Here we are…it’s November! And I can’t wait to start writing. How about you?
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In order for me to keep my commitment to NaNoWriMo (and 50,000 words is definitely a commitment), I have identified four essential or must-have items for my personal writer’s survival kit.
1. MacBook Air. I like the portability of my MacBook Air. While I plan to do most of my writing in November in my home office, I may occasionally want a change of scenery and may choose to head to a library or coffee shop.
2. Scrivener. If you are a writer and not using Scrivener, go download it now! You can choose Scrivener for Windows or Scrivener for Mac (There’s a very liberal 30-day free trial, if you want to try it out before purchasing it). This project management tool by Literature and Latte had changed the way I write. I especially like the corkboard feature for creating virtual index cards to outline/storyboard articles, blog posts, books, courses, and ancestor profiles. Honestly, I can’t write without it.
3. Moleskine notebook. While I do my writing in Scrivener, there are instances when I may not be online or have my computer with me when inspiration strikes (in the middle of the night, for example), and I often find it difficult to type on my phone’s virtual keyboard. During these times having my Moleskine notebook comes in handy. I like the classic Pocket Plain notebook, but there are larger sized Professional Style books. I can then snap photos of the handwritten pages with my smartphone and save them to my Evernote (premium) account to retrieve, read, and transcribe later on.
4. Coffee. I am an early bird and do my best writing in the early morning AFTER a large mug of coffee. My personal favorite is Revv (for my Keurig). But I also stock up on Starbuck’s Via packets for those times when I want a quick caffeine fix or for when I travel.
I will definitely add other items to my kit as the month progresses, but for now I am armed with these essentials and am looking forward to starting my writing journey.
What items will you stock in your writer’s survival kit?
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Lisa – I have my laptop, Scrivener and my easy chair. I'm going to edit (for consistency) my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks blog posts and put them into a book. I know blog-to-book programs are available but the NaNo way plus support from you and Thomas MacEntee are the incentives/deadline I need. I guess I'm a rebel since the challenge isn't exactly meant for my strategy. I'm participating as Digs4Roots. -Denise