe OSX (can't remember) It's nice to see they recently added a "novel" type of project next to movie synopsies and others. Yet, trying it, I can't stop feeling this program was designed by and for movie / theater writers. Too formatting for my taste, there is no fullscreen mode (ah yes, there is : an add'on is available... for a fee).

StoryView : an old Windows program which can run whitout glitch using Wine. It's in a package named Writing Tools 5 a friend gave me. I don't think it's free. It's a one-of-a-kind outliner. You can write in a hierachical manner, like every ouliner out there. It's particularity ? See the screenshot. It's fun to have an overview of all your novel on a timeline (or in page number) !

Histoire d'écrire : Ok, first it's french (no translation available). Run with Wine. There are guidelines to help beginners. A basic WordPad. One fun element : a game to stimulate imagination, random words calling others random words. Simple yet effective.

Libreoffice / OpenOffice templates : A powerfull tool. You can keep it simple... or you can use styles. I give you two templates in attachment. One is complex and was retrieved here https://sites.google.com/site/ooowriters/Home. The other is mine . Use a grey background and enjoy ! :)

Antidote HD : for french people. Run natively on Windows, Linux, Mac. A complete french dictionnary and very smart grammatical checker. Word, OpenOffice (and others) add-ons. No english equivalent (for Linux users).

Wordgrinder : http://wordgrinder.sourceforge.net/ . Free. If Vim and Nano are for devellopers, Wordgrinder is for writers. It's no Libreoffice, but you write in a distraction-free environment. (Basic) Rich Text support, autosave, HTML export... I like it a lot. We can zoom-in zoom-out in a terminal.

TextRoom : http://sourceforge.net/projects/textroom/?source=recommended. Free. Alternative to focusWriter. Rich text support. Fullscreen. Usefull features : Target word count and deadline.

Regards,
Terreville

[Kellemora]

FWIW Writers:

If you are on a heavy production schedule, you really can't beat Kabikaboo.

Easy to use, easy and quick to maintain.
A great organizer. If you keep your scenes titled, easy as pie to move them up or down the tree.

When you are ready to do your editing, export the selected folders and let it put them together for you, then plop them into your favorite word processing program.

I have one file holding the entire backstory and outlines for a nine book series, on one screen, then use a separate file on another screen for each of the works in progress. However, they all could be maintained in the same folder, it's just easier and faster not having to bounce around while working.

I've messed with Storybook and others that are great for maintaining data, but horrible for trying to use to write from. They have their good points, if you have forever and a day to mess around with all those tags. And trying to remember just what tags you need to add to each little darn thing you do. It is really a major time waster.

You can basically do the same thing using Kabikaboo's tree, and be done with it instantly. At a glance for all of your characters, character sketches, etc. Plus you can keep your notes there too!

It is really easy to use, once you figure out a tree layout for your projects.

TTUL
Gary

[markMDW]

The souped up note taking applications so far seem to be the best approach to writing anything of length that needs complex organization like an outline. The four to check out are Tomboy Notes, Zim, Kabikaboo and Gjots2. The problem with complex programs like LibreOffice is that although superb at formatting and elegance of print, they are unfortunately pitiful for outlining and organization, which is essential to developing a full length book as opposed to a short story, essay or document. Also, for the Book Writing Applications, they seem to be either be too complex to grasp or so vast in detail that the organization of the book is lost within the system itself, and frequently the data is proprietary format with each little detail hidden away its in very own special cell, out of sight, out mind, and therefore out of your book too.

I'm using Tomboy Notes which is excellent for development and outlining. It's carried me a long way. But the "Tree" of organization is limited to folder and subfolders no more than two levels deep.

I checked out Kellemora's suggestion for Kabikaboo and also found Gjots2. Both look very promising. Simple, and a Tree structure that appears limitless. The Tree with a left pane creates a Table of Contents like affect. Very Productive. They are both very similar in that respect, like Zim, but simplified and streamlined. After checking these out briefly I'd be more inclined to use Kabikaboo because of available plugins like spellcheck. OTOH Gjots2 has Font adjustment and also a Sort Function (as if this the document were a spreadsheet -- that caused a crash!). But Id rather have the spell check option from Kabikaboo. Also it has word count, a big plus for quota work and goals.

There are a couple of confusing features that I found though--Split Node and Unify Children. I got the program to crash trying to find out what it did. It doesn't appear to do anything useful so they should take it out and improve stability, IMO. I would have considered this an A+

Zim Wiki is very promising too. But, it has some odd features as well, and I was able to cause a crash with it trying to figure them out.

Tomboy Notes. I've been using and developing with it. It's Rock Solid stable and able to synchronize with Ubuntu One. My one complaint is that you can't get the Table of Contents like Pane. You have a list of notes with a Tree that can be two levels deep. No sorthing up or date, just by date or alphabet. But I'd rather work around that than crashes.

If I was starting from scratch I'd probably pick Kabikaboo as long as it remained stable. Other than that it appears to be the dream application for sketching, outlining all the way up to the final draft at which time you'd copy into Libre Office for formatting and paging and artwork before publication.

Like Kellemora I've also been planning a series of novels

[Buntu Bunny]

Very interesting discussion. I'm a writer too, but of nonfictional pieces. I just use OpenOffice, now LibreOffice with the upgrade to Precise, but it never occurred to me to use Tomboy. Brilliant! I will be looking into all ya'lls suggestions however. Thanks for sharing.

[henriquemaia]

Plume creator is on the right track. From all I tested, it's the one that got me more excited.

I hope the creator keeps developing it, because the work so far is great.

[Jedcurtis]

As to the last post, I'd been using Plume Creator myself. However, since the update to kernel 3.2.0-31 I've been unable to get it to run as well as having lost all data I'd worked on to date. Very upsetting. If anyone has an idea of how I can get it to run again I'd sure appreciate the info. In my years of writing it was a great program. Any advice/help appreciated!

Thanks,
Jed

[markMDW]

Jed, sorry to hear you can't run Plume Creator. Besides the Kernel version you've posted, what version of PC were you using? I just downloaded it, and its up to version 0.54 for the Debian package now, which they say is Alpha. (That had jumped from 0.47 in May when I had downloaded it last, and got it to run)

Have you tried saving your data file and removing the prior installation and then installing the latest?

I just installed it and can't get it to run. I'm double clicking the Plum Creator.desktop file that it installs under usr/share/applications I don't think it has anything to do with the Kernel

I'm going to stick to a program with a lot of users and installable from the Ubuntu Software Center.. or perhaps one that saves in a standard format that other applications can open. And make lots of backups

[idiotprogrammer]

I am an author who is currently working on more than one book.

I want to mention a piece of software which is pricey, but it definitely works well on Linux (and as online application).

Personal Brain 7
http://www.thebrain.com/products/thebrain/download/
http://www.thebrain.com/store/

It's a mind-mapping/outlining tool which is good for note-taking and organizing. I now rely on it pretty heavily.

It's $300. They have a web version which is optional, but nice to have. They are trying to turn it into a web subscription, but the 7 client is awesome for what it does.

There are backup issues to deal with (basically brain create some system files, but if you have the web version, you always have a version you can download from the web.

It's full featured, and pretty powerful and mind-altering, plus there's a free version. Full version for 30 days.

I realize it's not what you wanted, but this is a good "thinking/brainstorming" tool for writers.

[markMDW]

That is pricey, and it renews for another $159 per year after that, including 20GB of online storage and synchronization across multiple computers! It seems like a complete system, not necessarily novel writing software. I'd imagine that would come with tech support to get everything configured properly. Thanks for mentioning it.

Anyone else writing a book--if so, what do you suggest?

[MadmanRB]

Libreoffice :D

Seriously, that and audacity for audio notes.

[Terreville]

Quick answer to JedCurtis and MarkMDW :

This problem comes from running Plume for 32 bit system in a 64 bit system. If you are running Ubuntu or the like, please install the package ia32-libs.
Or better, download the 64 bit version of Plume here (http://sourceforge.net/projects/plume-creator/files/0.5/).

Regards,
Terreville

[markMDW]

after my drafts are finalized I'm planning on putting that in LibreOffice for proper formatting. I'm actually trying to figure out how to set it up using a table of contents feature. That shouldn't be too difficult. I was hoping it has some soft of hyperlink function so that I can just clicking around on chapters in the table, then it takes each place without scrolling through everything.

I'm planning on checking out Plum Creator again. And, I was thinking there is supposed to be an updated version of SnowFlake Pro ($50) which is a nifty and stable novel outlining and development program that I've used with success. It one of the very few pieces of software that I've purchased.

[Terreville]

markMDW,

Yes, there is a hyperlink feature for the table of content in Libreoffice. If you want a sample for that, I gave my personal template for novels in a previous post.
If you want to go a step further, you can use a Master document. Each chapter is a .odt and all of them are displayed in one master document.
And don't forget to use styles in LibreOffice as it's one of its great strenghts.

I'll see what Snowflake Pro is like. I am currently using StoryView 2, XMind and Plume (obviously).

Regards,
Terreville

[Peter Maunder]

If you are using LibreOffice for writing a book, you may find the new book published by Jean Hollis Weber called "Self-Publishing using LibreOffice Writer:
How to use free software to write, design, and create PDFs for print-on-demand books" http://www.taming-libreoffice.com/my-books/

The book is available as a $5.00 PDF download (no copy restriction) or from Lulu in paper form.Jean is a major cog in the production of LibreOffice / OpenOffice Manuals so has a great deal of experience in the subject.

[markMDW]

I'm skimming over it now. It's very Nice and professional looking with an excellent hyperlinked table of contents and index, and 160 pages of how-to details, perfect for formatting your book just right, and much needed for anyone that hasn't mastered the LibreOffice tasks necessary to get into publishable form. I think I'll be sending in my $5 and reading it.

[KBD47]

For extensive world-building, note-taking, Celtx is quite good, I have used it under Wine without issues. My routine of late has been to write in LibreOffice with a second document opened as I write to keep notes and info on characters. Second draft I go over on a tablet using Kingsoft Office, on Android it's the only app I've found that will keep my place. Sometimes I use a wireless keyboard with built-in touch pad with the tablet during editing. Go over the third draft in LibreOffice again. Thinking about trying out the text-to-speech function on my tablet using QuickOffice to listen through the later drafts.

[markMDW]

Quick answer to JedCurtis and MarkMDW :

This problem comes from running Plume for 32 bit system in a 64 bit system. If you are running Ubuntu or the like, please install the package ia32-libs.
Or better, download the 64 bit version of Plume here (http://sourceforge.net/projects/plume-creator/files/0.5/).

Regards,
Terreville

Terreville, I've got Plume Creator running--it's development looks superb. I'm amazed at all the features. The number one feature I like are the hierarchies tracking chapter and scenes. Also, the word count and time management tool, the ability to change fonts and zoom in and out, and the full screen mode, and the project wizard. The outliner, character and places tracker could be very useful.

My number one request would be a spell checker with word recommendations. That's a feature I'm particularly looking for. I'd rather have it than anything else. Also, like a lot of the other programs, there are various files to back up, thankfully they are all under one project folder. I'm wondering if its feasible to store everything in a single project.sqlite file.

http://s34.beta.photobucket.com/user/mwiygul/media/ScreenshotfromPlumCreatorProjectsManager.png.html
http://s34.beta.photobucket.com/user/mwiygul/media/ScreenshotfromPlumeCreatorExport.png.html
http://s34.beta.photobucket.com/user/mwiygul/media/ScreenshotfromPlumCreatorMain.png.html
http://s34.beta.photobucket.com/user/mwiygul/media/ScreenshotfromPlumCreatorAttendanceManager.png.htm l
http://s34.beta.photobucket.com/user/mwiygul/media/ScreenshotfromPlumCreatorOutliner.png.html

Terreville, Thanks, Got the odt template loaded.. I attempted to post some pictures of Plume Creator, but the photobucket html links didn't stick. I'm not sure how to add them since the Add Photo button in this forum didn't work.

Some notes on ZIM WIKI after another test run: It's great for keeping a hierarchical structure and order to a writing project, just like Kabikaboo, but the program isn't out of beta yet.. and its not perfectly stable either, I'm finding out. I uninstalled it, reinstalled it, then over and over again. It kept creating new documents in a TestFolder that I had created months ago... couldn't change that. I deleted every ZIM WIKI file I could find too. Still, reinstalling it didn't erase a prior test configuration. Who knows where the setting is. Uninstall doesn't touch it. And, there is HOME document that keeps popping up in my writing project. I delete it, then it pops back. And, i crashed the program several times. My guess is that the indexing is not quit stable.

I'm definitely back to Tomboy Notes, Calc Spreadsheets and perhaps Libre Office and/or Gummi or LyX at the very end.

There is another hierarchical note taking system I found called CherryTree. It looks awesome, can be downloaded from the Software Center, and has a smooth interface. The developer says that it will eventually store projects in a sqlite database. It will feature export to html, txt, PDF and odt I believe. But, for the time being its in an xml document. And, a bigee for me, there is NO SPELL CHECKER. So I will just keep an I out for its development
http://s34.beta.photobucket.com/user/mwiygul/media/ScreenshotfromPlumCreatorMain.png.html

[monkeybrain2012]

Did Tolstoy use a software? :)

[markMDW]

:-) No, but I'm not Tolstoyan. :popcorn:

Actually, I think Tomboy Notes and a Spreadsheet are good enough for creating a masterpiece, and Tolstoy would have generated twice as many with them. But I agree, you are correct!

[iamkuriouspurpleoranj]

Did Tolstoy use a software? :)

Hear, hear.

And yes, I write. I've written a first draft of 100,000 words or so (tools used: Word, OneNote).

I am using CherryTree, Zim and Calc for draft two. I have yet to start draft two #-o

[Terreville]

markMDW :

My number one request would be a spell checker with word recommendations. That's a feature I'm particularly looking for. I'd rather have it than anything else. Also, like a lot of the other programs, there are various files to back up, thankfully they are all under one project folder. I'm wondering if its feasible to store everything in a single project.sqlite file.

I'm beginning to work on a spell checker. I hope to use the LibreOffice dictionary.

Surely when the 1.0 milestone is reached, I'll use a single project file. Yet, I'm not familiar with databases. Can it include files without size restriction ?

Regards,
Terreville

[markMDW]

I don't think there are significant limits on sqlite file or table sizes, but it still could be more of a hassle than its worth to code. I only mention it because it's a little more convenient to work with a single file than a single directory--maybe it would be worthwhile, or maybe not, but it does see widespread use in databases as their "single file solution" option. The CherryTree Notes software project is looking into sqlite as a potential replacement for its directory projects, but I read that it might prove a little tricky to work with. They are also working on a spell-checker as their very next item. http://www.giuspen.com/cherrytree/
http://www.sqlite.org/

You're working on spell-check... YAHHHHH!!!! :popcorn:

quote: "


Replacement for ad hoc disk files
Many programs use fopen() (http://man.he.net/man3/fopen), fread() (http://man.he.net/man3/fread), and fwrite() (http://man.he.net/man3/fwrite) to create and manage files of data in home-grown formats. SQLite works particularly well as a replacement for these ad hoc data files."


Calligra Author, a new application in the Calligra Suite, has been out for a year now. I've just learned of it.



http://www.calligra.org/news/calligra-announces-author/
The application will support a writer in the process of creating an eBook from concept to publication. We have two user categories in particular in mind:

Novelists who produce long texts with complicated plots involving many characters and scenes but with limited formatting.
Textbook authors who want to take advantage of the added possibilities in eBooks compared to paper-based textbooks.

For the first category Calligra Author will provide tools which are used in different phases of the creative process: Synopsis, writing, reviewing, polishing and publishing.



From the sound of it, it seems like the biggest leap forward in book length writting for the Linux world at large. Has anyone used this yet?

Here's another update on Calligra Author. I believe the Developers are asking for feature recommendations for the next version in the works now. This is the time to voice your opinions to them :popcorn:


http://ingwa2.blogspot.com/2013/08/calligra-author-next-step.html
In the announcement I wrote: "We will make sure that Calligra Author will be a useful tool for all phases of the writing process". We analyzed the writing process together with some writer friends and came up with 4 phases of the process: planning, writing, review and publishing.
...


Planning: -
Writing: word count in the status bar and distraction free writing mode (http://ingwa2.blogspot.se/2013/05/calligra-author-gets-distraction-free.html)
Review: Notes, also known as annotations and export to MS DOCX format
Publishing: export to EPUB2 and MOBI formats.

[dragonfly41]

I came across this thread when searching for Zim (desktop wiki) for organising development notes.
I'm experiencing problems in simple Zim search (on Ubuntu 12.04).
I think I'll switch away from trying Zim since it seems difficult to arrange hierarchical file structures to be searched by different attributes.

I'll add to this novel writing thread one further package which has briefly been mentioned in post #41 - scrivener (but that post referred to Scrivener/Windows).

There is a Linux beta version of Scrivener worth trying by writers.

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33
(http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33)
I have Scrivener running nicely on Ubuntu 12.04.

Scribus has also been mentioned.

[markMDW]

There isn't anything better than Tomboy Notes for searching through dozens of notes within all notebooks, that I've been able to find. But there is no hierarchical file structure at all, besides individual notebooks, which could easily be assigned, say Front_Matter, Introduction, Chapter_1, Chapter_2, Chapter_3, Back_Matter, Characters, Places, Events etc.

Zim (Desktop Wiki) isn't good for searching your material, but it is good as an outliner and hyperlinks within the project, and outside the project to spreadsheets, for instance for Characters, Places, Events and Outlines. I've been far more creative writing and searching in Tomboy Notes, than composing or brainstorming manuscript in Zim.

Thankfully for me, both Tomboy and Zim have good spell checker and correctors.

I've been planning on using Zim as the intermediate stage of my Books. It does a great job of importing Tomboy Notes, then of course you have to arrange everything in the proper organization of the book.

For the final part, self publishing, I plan on using LaTeX (print medium) and possible Calligra Author (for ebook). Author probably has another year to go before its stabilized, according to what I've read, maybe in the 2014 release, but it's made huge progress in 2013.

Scribus is an interesting, possibly great alternative to LaTeX for self publishing the print medium. [For submitting to an Agent or Publishing House, that would require a standardized book submittal format, using LibreOffice, Calligra Suite (next year), or MS Word.

Here's a great link about LyX that I'd like to share, for those interested in using LaTeX text markup system to typeset their book for self-publication)



LyX would be useful after the first draft has been compiled and you wish to put into a proper publishable book, much like Scribus, the goal with both are something in publishable format. The article discribes a one paragraph synopsis of the process of creating a book with LyX, a higher level typsetting application that works with the TeX markup language and LaTeX package system for fomatting text to particular templates publication format, for instance a Novel :-) Kile and TexMaker would be good alternet choices to LyX for typsetting a book using the LaTeX system. For organizing notes, outlining and distraction free writing, you'd almost certainly want to compile the book using an outliner or text editor first.

http://www.linuxuser.co.uk/tutorials/publish-a-book-with-lyx
Publish a book with LyX
Sep 28, 2012
[contents]
Step 1 Install LyX
Step 2 Choose document class
Step 3 Adhere to the document structure Document structure
Step 4 Use the section browser
Step 5 Add index marks
Step 6 Add citations
Step 7 Insert ERT (Evil Red Text)
Step 8 Set up converters
Step 9 Set up image converters
Step 10 Add images
Step 11 Chapter precis
Step 12 Add equations
Step 13 Add labels
Step 14 Front matter
Step 15 Layout and format
Step 16 Designing the cover
Step 17 Add an ISBN
Step 18 Order proof copies
Step 19 Investigate alternative output formats
Step 20 Select a printing service

[Buntu Bunny]

There isn't anything better than Tomboy Notes for searching through dozens of notes within all notebooks, that I've been able to find. .... <snip> ....Zim (Desktop Wiki) isn't good for searching your material, but it is good as an outliner and hyperlinks within the project,....<snip> ....Thankfully for me, both Tomboy and Zim have good spell checker and correctors.

markMDW, thanks for the comparison. I've been using Xfce's Notes plugin, but would like to try Tomboy or Zim for a future project.


Scribus is an interesting, possibly great alternative to LaTeX for self publishing the print medium. [For submitting to an Agent or Publishing House, that would require a standardized book submittal format, using LibreOffice, Calligra Suite (next year), or MS Word.

That will depend on printing company. Lightning Source and CreateSpace both prefer PDF/X-1a:2001, which neither LO nor MS can do (don't know about Calligra). Traditionally, only Adobe Acrobat Professional (version 6 or up) can do that. Neither can Scribus 1.4, although happily, 1.5 can.

[markMDW]

I've been using Xfce's Notes plugin, but would like to try Tomboy or Zim for a future project.

I've used Xfce's Notes as well, finding them handy when I first bootup, reminding me what to work on now that a new day has arrived. It's a nice feature that they pop up on the desktop, and easily collapse, infact, I just think of them as part of the Desktop. Both Zim and Tomboy do have many more functions, making them (together) feasible for conjuring up the story, outlining it, spell checking it, and arranging a draft print of the entire novel (without typesetting). Tomboy and Zim, along with Xfce Notes, Artha Thesaurus, and LibreOffice Spreadsheet links inside of ZIM, can serve as a Linux Destop writers production center. Then for submittal and or publication I suppose it would be off to using LaTeX / Scribus and or Callibre for eBook export and creation in ePub and Mobi formats (Nook, Kindle, dedicated eBook readers) ...I need to learn a little more about Scribus :-)

[Buntu Bunny]

I've used Xfce's Notes as well, finding them handy when I first bootup, reminding me what to work on now that a new day has arrived.

Ditto for me.


Both Zim and Tomboy do have many more functions, making them (together) feasible for conjuring up the story, outlining it, spell checking it, and arranging a draft print of the entire novel (without typesetting).

You've just convinced me to try these for sure. Scribus does not have a spellchecker, which isn't necessary for importing or copying text from elsewhere, but helpful for spontaneous changes!


....Then for submittal and or publication I suppose it would be off to using LaTeX / Scribus and or Callibre for eBook export and creation in ePub and Mobi formats (Nook, Kindle, dedicated eBook readers)

Ah, I see. You are focusing on eBook and Mobi(?) I'm trying to go the traditional print route, for nonfiction nonetheless.


...I need to learn a little more about Scribus :-)

AFAIK, it's the only DTP for Linux (free). I find 1.4 a little quirky, but since there's no other choices..... (!) At least there are a lot of how-tos and tutorials for it out there. 1.5 is developmental, but it will create those PDF/X-1a:2001s.

For myself, I probably should look into LaTex.

[markMDW]

You are focusing on eBook and Mobi(?)

Yes, but I also want to have a print version available for the novel as well. I'm discovering that LyX can output to PDF and HTML, and Calibre can easily convert HTML to Mobi and ePub. At any rate, the first draft should be written as plainly as possible.

I'm guessing that Scribus would probably be more useful to someone who needs a lot of variation in the layout of their book, and wants to customize it exactly to their concept, WYSIWYG.

LaTeX would offer just the opposite approach, offering templates and classes that takes all the text and puts it in the "proper spot". The user just needs to know how to apply the markup text, properly defining the types of text (for example, a Chapter Title).

LyX has an excellent Help section with a Introduction, Tutorial, User Guide and other documents that are useful to someone after they get a grasp of exactly what LaTeX is, and hows it's different that a regular word processor. Starting out is much more difficult since its nothing like Libre Office, or Word, even though at first glance it looks like it might be as easy. LaTeX has full control of everything though, from the spacing between words, to paragraphs to the Table of Contents etc. And so I trying to type, and add several lines between their scene or chapter, since that's the way every other text editor and word processor works, would easily give up in frustration... unless they realize that this is a totally different concept in writing.

Is your project going to be creative nonfiction or something like a manual or textbook perhaps, with lots of different layouts?

[Buntu Bunny]

I'm guessing that Scribus would probably be more useful to someone who needs a lot of variation in the layout of their book, and wants to customize it exactly to their concept, WYSIWYG.

Yes, Scribus is a desktop publisher, so its best use is after the writing is done. Text is imported for layout and design. I have found it to be quirky, with a steep learning curve. It's weakness so far is tables, so tables of content aren't that easy to do. There is a fairly good online manual, plus quite a few online tutorials, also a good user forum.


LaTeX would offer just the opposite approach, offering templates and classes that takes all the text and puts it in the "proper spot". The user just needs to know how to apply the markup text, properly defining the types of text (for example, a Chapter Title).

LyX has an excellent Help section with a Introduction, Tutorial, User Guide and other documents that are useful to someone after they get a grasp of exactly what LaTeX is, and hows it's different that a regular word processor. Starting out is much more difficult since its nothing like Libre Office, or Word, even though at first glance it looks like it might be as easy. LaTeX has full control of everything though, from the spacing between words, to paragraphs to the Table of Contents etc. And so I trying to type, and add several lines between their scene or chapter, since that's the way every other text editor and word processor works, would easily give up in frustration... unless they realize that this is a totally different concept in writing.

Very interesting, thanks for the details, markMDW. Sounds like the learning curve would be worth it.


Is your project going to be creative nonfiction or something like a manual or textbook perhaps, with lots of different layouts?

I'd say creative nonfiction but geared toward a niche audience. Lots of photographs and drawings, however, which is ultimately why I decided to go with print.

I've definitely appreciated this thread. I've learned quite a bit about the Linux resources available to writers.

[markMDW]

Even for an all TEXT book, Scribus or another graphics program looks like the better approach to designing the front and back covers, that is if the writer wants anything other than TEXT, LINES or staple patterns that LaTeX could generate. Then the generated image could actually be used within LaTeX. A Table of Contents in LaTeX is the simple matter of placing the Table of Contents command within the book, where you want it to appear, and it parses out all the chapters, sections, subsections etc., and does that automatically, without the user having to format it at all... it puts everything EXACTLY where its supposed to go and doesn't let the writer mess it up :)

Your posts helped to revive this thread. When I started reading it, I subscribed to it, and since then have been posting updates. Thanks for sharing your book and project idea. Keep us updated on how well your software is working with it
:popcorn:

[markMDW]

Unfortunately I have noticed any development in Calligra Author over the last couple of years.

FocusWriter is definitly the best for writing your book.

[hfinger]

Have you looked at yWriter5 or Scrivener? There is a Linux installer to run it under Wine.

[markMDW]

I've looked at yWriter5 and Scrivener, both impressive pieces of software. It looks like Calligra hasn't done much with Author in the last couple of years, that I can tell.

[alj-3]

Scrivener is the best, unfortunately its OSX only.

Not so. There's been a linux version out for years, that gets updated regularly, and is often packaged as a .deb for easier installation.

[dragonfly41]

+1 Scrivener for Linux ... http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33&sid=e1fd60ed5b45e932698f111f0f0fd532

[olivier-keshavjee]

There's a new kid on the block. Still very young but in active development: manuskript (http://www.theologeek.ch/manuskript).

[KBD47]

That looks promising. Thanks for posting it.

[RichardET]

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was complaining several months ago because I couldn't find writing software for linux, and now I found one!!!

It's still in development and several features need to be added still, but it's only a matter of time. I love the layout, I love the way it's set up, sort of like WriteWayPro and yWriter combined.

Here's the link to the homepage:

<snip>

It's called Writer's World Maker.

I uploaded a screenshot too.

The link seems like its a scam. The domain is for sale.