Non fiction wise, I'm researching my next book, on the Minnesota Dakota Uprising of the 1860's and it's here the Alphie comes into it's own. It's just that as soon as I look at the plethora of videos and help files sitting there for me to wade through, my eyes glaze over and I wander out into the rain.Įdit: Josh after reading your post, I did a bit of digging in the Kindle store and found a short book by David Hewson that shows fiction authors how to use Scrivener 'stripped down and dirty' to avoid wandering around inside the software trying different things, so that will be my first port of call today. I think I'll probably stick with Scrivener for now and spend a day or two playing with it. Gone now are the notebooks and fountain pens for research and notetaking, now it's simply on button, F1, catch thought or idea, off button, job done. No weight, I can see the screen in daylight - Real writing freedom. Walk out into the garden, sit at a table. I used to use my powerbook down there (I have the 'corned beef' thighs from the constantly charging battery to prove it) but the Dana is a revelation. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly Josh, and I appreciate your advice, I'm lucky insomuch as I have a dedicated writing place at the bottom of my garden, I have 8 hours a day to throw at anything new, and the Alphie is perfect for me. However you use your Alphie, I'm sure it will serve you well :) I'm still patiently waiting on the latest :) Hook might have some good tips on writing with an Alphie. I think I get distracted too easily to stick with it. It has a lot of useful information, but I prefer to wing it a bit more. I have a copy of the Marshall Plan as well. I usually make a draft folder that I use to store my writing from the NEO. It gives me so many ways to organize and arrange my work. I also use Scrivener and find it absolutely fantastic for writing fiction. I get a few odd looks, but that might just be me and not the NEO :) It gives me at least a good thirty minutes to write. I even take it with me when I take the cars in for an oil change and tire rotation. I tend to use my laptop to write when I'm at home, but I often take the NEO with me when I'm on the go. Then next day, back out to my writing room, rinse and repeat.ĭoes anyone have a better way of using an Alphie in a fiction workflow? I've come from a completely non fiction background and now I've used it I realise how perfect the Dana/Neo can be for researching and first drafts of anything from user manuals to histories - it could have saved me so much work!Īfter 20 years of non fiction, I've changed horses and I'm on the steep learning curve of plots and characters, ready to start on my first novel.Ĭould I ask how you use your Alpha to prepare your novel or story? I have Scrivener and the Marshall plan software, and plan to outline my novel, build scenes, chapters and characters in one of them, print them off and then run away to my writing shed with just the Dana and my imagination, returning at the end of the working day to pour my work into the novel's shell. Hi everyone - I've now had a week with my 'new to me but old to the world' Dana and I'm absolutely smitten.
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