Screenwriters

The folks at OfficePOD believe the ability to work from home is a trend that’s here to stay.  I think their product is ideal for writers with a backyard and who are in need of "space" to write.  You wouldn’t think twice about a shed for housing the lawn tools, a greenhouse, or playhouse for the kids, so why not an office pod?  So often writers find themselves carving out work space at the kitchen table or on the couch - only to be interrupted by the kids, the dog, the telephone or solicitors banging down the front door.

There’s lots of benefits for corporate too, such as reducing commute time, more focused employees, etc, however the OfficePOD would be absolutely ideal for writers seeking solitude and a special place designated solely for the depositing of their brain droppings. The OfficePOD is energy efficient and designed in great part with recycled or recyclable products. Each pod is delivered and constructed by a specialist team and measures approximately 7′ x 7′.  To date, this brilliant idea is only available in the UK for £14,950 ($24,273).

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Laptops seem to have found a diet that works, and it’s a really good fit for writers. "Ultra portable" laptops fall within certain dimensions to be deemed such.  Display size varies between 11" - 13" and the unit weighs as little as  2 lbs but no more than 4 lbs.  Realize there’s a sector of ultra portable, low performance, cheap computers called netbooks and there’s also a sector of ultra portable yet powerful laptop computers.  This article refers to the latter.  Netbooks are a low-cost alternative for mobile writers, but if you can afford the whole enchilada - go for more power.

A powerful laptop weighing around 3 lbs can galvanize your productivity because you won’t think twice about taking it with you.  The easier your access is to your laptop, the more likely you are to write.  The more you write, the better you write.  This is why ultra portable laptops are a FANTASTIC GADGET FOR WRITERS!

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Following up on our article - The Benefits of a Smartphone in a Writer’s World - we have gathered together a list of smartphone applications to help you stay productive. The links below are for BlackBerry applications, but most have an alternative for Palm and Windows smartphones.

And, let’s not forget the iPhone.  Do you realize there are over 50,000 iPhone and iPod applications  available through the App store to date (June 2009)?  It’s hard to even wrap your brain around the depth of innovation Apple has spurred by opening the pipeline to developers with one simple question in mind - If you could hold a computer in the palm of your hand, what could it do?  We’ve taken some time to comb through the App Store and come up with quite a few applications that can enhance a writer’s tool belt.

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Smartphones  are quickly propagating the cellphone landscape, making anyone who whips out a mundane flip phone appear slightly "out of touch".  The point of this article is to discuss whether or not the benefits of owning a smartphone are to the writer’s advantage.  But first, let’s answer a few general questions about the gadget.

What is a smartphone?
In a nuthshell it’s a cellphone that allows you to do a host of other things via mobile applications. 

What’s the difference between the iPhone, the Blackberry, and all the others?
In a word…OS (Operating System).  In order to access email, internet, IM, pictures, etc on your computer you need an operating system like Windows or OS X, right?  Same thing goes for  smartphones  - which are basically tiny, limited computers that allow you to easily make phone calls. The iPhone’s OS is derived from OS X.  BlackBerry has a proprietary OS created by RIM.  Treos either use Palm or Windows Mobile. Google has also entered the smartphone market with its Android operating system. In addition, each carrier has propriety operating systems on their less expensive QWERTY cellphones (i.e. VZ Navigator) that don’t quite qualify as a "smartphone" because of the limitations of the OS.

Is the smartphone an imperative tool for writers? 
Let’s put it this way; you can live in a log cabin with no indoor plumbing or electricity and create the greatest novel known to man using a 1935 Remington typewriter.  So technically, technology isn’t imperative to a writer, but it does make life easier.  That’s exactly what the smartphone does for a writer - IT MAKES LIFE EASIER - for the reasons listed below:

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May is just around the corner and graduations are nearing.  Need the perfect gift for that English Lit grad leasing a new apartment or that quick-witted screenwriter finishing up film school? The Atelier polished task lamp is a memorable gift that sends the perfect message: Your future is bright. 

For those middle of the night "bursts of brilliance", gift them a journal or notebook to keep beside the task lamp.  I love the Jenny Bick refillable SMILE journal.  Just click on your task light and jot down your thoughts. 

Lamp Price: $229      Journal Price: $29 

I tend to lean toward non-fiction books.  I like knowing the hours spent reading something are beneficial.  If the book is interesting I’m done in a few days - absorbing big mouthfuls like a jumbo-size tub of popcorn.  If it’s not so good I consume it like a slice of holiday fruitcake - with gracious etiquette - laboring over every bite because I feel impelled to finish what I start.  Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book Outliers was not only consumed like a jumbo-size tub of popcorn – it was deliciously smothered in butter.

First of all, I have to admit my bias.  I love Gladwell’s previous books, Tipping Point and Blink.  Both are very insightful.  But Outliers has made me view life, success and most importantly screenwriting and what we do here at LitCentral in a much different way.  In Outliers Gladwell suggests that “genius” or a high IQ has nothing (yes, I said nothing) to do with success… and even more so, extraordinary success (hence the title - Outliers).

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 Two 24" Monitors 

Imagine, you have your trusty screenwriting or novel software open, the internet displaying your latest research, email, your favorite story structure software opened, and iTunes softly jamming in the background.  Any computer can do this, but only multiple monitors allow you to view it all at once.

And you say, "But I can only focus on one thing at a time." Actually, you’re capable of more than you think. Imagine each of the controls of a cockpit being accessible via individual, mini, sliding doors.  Check altitude - open door, close door.  Check airspeed - open door, close door.  That’s so ridiculously non-productive it’s hardly fathomable.  As a writer navigating a novel or a screenplay in the 21st century you have several controls in your cockpit:  Email, writing software, internet research, story structure software, dictionary/thesaurus software, even iTunes.  Almost all these software applications are resources that either inform, format or network whatever you are writing.   Yet, if you’re using a single monitor you are mimicking the pilot scenario by opening and closing multiple applications throughout the workday. 

To improve your productivity you want to invest in something called "screen real estate" (i.e. multiple monitors).  It’s the difference between owning a 600 sq ft studio with a broken AC, or a 5-acre estate with an ocean breeze.

Types of Extended Monitors
Extended monitors range in sizes from 10" - 30".   For the purposes of this article we’re going to focus on 17" - 30" monitors.  Also let’s be clear… CRT fat-cube-boxy monitors are out and flat panel monitors are in.

The Mammoth 30" Monitor
Big screens are not about filling the entire screen with one application, but about multiple applications open in one window.  A 30" screen is big enough to allow you to open two full-size windows plus extra space for reduced windows and widgets.  Although it is physically huge, it takes up less space than two side-by-side smaller monitors capable of only one full-size window per screen. 

Advantages of Three Monitors
The advantage of a three-monitor-display (Yes your laptop screen can count as one) is that there is a focal point - the center monitor.  It has something to do with the human psych…I guess…I don’t know. But having a "main screen" signals to the brain that the important task at hand is in front of you.  Everything else is tertiary.  Westerners read left to right so it stands to reason that your least important business would reside on the monitor to the right. 

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You’ve all seen them - those ultra portable computers, with ultra small screens and keyboards that fit darn near anywhere.   What writer in their right mind would actually make use of such technology?  Actually…there is good reason to look closer at this technology.  On the heels of CES 2009 (where new UMPCs like Sony Vaio’s P Series made its debut) I think it’s important to shed light on these devices and how they can be great for writers. 

What qualifies as "ultra mobile"?  The intro of the netbook has blurred the lines,  but UMPC’s generally start with a  7" screen and go down to as little as 4.5".  Anything smaller usually falls into smartphone territory. 

Performance
UMPCs are first cousins to netbooks.  Most of them are using the same Intel processor chip - Atom.   Just like netbooks, power is not king in the land of UMPCs. These little devices are very mobile and they are designed to do one thing very well - access the web.  But just like any computer most come equipped with USB inputs, a VGA port for extended monitors and projectors, SD card readers, Bluetooth, Wi-fi, ethernet, cameras, etc.  They also have ample hard drive space (as much as 160GB+).  If the machine is running Vista, make sure it has at least 2GB RAM.  Some OEMs will still allow you to order their UMPCs with Windows XP.

Types of keyboards:

• Thumb keyboards (i.e. Fujitsu U820 or the OQO Model 2+)
• Full-size keyboards (i.e. Sony Vaio P series or Fujitsu P1620)
• Touch screen keyboard (i.e. Table Kiosk eo UMPC V7110e)

Does Keyboard Matter?
Absolutely.  However, it’s based on personal preference.   For the sake of a writer’s sanity I highly suggest you stay away from touchscreen keyboards.   If you use a BlackBerry or a smartphone with a tactile keyboard you have most likely developed a motor skill.  After awhile you stop looking at the keyboard and rely upon TOUCH and a faint sense of SOUND - an on-screen keyboard completely shelves that motor skill.  This can be very frustrating for writers trying to adhere to a writer’s 2nd commandment - Let nothing disrupt the flow!

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Netbooks are the latest piece of hardware to target the geek scene.  Every manufacturer worth its salt is rushing to get their version of the netbook on the market. Not to be confused with laptops/notebooks, netbooks are optimized for light computing tasks like word processing and heavy internet usage - hence the term “net”.  They are the latest craze in computing and are spreading like wildfire.  I’ve been watching the netbook craze since Intel introduced the Atom in the spring of 08’.  And while the netbook truly has benefits for writers, I believe its greatest purpose will be in offering the ultimate low-cost web portal to the world at large. Mark my words, these things will soon inhabit the Amazon jungle.

One of the most attractive benefits of netbooks is the price tag – as low as $250. Why so cheap? Netbooks are not high performers when compared to their big brother notebooks/laptops.  They have slower processors (i.e. Intel’s Atom and Celeron M) and smaller, slower hard drives.  Hard drive capacity can be as small as 2 GB (the size of my very first Pentium desktop) or as large as 250 GB.  Some use solid-state disks (SSDs). However, with slower processing speed, storage space becomes a tertiary matter because you are not going to get the speed you need to run bloated software programs.

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Recently arriving at LitCentral’s office was a package from our friends at Field Notes. The company, based out of Chicago and Portland, produces a quality memo book that rivals such competitors as Moleskine. There is genius hidden behind the marketing of this product, as it has taken on a cult-like following in a very short amount of time.

Design
Inspired by vintage farmers’ planting books and other practical, historic, mostly-midwestern American design.

Field Notes Three-Pack ($9.95) includes the following features:

    * Three 48-page memo books.
    * Each 3-1/2″ wide by 5-1/2″ tall.
    * Rugged three-staple saddle-stitch process.
    * Perfect 3/16″ (5mm) graphed paper.

Bonus goodies are included with every order and may very.

Field Notes are a very durable notebook made for anyone who needs something handy and accessible to capture the abundant overflow of their brain droppings.  But for the purpose of Founders’ Blog we’re going to explore the benefits of Field Notes with regard to writers.

Screenwriters, Writers and Field Notes
Writers don’t just have ideas for stories, they have ideas for characters within those stories, and dialogue, and locations, and subplots, and so on… What I like about Field Notes is the 48-pages are a small but significant commitment to a particular subject or idea.  With Field Notes you’re not presented with a giant notebook that may end up collecting dust because you have no idea how to begin filling so many pages. In the past I’ve been guilty of buying expensive journals and filling them with umpteen different subjects that eventually end up lost because there’s no search button or sequential order!

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Need to market yourself as a screenwriter? Use your body. Hey now, get your head out of the gutter, what I mean by that is wearing “writers gear” – hats, t-shirts, and hoodies.  You never know who may be sitting next to you at Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, or on an airplane.  It could just be Mrs. Big Shot.  Perhaps your “Writer” hat is the conversation piece that leads Mrs. Big Shot to ask, “What do you write?”  We have found many a writer who have had success with this inexpensive marketing technique. 

There are several companies that sell writers gear for both screenwriters and novel writers.  Café Press carries thousands of items for screenwriters, writers and filmmakers alike with hats starting at $15.99 and t-shirts starting at $19.99. 

Samples from Café Press