I don't usually talk about technique or really worry about what program posts are written on, but I've recently given Ommwriter Dana II a go because it was recommended to me. So I decided to set up a thread discussing what programs get used for writing posts and so forth, because my previous program of choice was whatever word processor I had handy.

The reason why I found it attractive enough to plunk down a few bucks for to buy is that it offered a reduced-distraction environment for writing and concentration. Of late, I've found that I tend to write posts when I slow down during a jog and the creative juices are flowing and I only have one freakin' screen rather than two screens, a taskbar, stuff that flashes in the background to notify me of a new message or whatever. Basically, I was writing on the phone because it was in a place of less distraction and more concentration, and when someone in IRC mentioned to me a program that helps recreate that environment, I said, "Okay, let's try it!"

And so Ommwriter sort of dispels all that very simply; full screen or nuthin', and it blanks out screen #2.

Well, it actually does seem to deliver what it's advertising in that sense -- immersion into the writing, and a blocker from all the little distractions. It keeps the popups from interrupting you.

The music is kinda cheesy, but it also fades right into the background fast, but I never had a problem writing with any kind of music so the music may well be a deal breaker. In that case, disable the elevator music and run a music app; it doesn't block that. I don't particularly mind the elevator music in most cases, but I wanted to see what I could do about music choices if I wasn't feeling the new age. I also disable the keyboard sounds because I already use a mechanical keyboard and get the sound feedback thing going naturally.

Ommwriter is very skimpy on formatting, but since the Guild uses BBcode anyway, it's not hard to just type it out manually (that's what I do anyway). The program does .txt and a proprietary file type, but that means I can open just about everything I have, as my RP stuff tends to be saved in .txt, making the transition pretty seamless for me. I suppose if I were doing something that required actual typefacing and editing, I'd copy and paste from ommwriter to Word or Librewriter or whatever I'm using and finish it off in there, though I have yet to use Ommwriter for a business purpose and don't expect to put it to that use very often at all.

Seeing as it is a 'set your own price' download, it's also a good buy for the average Guild member, as you can, if things are tight, lowball on the cost.

We're personally fond of using libre-office or Google docs here. Both of them heavily customized to be better to look at. Like dark background, reasonable text color, that sort of things.

You might want to check out FocusWriter. Its main selling point is a distraction-free environment and text customization. It's quite lacking in way of text formatting, but I don't dig fancy colorful text to begin with.

I just use Open Office. Plain and simple, handles all the formats I need or could want and is compatable with Word documents, which is also necessary for school.

And it's free.

I usually use Word or Google Docs. Simply because both save my work for me when I inevitably accidentally delete a post the size of New Jersey. And they're free.

I have an older PC and it came with Microsoft Word, so I mainly use that for my writing. It has always been great to me, so I haven't bothered using anything else.

Just discovered yWriter, not really my thing, but it supposedly has a ton of writing-aid features built in. I looked over the program and boy, it's a powerful tool in the hands of a dedicated writer (not me).

I actually tend to do my writing on the forum, but store it in Google Docs. I honestly don't know why, I just like to do it.

I tend to do my writing on the forum and then store it in PM's.

I use paperrater to check if I missed something while I am writing up a post or reading my final post. As for writing them, I write and save it in my private messages and on LibreOffice Writer (as backup).

It occured to me that I've been suggesting apps I don't really use.

When dealing with forum forms, I shamelessly use my trusted partner, Notepad++. Plaintext is best text, no argument. When I need decent spellchecking I chuck the entire thing to MS Word and let it do its magic. When I'm doing actual writing it's either FocusWriter (immersive writing a.k.a oh god did i just write down 5k words in an hour) or MS Word (proofreading, editing, anything else), using a file format that can be opened with both (.odt). Not really a fan of online text editors because the folder that contains most of my writing is backed up online already.

There are also applications/web apps I found immensely useful that's not a text editor. TheSage is an offline dictionary and thesaurus that would've been the best thing since sliced bread, if not for its donators-only update cycle. Seventh Sanctum is a random content generator where I have stolen countless names from. Lastly, Evernote, for when that flash of inspiration occurs when I'm not anywhere near a computer.

I still use Ommwriter; at work I do a lot of e-mails and some of them are important. You need about four good, effective sentences to state what you want very politely and it's your one shot to make a good impression. Any longer and they toss.

As a result, I like to plug in my headphones and drown out my office-mates, because it's an open office. I'm probably going to get some over-ear types soon.

At any rate, yeah, I'm not getting as much RPing done as I want these days because work is a huge priority in my life, but I am using this app for other things. I draft in Ommwriter, then move it over to word to spellcheck and then pop it into an e-mail to finish it off.