Novel Writing Software for Linux - FOUND!

[keithpeter]

...there's an emerging free software solution with LyX-outline (this makes more sense if you read the blog). It's is an extension to the LyX 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....owlingpage.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/scre...44&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