I've just updated the software on my laptop, only to find a new, sparkly tool in Word- the Notebook View! It's way more helpful with my writing than I would have guess.
IF YOU'VE GOT IT:
(I use a Mac, so I might be a little behind on technological advances for Windows..)
Skip this part.
WHAT IT IS:
Er- a notebook! Just on your computer screen. It's got a really nifty pseudo-line-ruled background and everything (for those who are easily impressed).
You can make different sections, too, sort of like a multi-subject real notebook- and the handy thing is that you can access them from the same screen.
TWO HANDY WRITING USES:
I've been using it a lot for my new novel, Green, and found it's pretty cool..(/repetitiveness )
WRITING WITH MORE THAN ONE NARRATOR: Yes, I'm guilty of this. I read in an interview with Ann Brashares (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) that she wrote her different perspectives as four seperate stories. This seems like sort of a 'duh' thing to do, but when you're in a regular Word document- or writing on real notebook paper- it's hard to do that. For example, you've got to flip to a different page or open a different document (a big hassle on a slower computer) to merely check a place name or a line of dialogue. Annoying, yeah?
So! In the Notebook layout, you just click a button on the side of the screen to go to a different viewpoint, and write away...
PREWRITING: Basically the same as above, except you don't get little green lines for grammar by default, so you can take really sloppy incomplete notes and it won't care.
CRITIQUING: I use a different section for each novel I'm reviewing- FREAK, Bound For Glory, The Chair of Wind and Darkness, and Jack in the Box. Whew! ...but it's really sparkly and organized. I can easily take notes and do a rough draft of a critique right on screen, without having to sort through all of the other notes. (ESPECIALLY useful for multi-tasking. )
SO...
In conclusion? Much more easy- and fun- to use than a traditional Word document.
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