Tools of the Trade

Recently over on Threads, a casual post about my favorite word processor sparked a very interesting conversation. Many people didn't know the old industry standard WordPerfect still even existed. And even more people had never heard of it in the first place. There were so many questions about pros and cons of all these options I've either used for years or just recently stumbled onto myself, so today let's talk about all my favorite tools of the trade!

Let me start with a quick disclaimer: not every program works for every person. Why? The same reason writing advice isn't one size fits all. Our brains and creative processes are all different and varied and unique, and sometimes our tools have to be, too! These are just my personal staples. And if you find something here that works for you, even better! Remember, everyone is allowed their opinions. But I am not affiliated with any of these brands. I do not get paid for talking about them, I just genuinely enjoy sharing what I know. So, let's get going!

WordPerfect

From the WordPerfect website.

We'll begin with the obvious: WordPerfect by Corel. There was a time when this word processor was truly the publishing standard. Editors, agents, and authors alike preferred it above all other programs. It wasn't until Microsoft started coming pre-installed on new home PCs that Word began to edge out WordPerfect in popularity. And even then, it wasn't due to any technical advancement or improvements: it was only because Microsoft became a default household name. Marketing did the work for them, and they have been something of a monopoly every since.

But Microsoft Word has never been the superior product -- just the more convenient one.

WordPerfect has always been more user-friendly, had fewer overall software problems, and its "reveal codes" feature is unmatched. It allows the writer more control over their formatting elements, and it can help you track down and eliminate those pesky hidden spaces, margin adjustments, and accidental font changes that may have slipped through the cracks.

Word, by comparison, does not allow any viewing or adjustment of formatting code. The idea is that the program itself is designed to be "smarter" than the writer. But that is not always the case, and when it isn't? It causes formatting errors, compatibility issues, and NO easy way to fix them. Bells and whistles don't always make a program better. Sometimes, they just make it finicky.

The biggest con regarding WordPerfect, however, is that it isn't available on Mac OS. So let's talk about another program I've started using on my Macbook, and the bells and whistles that DO make it better.

Scrivener

A screenshot of one of my current WIPs in Scrivener

So what do I do if I'm running an operating system that doesn't allow WordPerfect? For that, we have Scrivener by Literature & Latte.

I was hesitant to learn Scrivener based on my own loyalty to WordPerfect. I don't like a lot of distractions and messes in the way when I'm trying to write. I just like to sit down and open my document. However, I quickly found that Scrivener in its simplest form fixed a problem I DID have for years with WordPerfect: organization. Before, if I had an idea for a scene that didn't belong in my book yet, I had to start a completely new file. As someone who writes chronologically and uses a "living draft" rather than a traditional "outline/rough/1st/2nd" drafting technique, this happened to me a lot. I regularly ended up with multiple documents I called "scraps" that were just pieces of dialogue or scene I wanted to make sure I came back to eventually. Sometimes I did, and sometimes I didn't. But Scrivener changed all of that.

Now, everything lives in ONE file. One document with many pieces I can utilize however I like. I can leave myself notes in the margins. I can jump around in different chapters as-needed. I can have an entire section just for reminders and fact-checking my own work. And I can choose to export ONLY what I need at the end of it all. For an ADHD author like myself, this program has been an absolute godsend. And I don't even use the advanced features.

The best part? They DO NOT USE AI. There is NO GenAi involved in Scrivener. There is no scraping our projects like Google Docs and Microsoft are trying to do. In fact, they have an entire blog post here addressing the issue, and explaining how to even avoid the MacOS default AI features that come with using an Apple product.

EVERYTHING I write these days comes from one of those two programs: WordPerfect or Scrivener. You won't catch me dead writing with Google Docs or Microsoft Word. Why? Because I do not support any of the AI nonsense they are trying to shove down our throats. Yeah, Google Docs makes it easier to keep my writing in one "safe" internet cloud. But is it really safe if they can use it to train whatever they want? We work so hard to create these worlds and these stories... why would any of us want to risk them ending up in some massive training database without our consent? I have even begun to shift completely away from Google Drive for storage for exactly that reason. I believe in protecting my work as best as I can during this era of data mining and scraping. Sure, there are some genuinely unavoidable programs depending on your industry. But where we can push back, we should. And for me, that includes how I write in the first place.

Now, let's talk about some other daily tools I use outside of word processing, how I use them, and why I enjoy them!

Trello

Screenshot from one of my personal WIP boards in Trello

Speaking of organizing the chaotic bits and pieces of my projects, Trello has been an absolute game changer! It has replaced Pinterest as my primary "idea board" organization system, especially since Pinterest has been absolutely overtaken by AI slop. With Trello, the few AI features are very easy to ignore or go without, and most of them are meant for workflow automation rather than replacing actual skill and creativity.

With Trello, I can have multiple workspaces for any number of projects. With my TTRPG book, for instance, my Trello board can help me see at a glance what part of the process I am in for any given section of the book. I can upload art as it is finished, link to the artist's page so I don't forget to properly credit them, add notes for myself to fill out other areas that need work, and if I'm working with a TEAM we can all check in on the progress of individual lists on our own. Perfect for those of you who might have an illustrator, editor, proofreader, or personal assistant to juggle as well.

There is a subscription fee IF you want more than a set amount of boards. But if you're satisfied with keeping it simple, the free version gets the job done splendidly. For me, Trello is the perfect combination of visual bulletin board-style inspiration and clean, color-coded office sorting. It allows me to seamlessly blend the straightforward checklists and the abstract concepts of my process in one program. It is at the very top of my list as far as "things I am willing to pay a subscription fee for."

LegendKeeper

Screenshot from my TTRPG LegendKeeper project.

I will do so many more posts on this app, but LEGENDKEEPER HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. Not every author needs this, but if you're a fantasy world builder like me? I cannot stress this enough: go get LegendKeeper. It is modular, customizable, you can create unlimited projects, and it is the PERFECT way to expand the lore of your world in a way that not only you can keep up with, but your readers can visit alongside you if you choose to make your project public.

LegendKeeper was designed with TTRPG game masters in mind, but authors can find just as much use out of it. You can build the most in-depth wiki about your world that you could possibly imagine. There are features for interactive maps, places to upload audio tracks for ambiance, timeline tools, and more flexiblity than even I have figured out how to utilize yet. I now have an active LK project for my book world and its characters, two for the WIPS I'm working on building, one for my TTRPG, and one that is just full of characters and location ideas I don't have any specific story in mind for yet.

This is the other subscription I will ALWAYS find money for, because their dev team absolutely deserves it. They are incredible, and working extremely hard to keep upgrading and updating the product. I have absolutely gotten my moneys' worth. AND, I have an affiliate link below if you're interested! This gets you 20% off ANY version of the subscription, monthly or yearly. Side note: this affiliation comes from Fantastical Geographic, a massive worldbuilding project I'm involved with and the reason I DO love LegendKeeper so much.

https://www.legendkeeper.com/?via=FanGeo

Canva

I used to be a MUCH bigger fan of Canva than I currently am... they have just been FLOODING that app with AI garbage lately. However, I am EXTREMELY careful to avoid their AI features altogether, and I'm thrilled that I can actually CHECK now to make sure I haven't accidentally utilized something that I didn't realize was AI. As you can see from the screenshot above, I'm sitting pretty at 0% usage. As it should be.

For someone like me, as a team of ONE disabled and chronically ill creator, Canva is still the most user-friendly graphics program for marketing and social media posts. I can even use it as a massive database for stock art and graphics for my own designs, which is why I pay for Canva Pro. It helps me create filler art and graphics for my world building while I save up for more professional illustrations, and their templates are the only reason I've been able to fight through my executive dysfunction as far as marketing goes. I don't have to be a professional graphic designer to still make something that I can be proud of, AND I can do it all without using a single bit of AI. Canva has saved me more than once, and I hope they roll back their AI slop ASAP. Until then, I'll keep avoiding it like the plague. But if you ever think you can't design really great graphics and social media marketing posts for yourself? I encourage you to try Canva before you even think about touching ChatGPT. I mean, look at some of the things I've managed to build without AI, just with myself and some Canva trial and error:

I have come to enjoy playing around with new layouts and templates in Canva. It's like an adult coloring book meets a weird little puzzle game. And it has been the backbone of my marketing for years.

Vellum

Windswept Chapter One: Caravan

Finally, let's talk about the newest addition to the team, VELLUM! Fun fact: this program is WHY I finally broke down and bought a macbook. It is only available on MacOS, but it was the next step in my personal self-publishing journey.

Since 2018, I have relied on Draft2Digital and KDP for my selfpub needs. But I believe that if I want more control over my own interior formatting, as well as the possibility of creating my own official imprint for myself one day, I need to be able to take those pieces of the process into my own hands. So, Vellum has entered the scene. This program is going to help me radically overhaul how my books look and feel moving forward, and I'm starting with re-designing my original series. I'll be doing a whole post about just Vellum once I'm finally finished with the second editions of The Mapweaver Chronicles, but that will be a ways down the road so I'll save my final opinions. For now, I'll just say I'm finding it extremely easy to work with and I'm very hopeful about its usefulness in all my future projects.

There are so many more resources I want to share, both cretively and professionally. But most of them will have to come in a later post. For now, these are the fundamental tools I use almost every day in MY work. I hope they work for some of you, too! And if not? As I said before, the creative process is never one-size-fits-all. We have to adapt to what we need. Maybe I've helped you find it, and maybe I haven't. But who knows? Maybe the next post will have something you've been looking for all your career.

Questions about a specific tool YOU need help finding? Questions about the industry as a whole, or how to get started? The comments are open!

Until next time,

Pixie