WriteItNow 5 Novel Writing Software

I like that it is very detailed in the instructions on how to use this integrated word processor and story teller, which is great and needed, given the wide range of factors when writing a novel or biography. I like that it can organize my main ideas on virtual index cards or blocks which I then can use to expand the details of each block. So it allows the writer to keep it simple or handle complex plots. I like it that once I had the CD program, it was just a matter of loading and no need to go to their site and get any special passwords or serial numbers. Checking for updates is a snap given that the word processor has menus that can take you directly to site for updating.

Write it now is back from outer space with more organization to aid published authors and newbies in their journey before the first draft. The first one was a great introduction, but version two is a dream come true. I cannot find an alternative product on the market, fitting my needs like Write It Now.In the old version, writers sacrificed "chapters" to organize the pre and post material. The updated version provides folders for glossary, foreword, and much much more. A few updates in the new version provides a surprising bonus. How cool it is to be timed with word count!I plan on writing up a list of improvements that I think would be nice throughout the exploration of this new version. I have been a loyal customer in the past. I encouraged new authors to utilize the old version at every writing workshop I taught at libraries and comic Cons. I continue to sing the praise for this product. I recommend Write It Now 5 with a six star rating.

I really like the ability to organize my characters, and scenes. I have a hard time remembering things, and I have so many characters in my book, it is nice to have the reference charts and wiring diagrams for how everyone relates to everyone else. The time lines are also great, as my book spans literally centuries, since it is a vampire novel, and starts in 400 BCE and goes to 2190. Keeping up with who is who, and who created who, who is loyal to whom and all that is a nightmare. The thesaurus is a bit limited. The writing goals are a great way to keep on track with personal goals. The editor is pretty good, not as good as Word, but it is easy enough to use. Being able to tag characters and then be able to know when they appear throughout the book is handy. I really like the program, but can't give it 5 stars because it is a little bit administratively hard to manage, does tend to slow down the work a little bit (but being organized is probably worth the time commitment), and the thesaurus and dictionary functions are not very good. I think it is worth getting especially for a first time novelist like myself. The name and character generator is a great tool, especially since it has different cultures and nationalities. I am finding it was money well spent.

I hate this program. Unless you are a computer technician, computer engineer or a software designer it is absolutely impossible to use. The 5 minute introduction is useless thus prompting you to download (and unless you have a photographic memory) print a 360 page plus manual so that you can navigate this program. The manual is no better. It is discombobulated, disorganized, out of synch in terms of usage, incoherent and omits pertinent information necessary. I found myself flipping from one section to another, being referred to another section, having that say it will be explained later in a further subsequent chapter and I needed to go back to another place to see what the picture of the screen looked like. By the time I did all of this I forgot what I was looking for and trying to figure out.It is wordy, has too much information and is made to be overly complicated. Instead of saying, "Go to Menu---click on character---+ to add new one---save", there's a lengthy explanation that is not pertinent, irrelevant pictures and unnecessary and confusing directions often leaving out the very first step or two of where to begin! You also have to go through an act of Congress and navigate through a quagmire of garbage to even get to the manual. Oh, when you do...they have the audacity to charge you for the updates to their manual even though you paid for the software!!! So every time they feel like changing a minute detail you'll basically get charged to access your manual and to read it (Unless of course you were smart enough to print the 300 plus page thing out in the first place and use it as a desk reference.)I've practically rewritten the manual in a spiral notebook, reduced it by over 100 pages and sent it to the company. They liked it better. Unfortunately I still can not get my manuscript Imported from MS Word onto their program. It may have something to do with the fact they give you 2 different ways to do this, and 3 'back alley' ways and none of them work no matter what you do. Basically you start from scratch if you can't get your stuff moved over.I also write. I just sit down and write. I DON'T use story boards and scenes and this that and the other useless thing. I write. I have a general outline of my story from start to finish. I know the plot. I know the genre. I know my characters. I write in chapters not scenes. I do not know how long my chapters will be. I will know that when I finish.What they don't tell you is that you can write with just chapters only but again one must plow through the manual to ascertain how and go through a multitude of steps to choose this option. Nope. Would be too easy to do Menu---Chapter---Name Chapter---Save work (when finished).There's no 'cheat sheet' of short cuts they give you to navigate. Those pop up randomly in the manual as you read. For example they say Menu Panel---File---Save and then somewhere else...Oh, BTW you can use Control S. Gee thanks for telling me. How many other little nuggets and I going to have to dig for. Mean to tell me they couldn't just 'list' them for me somewhere in the beginning?My suggestion is put this thing up on EBay if you bought it and try to recoup some of the money you lost buying it. You most definitely won't recoup the days of aggravation, hours of time wasted and energy trying to figure this thing out so you can start your book. You may be able to recoup some of your money. Use your money to buy a good word processor, a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a printer. Then you can write your book now and you can actually get something done.Biggest waste of money and time ever. Hated everything about it including the manual.Don't buy it.talguy

I bought this in hopes of writing a "how to" type of book and unfortunately, it is next to impossible to do that. The first problem I encountered was that it's really hard to use. I spent 2 days just trying to figure out how to delete and rename projects. The next problem I had was that it would not allow me to insert photos into the text like you would see in a classic style "how to" book. It also would not let me create any custom book covers either which is a must have for creating, writing and publishing your own books.

It wasn't useful for me because I couldn't make the lines double spaced. It wasn't what I'd hoped for. It might be okay for some people, but not someone who already has a fixed way of writing.