Just stumbled upon this fairly comprehensive list at http://www.skwriter.com/professional-development/business-of-writing/writers-office

- Scrivener: Designed to make writing first drafts easier and to organize a project.
- WriteRoom: Provides a writer with a distraction free writing zone.
- Ulysses: A program for creative writers.
- CopyWrite: A project manager for writers.
- Jer’s Novel Writer: This software allows writers to work their way through the writing process, annotating their text using margin notes, and has a basic database for storing ideas, character information and research.
- StoryMill: Allows a writer to manage scenes, chapters, and characters while also annotating their text.
- PaperToolsPro: A tool that mostly focuses on writers for research papers, helping them to assemble a paper while keeping track of references and avoiding plagiarism
- Omni Outliner: A tool that helps facilitate the outlining, organizing and brainstorming aspects for a project.
- MacJournal: Blogging software.
- Mellel: Word processing software.
- Bean: Word processing software.
- Pagehand: Word processing software.
- Mariner Write: Word processing software.
- Final Draft: Word processing software.
- CelftX: Word processing software.
- Movie Magic Screenwriter: Word processing software.
- Movie Draft: Word processing software.
- Montage: Word processing software.
- Page Four: A tool for editing, organizing, word processing, and outlining.
- Rough Draft: Helps a writer create and edit rich text files in a tabbed interface.
- Write Way Pro: This software is designed as a professional writer’s tool. Having such applications as “scratch pad”, word processing and forms outlining characters.Outline 4D: An organizational tool for writers.
- Write Monkey: This software is focused on the development of text, rather than the editing process.
- Connected Text: Management system.
- iWrite Assistant: This program is directed to freelance writers and journalists, allowing them to track and organize their projects. This is a web-based program that can be accessed through any computer.

What, no WhizFolders? I suppose it depends on the definition of writing software, but certainly WhizFolders belongs in this group. I would also include Q10 right alongside WriteMonkey. I see word processors are included and I wonder what distinguishes them from those that are not listed?

Jon

Jon Polish wrote:

What, no WhizFolders? I suppose it depends on the definition of writing
software, but certainly WhizFolders belongs in this group. I would also
include Q10 right alongside WriteMonkey. I see word processors are
included and I wonder what distinguishes them from those that are not
listed?

Yes, maybe it's not that comprehensive after all. More of an arbitrary list of various writing-related software.

I would like to add these programs:

- WriteItNow, creative writing software from Ravenshead
- ZenWriter, from Beenokle; I am one with my writing...
- Storybook
- Liquid Story Binder (may be out of development)
- Atlantis, text processor.

Peter.

Seems to be heavily Mac-centric and waaay out of date.

Missing are common pc programs such as
yWriter
Storybook Pro
Writer's Café
Liquid Story Binder
Save the Cat
Snowflake Pro
Focus Writer
Writing Outliner Add-On for Word
WriteSpace Add-On for Word
XL Notes Add-On for Excel
Q10
CreaWriter
ZenWriter
WestEdit

Personally, I've found most of this category to be far less useful than a simple freeware two-paned outline program capable of holding notes and drafts; Keepnote, for instance, or Treepad Lite or KeyNote or any of dozens more.

Jon Polish wrote:

What, no WhizFolders?

What's happening with WhizFolders anyway? It looks like there hasn't been an update since August 2011. The new licensing regime (which did put me off from upgrading) said "free updates for 1 year". Have there been any?

I have been in touch with Sanjay who is the developer. I had some problems and he issued a fix for me. I inferred from my conversation that an update is coming.

Jon

Another thought about WhizFolders in particular, but many mature programs in general. If a program achieves its goal of functionality, except for bug fixes and updates because of OS changes, should we expect constant updates? WhizFolders is quite mature. I would like a more robust version history, but I don't envision added features that would detract from its strength as a writing tool.

Jon

Jon Polish wrote:

Another thought about WhizFolders in particular, but many mature
programs in general. If a program achieves its goal of functionality,
except for bug fixes and updates because of OS changes, should we expect
constant updates? WhizFolders is quite mature. I would like a more
robust version history, but I don't envision added features that would
detract from its strength as a writing tool.

I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand there are few things that can't be improved any further. On the other hand it is certainly possible to destroy a perfectly good piece of software by over-innovating (this is especially happening in the smartphone/tablet app world where excellent software get constantly ruined by relentless "innovation").

WhizFolders used to be my no. 1 favourite software. But then competitors like Scrivener and ConnectedText have tempted me away. Both of these are developed actively (or it's reasonably clear where they are heading) and have an active community of users who contribute ideas on the respective forums.

WhizFolders doesn't seem to have a forum, so perhaps that is one reason why development is slow. Don't get me wrong: Sanjay is great and very responsive. But the game has moved on and now it's about how you can involve your user base in innovation. I certainly think there are areas in which WhizFolders can be improved further.

I demoed Page Four, and found it one of the most useful of the 12,000 "organizers/noters" I tried, even though it is set up entitled for writers. I just changed the titles. Still, it's rather primitive in its capabilities compared to some of the convoluted programmes out there.

Listerene wrote:

Seems to be heavily Mac-centric and waaay out of date.

Missing are common pc programs such as
yWriter
Storybook Pro
Writer's Café
Liquid Story Binder
Save the Cat
Snowflake Pro
Focus Writer
Writing Outliner Add-On for Word
WriteSpace Add-On for Word
XL Notes Add-On for Excel
Q10
CreaWriter
ZenWriter
WestEdit

And, of course, Word itself (which has probably been until recently the overwhelming software of choice for authors, is still the standard demanded by traditional publishers, and whose 2013 version for the PC appears to have learnt some lessons from its newer rivals, as noted in another thread). OneNote is often paired with it, as a research, outline and notes resource.

BTW, Rough Draft and Jer's Novel Writer are no longer being developed. I can't remember whether the original post includes Storyist and WriteWayPro, which are being developed.

Movie Outline is a screenwriting software with some outlining features and virtual index cards:
http://www.movieoutline.com/

I bought WhizFolder b/c of its ability to be in a single pane mode. However, I was disappointed at how that feature is implemented, and requested - and received promptly - a refund.

I should like to see that feature enhanced.

Also, I'm a nut about metadata, and should like to see columns.

Otherwise, I quite like the program.

Daly

Jon Polish wrote:

Another thought about WhizFolders in particular, but many mature
programs in general. If a program achieves its goal of functionality,
except for bug fixes and updates because of OS changes, should we expect
constant updates? WhizFolders is quite mature. I would like a more
robust version history, but I don't envision added features that would
detract from its strength as a writing tool.

Jon

If it were easy to create a custom sidebar in Word (to hold notes, for example), then I'd be all over that. Sadly, I haven't had time to monkey around writing a Word add-in.

Another list of writing software:
http://stubbornwriter.com/writing-software

Dr Andus wrote:

Another list of writing software:
http://stubbornwriter.com/writing-software

I'll paste in the list here as well for the record, in case that page disappears one day...

Book Writer
Character Writer
ConnectedText
CopyWrite
Dramatica Pro
Editor
FocusWriter
Jer’s Novel Writer
Liquid Story Binder
MacJournal
Momentum Writer
NewNovelist
Nota Bene
Outline 4D
PageFour
PaperToolsPro
Power Structure
Power Writer
Quick Article Pro
Q10
RoughDraft
Scriptito
Scrivener
Storybase
Storybook
Storybox
Storyist
StoryMill
Story Wizard
StyleEase
StyleWriter
The Writer’s Software Companion
Ulysses
White Smoke
Wizards4Word
Word Menu
WriteItNow
Writemonkey
WriteRoom
Writer’s Blocks
Writer’s Cafe
Writer’s Workbench
WriteWay
Writing Outliner
yWriter

Bean - sadly - should be added to the list of those no longer being developed.

Hannibal Hotkey wrote:

If it were easy to create a custom sidebar in Word (to hold notes, for
example), then I'd be all over that. Sadly, I haven't had time to monkey
around writing a Word add-in.

OneNote works reasonably well in this role. See also http://davidhewson.com/2012/12/28/making-onenote-and-word-partners-in-writing/

I'd also add the very nice "Texts" (currently at 50% discount), which is a rich-text editor that actually produces Markdown files. There are desktop clients for Mac and Windows, as well as an iOS client. Unusually, you compose text in a rich-text window - it doesn't bother you with all the markup code (unless you want to see it, of course).

I've started using it to interact with the many Markdown editors and files I keep on my iPad (my current favourite for fast Markdown: 1Writer, by the developer of the lovely minimalist to-do manager 2 Days).

While it's not specifically optimised for "writers", it fits very well into a writing workflow, as does Editorial for iOS.

The other nice thing about Texts is that it allows you to open multiple windows very easily (SDI, not MDI), so you can have multiple ideas for stuff open simultaneously (for example, I'm currently drafting ad copy for an Alpine resort with various ideas scattered over all three of my screens - yeah, sorry, I unabashedly use three screens and would totally recommend AOC's Portable USB Monitor to those interested in doing the same - 15" of goodness powered solely by a USB port. Hey, listen, Terry Pratchett uses SIX screens!)

Vastly superior to WriteMonkey, IMHO. I have to admit I really dislike WriteMonkey - for a super-minimalist app it manages to be really awkward to use. Texts, by contrast, behaves precisely as you'd expect.

The iOS app does need work, though.

MadaboutDana wrote:

my current favourite for fast Markdown: 1Writer

Thanks for the heads-up on Texts and 1Writer.

The iOS app does need work, though.

Yes, an extended keyboard on iPad for a Markdown editor is a must. 1Writer looks good though.

Vastly superior to WriteMonkey, IMHO. I have to admit I really dislike
WriteMonkey - for a super-minimalist app it manages to be really awkward
to use

I'll need to stand up for WriteMonkey here :) I've just switched from FocusWriter to it, partly because of the Markdown support, but I also find it a bit more satisfying to use. Horses for courses, I suppose.

Re WM v. Texts, WM seems to recognise an unlimited number of headings levels, while Texts only recognises 3, which is not enough for longer documents with a complex structure. And there is full-screen distraction-free writing, which Texts doesn't seem to have (though I only played with it briefly).

While on the Markdown topic, just came across this article with a staggering list of 78 Markdown editors...
http://mashable.com/2013/06/24/markdown-tools/

True, WriteMonkey has things that Texts doesn't (and vice versa, of course); depends on what you mean by "distraction-free". If you used Texts full-screen you'd have no distractions - it doesn't even have a toolbar or status bar! But I like the fact I can bung up multiple Texts windows all over the place and work in all of them simultaneously - a somewhat different definition of "distraction-free" (perhaps better described as "focused" on a particular problem with multiple facets). Of course WM is also free, which is nice.

As you say: horses for courses!

And thanks for the enormous list reference. Good grief!

Hm - the list is slightly irritating in that it only sporadically mentions which OS the various editors are designed for. Most of them are in fact iOS or OS/X apps (not an issue in itself, but following dozens of links to check is a little irritating). There are a lot of top editors missing, too, but hey, it's not pretending to be comprehensive.

Speaking of which, a new version of Markdown-friendly outliner Cotton Notes for iOS has just been launched (updated for iOS 7). It's been heavily upgraded and the UI has been beautified. And it's got a rather nice Dropbox function, too. It's also faster than it was. Definitely worth checking out.

MadaboutDana wrote:

If you used
Texts full-screen you'd have no distractions - it doesn't even have a
toolbar or status bar!

Sorry, you're right, completely missed that...

But I like the fact I can bung up multiple Texts
windows all over the place and work in all of them simultaneously

For the record, you can also do that with WriteMonkey. You just need to check the box "Allow multiple windows" in Preferences (F10), and then use a utility like WinSplit Revolutions to arrange them.