While it would be possible to be writing with nothing more than a pad of paper and a pen or sharp pencil, or an old typewriter. (I actually have several of those and I think they all work, if you can get ribbons for them. My first was a Royal manual typewriter that I got for my fifteenth birthday. I think my mother got it at a garage sale, and it looks like, sounds like, and is about the same size as the front end of an Edsel.) There is no question that many literary masterpieces were created that way, but that’s not the way I do it. I dare say that not many writers do it that way these days. 99.9% plus of all writers are doing so using some sort of word processing software.
There are some specialized products such as Scriveners, as well as specialized products if you’re writing a screenplay or technical documents. In watching and listening to other writers for a while now, it seems that about half swear by Scriveners and half swear at it. I’ll wait for the moment, since good old Microsoft Word seems to work for what I need it to.
When I’m writing, I like to have an idea of the location and other facts about the scene I’m describing. Since I have used a dual monitor setup on my computer for years, and currently have two computers sitting on my desk (for reasons that involve computer repair, not writing), I actually have three monitors.
On the left monitor I keep various reference files regarding what I’m writing about. In this case, last night, I was researching the area to the east of Farmington, New Mexico, and also any FAA airspace restrictions in the area.
In the center monitor is my main work space, seen here with Word on the left and the WordPress web page underneath it.
On the right monitor (the system under repair) I have other reference material (in this case, Google Earth), as well as my email and iTunes for some “keeping me going & keeping me sane” music.
Why write with a pencil and paper when you can write from the bridge of the Enterprise or a console at Mission Control?
I’ll repeat and agree with what everyone else says — the best system for you is the one that works for you. That may be a pencil and paper under a tree or on the couch. For me, it’s a lot of square inches of glowing LEDs. No doubt a lingering facet of some childhood quirk or a shiny thing I saw when I was six months old.
We Love The Stars Too Fondly 