Time to Gear Up for NaNoWriMo 2011

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National Novel Writing Calendar month, or NaNoWriMo for all you crazy kids, starts today. Mike wrote yesterday most how to exist mentally ready for NaNoWriMo, giving yous the mindset to succeed. But what virtually the tools? Here is what gear you can apply to get your 50k words downwardly this Nov.

The Shortlist

Here are some of the dandy writing tools that I can't recommend plenty. These include tools for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Evernote

Evernote is the much-loved ubiquitous note taking, writing, and personal memory database tool that is used past millions on almost all platforms. Hell, they even accept a version for the dying WebOS.

Anyways, Evernote provides the user with reliable syncing and ways for you to save photos and even vocalization notes to go on you going when writing this month.

Simplenote

If y'all don't like the rich text-ness of Evernote, then Simplenote may be the tool for you to use this calendar month. Simplenote is a evidently text syncing service that can be used on the web, iOS, and Android. You can create any number of notes and tag them. Pretty elementary.

My only gripe is no "offline" access like you get with Evernote on the desktop.

Text files coupled with Dropbox

This has been my staple mode of doing things for the last year or then on my iOS devices, Mac, Windows, and even sometimes Android. Basically using a unproblematic text editor that allows access to a folder or set of folders in your Dropbox account.

So get yourself a Dropbox account (as if you don't already accept one) and effort out i of these swell plain text editing apps:

Mac: Notational Velocity, NValt, BBEdit, TextWrangler, WriteRoom, Coda, Byword, iA Writer, macvim, TextEdit

Windows: Notepad++, TextPad, East Text Editor, UltraEdit, Sublime Text 2, vim

iOS: Elements, Notesy, PlainText, Nebulous Notes

Android: Epistle, Simple Notepad

Scrivener

And of course we can't forget near using Scrivener, one of the all-time tools for planning, researching, and constructing long documents. Scrivener was kickoff available only for Mac, merely now you can become yourself a Windows copy (currently in beta). Scrivener is probably the tool that I volition be using starting my 50k word journeying tomorrow.

Nice thing about Scrivener is that if you download it tomorrow yous can become a 30 day trial which is just enough time to stop your work. As an added bonus, Literature and Latte (the company that makes Scrivener) volition offer all NaNoWriMo "Winners" a 50% discount after they complete their 50k words. Dainty touch.

Tactical Tools

Then, you got your favorite text editor now and our ready to type your manner to 50k. But, NaNoWrimo isn't all about just text editors and typing. Yous demand to have some strategies to complete your novel.

Timers

Sometimes one of the best ways to hunker down and go some writing done is promising yourself to write for a certain amount of time. You tin can employ some timers to go on track of your fourth dimension and also force yourself to write.

Probably ane of the best ones is the free Adobe Air app focus booster because of its ease of apply and simple interface. You tin even try out focus booster – live if yous don't want to download annihilation. It is more of a Pomodoro technique tool, simply you lot don't accept to buy into that thought to become some utility out of information technology.

Reminders and motivation

I am a huge fan of the site 750words.com and accept used information technology over the past few months for motivation in writing. If you are in the NaNoWriMo running yous volition take to write 1667 words per mean solar day to go to your 50k. Having a site like 750words send yous electronic mail nudges every bit well every bit a running word count at the bottom of your daily writing tin can definitely continue you motivated.

Also, if you lot are feeling like your plot is running out of steam or that there is no way in hell that you can make it, you can ever check out the NaNoWriMo forums for some inspiration. There is nothing meliorate than looking through the forums and reading what some of these intelligent writers do to stay motivated and on point. And, if you have whatsoever communication to give to struggling writers, this is a proficient place to do it.

So, good luck in your 50k word adventure this Nov. Think, in that location is no such thing equally author'due south cake. Keep your fingers moving and utilize some of the tips and tricks that nosotros have provided yous to brand your fashion through this year'south NaNoWriMo.

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Source: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/gear-for-nanwrimo-2011.html

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