Always Do a Test Run of This Quirky New Writing App
So you have a new writing app that you really want to try, huh? Well, before you sit down to this big writing project, consider testing this app so you can learn all the ins and outs first.
This feeling comes with a fancy new writing program or productivity software in general. It’s a sense of potential, of strength, as if you’ve suddenly discovered a secret that will help you finish a novel, script, or school newspaper that decides whether you pass or fail. Unfortunately, this feeling quickly disappears when you realize you don’t know how to use it. If there is anything that could freeze your thread to a self-manifest writing block state, it is the learning curve of the application.
This happened to me during last year’s NaNoWriMo , or National Novel Writing Month. In the end I decided to try Scrivener and thought my novel was the perfect maiden voyage on the ship preferred by many writers. I was wrong. I didn’t really know how to use the app to its fullest, and even a few minutes to find something was enough to disrupt my flow – which is very important when you are trying to type at least 1600 words a day. I quickly abandoned the app and used my regular old text editor for the rest of the month. Well…
Look, it’s great that you’ve found an app that helps you write better, but experiment with it before trying something big. You will avoid disruption to your workflow and find out if you really like the program the way you think. This is a simple and straightforward test drive. If fiction is your game, write a couple of short stories. If you’re trying to write a script, start short so you get used to all the hotkeys. These applications are tools, and the tool can only be useful if you know how to use it correctly.