{Yes, yes, I’m very out of sync here – but Christmas is always coming so…}
Oooh, I can answer this, because I recently found the perfect gift for me. I added it to my wishlist, and… nobody bought it for me. Oh. Here it is:
Isn’t that… erm, really, really naff? But cute and fun. If you don’t mind the idea of Jane Austen wearing a shocking pink spencer, that is. And look, she has her own quill pen and a copy of Pride and Prejudice. So, so cute.
Serious answers? Do I have to? Oh, all right then. Scrivener, because it’s positively the best writing environment ever in the history of writing environments. There are plenty of word-processor wrappers which guide an author through the necessary steps to writing nirvana (or a completed manuscript, at least). Scrivener doesn’t do that, but what it does do is to allow the author to work in the way that suits her/him best. You want to start at the beginning, go on till you come to the end and then stop? You can do that. Want to plan every single chapter and scene? You can do that too. Want to include all your research notes, web pages and images? Work full screen? Move chunks around? Keep old versions? Yep, no problem. Want to compile direct to epub or Kindle format or pdf or double-spaced printed submission format? Absolutely. It’s a wonderful tool.
Footnote: Authors Answer is the brainchild of blogger Jay Dee Archer, of I Read Encyclopedias For Fun. You can read the answers to this question by his eclectic bunch of authors here. More recently, Erica Dakin, of the Theft And Sorcery blog, has been answering the questions independently. You can read her answer to this question here.
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