writers

How do the words ANYONE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME and FREE sound to you? That’s what you get with Writewith - unlimited storage space to collaborate over .doc, html, .rtf and text files with anyone, anywhere, anytime for FREE. The video [below] easily explains how two or more people can upload and edit or create and edit the same document online. You can see who is online and the changes they’re making to the document in real time.

This is an innovative tool for not only writing partners and ghost writers, but I can also see the benefits to editors and their mobile correspondents. I can remember in college the torment endured over group-paper assignments. Agh! Had this tool been around then, it would have saved me a fist full of hair and at least 16 ounces of pure, unfiltered agony. I’m patiently waiting for something this easy and inexpensive for .xcl and .ppt files. Come on evolution already.

Embody by Herman Miller

One of our most popular articles has just received an update.  Click here to find more ergonomic chairs to help increase your productivity, as well as updated links and a peek at the all new Embody chair by Herman Miller.  

1. $ Gift Certificates - Not exactly techy, but easy.

2. $$ Portable Backup Storage - Encourage writers to backup their masterpieces with portable storage.

4. $$ Ergonomic Keyboard - Try it, they may like it and improve their health at the same time. (Keep the receipt just in case)

5. $$+ Digital Voice Recorder - Often times writers dream the stories they are writing and or their imaginations become alive just before they lie down to sleep.  Having a voice recorder handy helps ensure they capture the thought-on-the-spot.

6. $$+ Update Writing Software - Find out if your writer gift recipient is using the latest version of their writing software or if they’ve been wanting to try something new.

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Our tag line is "Technology and writing and everything in between".  This is another ‘in between’ article.  But when I first read about the new Mini E, I knew I had to at least acknowledge its existence at the Founders’ Blog.   As if Mini Coopers weren’t already doing their part in creating low-impact, tiny carbon footprints, Mini Cooper introduces the all electric Mini E. That’s right, the Mini E prefers battery juice over Texas tea.

This baby jets the line from 0 - 60 in 8.5 seconds with a top speed of 95 miles per hour. (Ok, maybe Porsche enthusiasts aren’t salivating.)  It is a little sluggish, but after an 8-hour charge a full tank of electricity will fetch you a range of 150 miles.  Cost ($TBA).

What does the Mini E mean for writers?

Well I’m not sure I can spin the benefits as it relates to writers. However, it does mean you can fill up your tank for less than the price of a Grande Vanilla Soy Latte at your local writing pub.  Aside from the pen and pad, it means you’ve already exceeded Obama’s 10-year plan to be completely free of foreign oil.  Most importantly, it could jettison you to "coolest kid on the block" status within moments of occupying your driveway.

The downside?  There’s a limited release of just 500 available via a 1-year lease for SoCal, New Jersey, and New York residents only.  Why? Why! WHY!!! do they have to turn something so perfect into a vulture contest akin to a herd of  squirrels scurrying toward the last nut in the park.

I hope I’m not too late with this article, but it was just recently brought to my attention. ThinkFree is offering a free copy of their office suite built specifically for netbooks.  ThinkFree Office is a suite of low-disc consumption office products that play nice with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, so you will have no problem opening or sending docs to Microsoft Office users.  The light build is not taxing on the operating system - which is perfect for not-so-powerful netbooks.

FYI…Founders’ Blog recently covered netbooks as they relate to writers.  If any of our readers have made the leap and purchased a netbook, you have only until October 31, 2008 to fill out the survey and pick up your free copy of ThinkFree Office.  Otherwise, the cost is $49.00. 
 

via: Gottabemobile 

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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Still in beta RemembertheMilk.com is a web-based solution for helping you keep track of what you need to do. It’s more than an electronic to-do list, it’s a way of keeping you prioritized and synced to those electronic devices we have become so dependent upon.

If you lose your paper day planner, or your smartphone with a to-do list application it’s gone forever. However, with a virtual to-do list, like Remember the Milk, you can’t misplace it. Your info is stored on the web and is accessible from anywhere including your cell phone, smartphone, or personal computer. This is a great tool for writers, but more on that later…

Don’t you just love technology?

Remember the Milk allows you to receive reminders via email, SMS, and instant messenger (AIM, Gadu-Gadu, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, Skype and Yahoo! Integrated map features let you track your route to and from your next task.

Milk Money?
Remember the Milk is currently in beta and it’s free! If you want to sync your iPod Touch, iPhone or BlackBerry you’ll need the pro edition, which runs $25 a year. When you think about it, that’s a descent price when compared to one of those $15 - $25 weekly paper calendars.

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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

 

Grahl Synchron 5

UPDATE: Videos - Best Ergonomic Chairs for Writers 

UPDATE 2: Refreshed Article December 5th 2008 with better links and more chairs. Plus, check out the all new Embody chair by Herman Miller.

This article has become so popular that we are going to continue to update it and post the updated links on the Home page, linking back to the original article. Godspeed in your search for the perfect chair!

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Every writer should invest in two things – good computer equipment and a great chair.  Forget the desk. A desk just holds stuff.  I don’t care if you use two barrels and slab of oak to create a desk. As long as the height is conducive to your body type. 

It’s 2008 and people find themselves sitting in front of a computer all day long, including writers. Unfortunately, proper seating can be the last thing writers think about.  You pick the cheapest or the prettiest chair from your local IKEA or office supply store and you live to regret it.  Invest in your health and give your body the proper support it needs to create that blockbuster!

Things to consider when buying a chair:

• Free range of adjustable motion (height, seat, back, arms)
• Upper and lower lumbar support (executive series)
• Adjustable headrest
• Durable material (it’s a long-term investment)

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