Okay,  so I love technology.  But you knew that.  I love software, I love hardware … I love it all.  This year, I’m using my new HP Touchsmart to write my nano novel.  I’m also putting to use some new applications (both online and desktop).  And even though I’m not sharing my novel here, I will share those applications with you.

yWriter

yWriter was introduced to me on the Saskatchewan forums of nanowrimo, and as soon as I installed it, I was immediately in love.  It is software that allows you to plot by chapter and scene.  You can plan your characters’ biographies, goals (which is really important for plot reasons), descriptions, pictures, etc.  You can even include locations and pictures of those locations!  It’s bloody brilliant!

I think the best part is that you can tag everything which really helps when you’re trying to make associations between things and you don’t want to forget those associations.

There are plenty more features that I am probably forgetting, so it’s probably best you just download it and use it!  It’s BRILLIANT and so useful!  :D

You can get it here:
http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter5.html

Morphases

K, so when you’re planning out your characters, have you ever just seen them so clearly in your mind and just wish you could show someone? But the best you could is find an actor or model that’s a close approximation of them? And it’s just not quite the same?

Well, there’s this online software that enables you to … oh hell, they explain it better than I could:

Morphases is an online next generation software in face manipulation. It allows user to modify and create human faces from different elements in real time with almost an unlimited power. All elements are divided individually and stored into genebank.

I plan on using it to create images of my characters since I came up with my nanowrimo story in a dream and the characters are all original, and I obviously know exactly what they look like. :)

You can get it here:
http://www.morphases.com/editor/

Write or Die

K, so my friend sent me this link last night. It’s soooo deliciously evil, I just had to share it with everyone! *evil!glee* It’s a web application (although there are plans for a desktop version) “that encourages writing by punishing the tendency to avoid writing.” It does so by offering negative consequences for not writing such as a pop-up reminding the author to continue writing after a short period of inactivity (the gentle mode), or playing an “annoying” sound file (the more aggressive normal mode), or by undoing all your writing unless you continue writing (the deliciously evil kamikaze mode).

The idea is that “A tangible consequence is more effective than an intangible reward.”

So, if you’re like me, and self-inflicted guilt isn’t enough of a drive to write, maybe this is the application for you! I’m adding this to my nanowrimo arsenal this year!

Check it out here:
http://lab.drwicked.com/writeordie.html