Tuesday, July 31, 2018

I Don't Have Time to Write, Part 2 by Angela Arndt

Last week’s post was about time-stealers: the things people will do instead of writing. And I love that yesterday’s post was Nine Tips for Finding Balance from Kimberly Rose Johnson, who somehow published nine books in 2017. Can you imagine having that much time? 
Handwriting is a hard way to write a book.


I hope today's list of tools, apps and/or programs will help with that and finally put an end to the excuse, “I don’t have time to write.” 

Dictation


Wouldn’t it be great to have a personal secretary to dictate your novel just like all those authors in the movies? There are a few programs that can do that. However, in order to save time, you're going to have to invest it first. 

Did you know your computer may already be set up to take dictation? Most computers have accessibility settings to handle speech-to-text. I don't need to post it here, because someone's already written anything you want to know about speech-to-text here


Sometimes There Are Distractions

Distraction-Free Writing

Do you ever wish for a simple program for writing? TextEdit is always available, but it's hard to write with all the dings, rings and pings. Then there's Solitaire, Friends with Words, and Candy Crush calling to you when you're stuck.

Is there a program out there to help you focus? Yes, there are several. 

A minimalist writing program has a simple screen with little distractions. Some reward you with typewriters clicks for each letter, another lets you write to the sounds of a coffee shop. If this sounds like it would be helpful, check the links below or Coffitivity for writing in a coffee shop.


Keep Your Notes in One Place

Have you ever had a notebook overstuffed with pieces of paper, envelopes, and sticky notes? Is your computer filled with chapters, scenes, research, and images related to your latest book? How can you keep them organized?
Too Much Information


Note-taking apps are great because you can take a photo of that article you see in the doctor's office and email it to an app. Take notes in a new document in the app or take a screenshot and import it. This post lists the app, price, and platform in an easy-t0-read chart.

The key to saving time is knowing what you need. You may not need to download a distraction-free app if you work from home in a quiet office. This afternoon, take a look at everything you accomplished today, identify your obstacles and figure out what you need to let you create more easily.

I hope these posts have helped. If you've used any of these programs and liked them, leave a comment and tell us how it helped. I'd love to hear from you.

Angela Arndt is a team member for Seriously Write. For more posts by Angie, click here.

About the Author

Angela Arndt
 Angela Arndt is Jesus-follower and God-lover. She loves to write women’s fiction with a thread of romance and tell stories of strong, independent women in difficult situations. Her biggest hope is that she will encourage others to overcome their own “back roads” to find their joy in the Lord.

She and her husband, Charles, live on a bee farm in the middle of a big wood with their three furbabies: Beau, Harley, and Buddy the Wonder Dog.

She's also team-member of Seriously Write. Click here for more posts by Angie. By the way, s
he'd love for you to join her on herwebsiteInstagramTwitter, or Facebook