Whether writing a book or short-form content, anyone who’s endeavored to write knows that putting the pieces together can be intimidating and frustrating at times. Crafting a compelling written piece that captures the right tone, grammar, and emphasis requires a series of intentional steps, from brainstorming and penning down your thoughts on paper to editing.
Excellence in writing is often a reflection of one’s reading habits and the ability to articulate effectively. In today’s digital age, as a writer, you have access to a plethora of online and offline resources that will help you get started in your journey toward mastery.
Sci-fi enthusiast and screenwriter-turned-author Edward Savio is a master at finessing technology to his advantage. His writing process involves a surprisingly low amount of actual “writing.” We at Bookstr got an exclusive, in-depth look at his tech-savvy writing setup in his home, and it’s unlike anything you might have imagined for a writer.
Straight from the tech wizard himself, here are 5 pieces of indispensable pieces of technology that are sure to enhance your writing experience and allow you to maximize your time and potential as a creative:
1. Aeon Timeline
Being able to visualize your story and see where your characters stand in time is crucial to making sure you get all the details correct. Edward used Aeon Timeline to map out the timeline for his Battle for Forever series spanning hundreds of years. Aeon is an excellent tool for getting your creative juices flowing, or even just organizing your workflow. Plus, Aeon is incredibly user-friendly since it lets you scroll left to right in addition to the standard up-to-down scrolling, allowing you to literally move in time and space with your work.
2. Multiple screens
From Aeon, we can neatly segway into our next tech savior: having multiple screens. In this case, as Edward has, bigger might be better – as you can see in the feature image for this article. But regardless of the size of your screen, having more than one screen to work from is a game-changer. Not only does it support the visualization of creative apps like Aeon, but it also allows you to have multiple projects displayed at the same time. Whereas, if you only have one laptop at your disposal, you’re probably switching tabs very often and have to interrupt work to move to another project. If it’s within your budget to have another screen, Edward highly recommends doing so.
3. Freeform
Next up, we have Freeform, a newly launched app from Apple that allows you to visually collaborate with others and have all your work on display in the same space. You can jot down your ideas, throw in some photos, sketch a quick graphic, and have your visual sticky notes show up altogether on the visual canvas. For Edward, Freeform allowed him to stay organized by having all his thoughts and ideas digitized in one space. And, since he’s a devout user of Apple products, he can access Freeform on his phone when he’s on the go and thinks of something to jot down for his storyline. In short, Freeform is your all-in-one digital canvas to let your thoughts run wild!
4. A High-Quality Microphone
Why does a writer need a microphone, you wonder? Because you can speak your thoughts out loud and with voice-to-text software, whatever you say will be picked up by your microphone and converted to text, on the screen. A high-quality microphone also allows you to record audiobooks and do voiceovers, both of which Edward has delved into extensively. He often acts out his battle scenes in his writing studio to get the full emphasis of his words spoken out loud rather than being written on paper. And if you’re someone who loves pacing about but also wants to work, this is a great way for your thoughts to find themselves on paper (i.e. a digital screen) without having to sit and write them down.
And, as Edward advises, investing in a high-quality microphone doesn’t mean buying the most expensive one out there. You can get relatively cheap microphones for less than $40 with excellent overall quality. Small investments like this are a game-changer to your creative process and can help you explore new avenues of working.
5. Post-It Notes App
The humble Post-it sticky note now has an app to accompany it! Whatever you jot down on a sticky note can be digitized with one photo and the Post-it app. This way, you can keep track of all your ideas and reminders by seeing them on your phone or laptop. One of the best features is that whatever you write down on paper looks exactly the same when it’s digitized, so you’ll see a bunch of colored squares on your screen. Like most apps, you can share your digitized notes with others, which is great if you need a second opinion on an idea or draft you’re working on.
With an abundance of digital tools and resources at your disposal, you’re going to allow yourself boundless potential to elevate your writing process and improve efficiency. The humble paper and pen, or just a reliable laptop, will always be the basics for any writer to get started, but these new apps and products will further enhance your writing and offer you resources to help streamline your thoughts and ideas.
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