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TOOLS OF THE TRADE
These are the tools I use the most in my work - be that writing, web design or creativity. Some books, some recommended software, some magazines and sources of inspiration.
The poet Rilke, when asked by a young man whether or not he should become a poet replied, 'The question is not 'should I be a poet, but can I bear to do anything else?'
This is not to claim that writing is anything better or more special than other professions, but the truth is it can be a bit soul-destroying if you're not very determined.
And I don't just mean the determination to be a writer, but also the self-discipline to actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, but you know what I mean.) As the screen writer William Goldman says somewhere, 'The hardest thing about writing is avoiding not writing.'
Given these kind of obstacles, its important to have tools that you feel comfortable with and that actually help you in the task.
SOMETHING TO WRITE WITH...
Er... a bit obvious I know. But it helps. Now, it doesn't matter what you use to write: you can use a pen, a pencil, a computer, a typewriter, a quill, a crayon - whatever you like. As long as it doesn't get in the way. Nothing should come between you and the words. Any tool that you have to think too much about using is a bad tool.
Having said that, here's what I use:
On my Apples I run Nisus, Mellel, and MarinerWrite. Nisus was, without doubt, the best word processor for the Mac; a serious, writer's wp, powerful, flexible and fully configurable to each individual user. However, it's not fully Mac OX compatible and its OS X incarnation leaves a lot to be desired.
So now I'm using the elegant and powerful Mellel which gets better with every release and which seems to be pitching itself at the professional writer and academic market.
Outlines and preliminary work used to be done in MORE - a freely available outliner, now, alas, long out of development. I'm still looking for something as simple, elegant and useful in OS X. So far I've tried a few and settled, for the moment, on Circus Ponies NoteBook. The first releases of this were a bit sluggish, but it seems to be getting there. Also, it now includes the 'hoist' command from MORE, so I can only guess that the developers know their outlining history! I also use SpellCatcher X which is a terrific spoll chicker and glossary, although a bit flaky in OS X.
REFERENCE BOOKS
A
good dictionary
I use the Shorter Oxford. I would use the full version if I could afford
it!
Roget's Thesaurus
Vital, indispensable, essential, unforgoable, irreplaceable, irreductible,
invaluable. priceless, inestimable, worth its weight in gold, beyond price,
worth a pretty penny [informal]...
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Fascinatingly obscure and wonderfully far-ranging.Everything
from Aalu
to the Zwickau
Prophets.
Writers and Artists Yearbook
Standard reference work. Full of names, addresses and good advice.
Click on the book covers to go to Amazon.co.uk and buy. You might find the OED a teeny bit expensive.
BOOKS ON WRITING
There aren't that many books on writing I'd recommend: it's better to read good writing itself. However, here are some that I have found helpful.
Becoming a Writer
Dorothea Brande
A genuinely inspirational guide to becoming a writer. As Malcolm Bradbury
says, 'wise, sensible and honest...'
The Craft of
Copywriting
Alistair Crompton
When I first started writing advertising and promotional copy, this was
the book I turned to all the time. Now out of print, but worth hunting
for.
Politics and the English Language
George Orwell
The finest essay on writing I have ever read. Orwell's rules for clear,
effective writing are still the best.
Click on the book covers to go to Amazon.co.uk and buy. Politics and the English Language is available in 'Orwell and Politics'. Or you can download the essay online.
MAGAZINES
I don't take any magazines on writing - most of which appear to me to be full of adverts and competitions. However, there are some magazines which contain great writing and loads of ideas. These are the ones I read regularly:
ONLINE RESOURCES
Again, lots of writing websites appear to be promoting competitions and to be of limited use to the writer. However, there some good ones.
Bibliomania
A marvellous site which brings together all manner of resources on book
collecting - including a list of used book search engines.
Project Gutenberg
The web's biggest repository of e-texts. You can get most of the classics
online here, not to mention a huge range of much more obscure works.
Library Spot
A site which acts as a portal to many major libraries around the world.