What software do you use to write? What do the pros use? I've tried the free Abiword, but something about it just doesn't seem right.
Long hand.
TeXworks
I prefer writing with a pencil but it's inconvenient to revise outside of Word. The best chapters of my manuscript were drafted longhand first
Pros write longhand, then have someone transcribe for them and print it, so they can read again and start making corrections. But you could write on notepad and be done with it. It's irrelevant, really. Just get your work done.
>>7593125
>Abiword
For something free and full-featured yet not as bloated as Word, LibreOffice is the way to go
What's wrong with Word peeps?
I write LaTeX source in Emacs. Whenever I have to pause writing I can just compile and look at the nice setting.
Scrivener is pretty good for papers, it should work for books to
ed
>>7593125
Open office
LibreOffice
The best.
>>7593230
OpenOffice has been left to stagnate for the past few years though. Many of the developers on the team ended up on the LibreOffice project, which is still in active development (although they're taking their sweet time porting to Android).
>>7593258
Writing software doesn't stagnate. If it was fit for purpose ten years ago then it still is now. Do you think Notepad needs updating? Fuck no.
>>7593282
Except OpenOffice is buggy as shit and notepad is stable.
>>7593282
There are security concerns, for example. Plus the fact that these open-source projects emulate most but not all functions of Word. They don't always match on some of the more obscure formatting functions etc. (and other programs have more significant issues, most notably LibreOffice's emulation of PowerPoint, although of course that one's not as directly relevant to /lit/), but they're fine for 99% of everyday use.
I use a couple of text editors with tab functionality.
There's no need for anything more until you finish and need to submit in a format.
I'm strongly in favor of WordPad which I use daily, both in work and in leisure time. It's more complete than Notepad and provides enough features to format a text—bold, italic, text alignment, colors and so on—along with the object insertion. In my case, small Excel sheets, eDrawMax flowcharts, pictures or formulas. It's light and straightforward, there's no room to waste its time with all the useless options of OpenOffice or Word, although I often use the later for final, fully completed and corrected documents. It's a nice balance between a notebook and weighty softwares that aren't really convenient to write quickly without much care to the appearance. The .rtf files are readable for almost everyone and thanks to their lightness, I can make a lot of files.
>>7593150
I'm not inherently against open source and free softwares but one must realize it's simply impossible for a lot of people. I work in the finance industry, more exactly as an auditor specialized in investment fund audit, and I have to deal each day with accounting files provided in .xls, .xlsx, .csv and sometimes in .pdf and .txt. I just can't give up Excel and waste my time converting and converting again the thousands of documents I treat. The same way, I was educated in order to use Excel and I'm still learning on Excel for this very purpose. It would be questionable to suddenly switch to a free software when I come home. People advocating for free, open-source alternatives are pretty much disconnected of this reality many experience and can't understand we don't all have the same setting as them. I sincerely would like to cut off Microsoft's products, just like I really hate to have to carry an iPhone but I don't have the choice.
Google docs
Libreoffice.
>>7593382
>, just like I really hate to have to carry an iPhone but I don't have the choice.
yeah i have the same problem, i really hate being forced to wear dolce and gabbana underwear but it's just the only ones that make my balls feel comfy like floating in a cloud, i mean wish i could just wear some hanes like a man of the people, damn why must i be so patrish
>>7593403
I unironically know this feeling
>>7593403
I hate Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google and all these new technologies companies. The iPhone is not a gift or an additional feature to the contract—like if I want to request a car on leasing—but a mandatory item. I would gladly buy a basic phone, I strongly dislike smartphones, or even not have any since I have one at home and a Cisco one at work. This isn't that much uncommon, I know other people that were “forced” to take a laptop or a phone, sometimes to make sure they're available after work.
>>7593382
>pretty much disconnected of this reality
>I don't have the choice.
It is you who is disconnected from this reality, friend. Of course you have a choice, you're just too much of a conformist to make it
P.S. I dont give a shit about open source software, but this type of mentality just sends voltage up my anus
>>7593406
god damn peep this hoodie, $700 not unaffordable, will try to cop
>>7593413
Ugh, I just hate not being able to use an Android phone - It's not compatible with my new Apple™ iMac™
>>7593427
Damn that's nice
>>7593425
dude open source for desktop shit is retarded, i use open source on the server side and for development whenever possible, but using open source knock offs of matlab or powerpoint is just stupid and makes you look like a boob...open source in the data center is patrish, open source on yo phone is pleb
>>7593425
Having to resign from any job in my field because I don't want to use a product from Apple is what you call a “choice”? That's stupid and it has nothing to do with being “conformist”. You talk like you would have the “balls”—assuming that's what I want in my heart—to give up on years of work and education to live an Apple-free life if you were in that situation. You sound like you never really had to make any decision.
>>7593439
Apple is one of the best companies for consumer goods anyways...you want some cheap chinese bullshit that comes with malware and nagware preinstalled? you want a phone that is basically a block of spyware in your pocket like a google phone? android is fucking disgusting and google is a sick company, apple products cost more because you're paying to buy the product, when you use an android phone YOU are the product to google's customers which is to say advertising and tracking big data companies
>>7593430
Android is only cheaper if your privacy has no value
>>7593447
But Apple products are made in China...
>>7593453
Apple is an American luxury brand, it's not Chinese.
>>7593447
Didn't you read me? I hate Apple as much as Google or Samsung or any corporation of this kind. I find the very idea of a smartphone disturbing, and honestly see no interest in it. I would like to go back to some Nokia or, as I said, nothing. I almost solely use the Cisco system in the office and my private line when I don't work, and I can't remember the last time I received and answered a call on this iPhone. Yet they expect us to carry it, but the other guy is right, I should have expressed during the interview my deep concerns with Apple, Google, Microsoft and the rise of connectivity related issues, private life protection and work ethics. I'm sure I still would have passed the screening, right? In ten years, maybe, I would have a grade high enough and enough respect from my colleagues to kindly ask to give it back but in this moment all I can do about it is to keep quiet and avoid looking like a freak. To go back to the software discussion, most people working have to deal with Microsoft and don't have the choice, simply because formats like .xls are absolutely everywhere and there's nothing we can do about it. Asking the company to change is pointless if not risky and saying “man, you have the choice of giving up your college years and cut off your professional career so you won't have to deal with Excel” is the speech of those who never been in this situation.
>>7593476
all u faggots need to stop being such fucking edgelords
>>7593476
>i have no friends to call me on my phone so i hate apple
you don't use your phone for email? you don't use your phone to look at stocks, weather, and maps? you don't use it to take photos? you don't use it to listen to music?
your work seriously gave you a phone but you don't have it hooked into their email and calendar system? i call bullshit, nice fantasy "mr. finance professional"
>>7593497
>you don't use your phone for email?
No, because I have a VPN access to the company sever from the computer and I don't feel like frenetically checking them when I'm on my way to the office.
>you don't use your phone to look at stocks
No, because we have six Bloomberg terminals at our floor and I can't work with forbidden sources, which include almost everything except Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, Telekurs and Datastream regarding the pricing part of my work. We also have to take a screenshot of every page we are using and finally, auditing an investment fund isn't “watching stocks”. Good luck pricing OTC derivatives with the cute application provided on iOS.
>weather
? No?
>maps?
In what situation has anyone ever feel obliged to use this?
>you don't use it to take photos?
Well I do, that's true. Yet it's not related to work and more related to laziness, I got a camera.
>you don't use it to listen to music?
No, I already had something to listen to music, I didn't wait to work.
>your work seriously gave you a phone but you don't have it hooked into their email and calendar system?
Surprisingly no, we must do it manually yet barely nobody use it except when travelling and I currently don't.
>i call bullshit, nice fantasy
From someone who unironically thinks Stocks has ever been seriously used I find you quite irrelevant on the subject.
>>7593125
Indesign
>>7593519
dude, you're retarded, i'm not suggesting the stocks apps is going to replace one of those gay ass bloomberg terminals (which is just a unix box with multiple video cards, they are shit from a technical prospective) you never used the maps app to find something? i guess you don't live in the city, which seems odd since you claim to be some wall street badass straight out of a hollywood movie p.s. finance is gay why don't u grow a pair and start a business
>>7593548
You look more and more like you have no idea of what you're talking about. I audit investment funds. Auditing. I'm not an investment manager, nor work for a private bank or a custodian bank. I'm not a broker. I don't care the slightess about the fluctuations of the stock market since I price the securities at a single date, usually the closing date, and that's all I have to care about. If it's the 31th December, I don't give a damn about what is this stock price the 30th and honestly, I still don't think a more concerned person who use this retarded application. A Bloomberg may be ugly but is priceless to work and we wouldn't pay huge fees if this could be avoided. I don't use Maps, because I still can search on Google at office/home before leaving and no, I'm not leaving in the city, that's why I take the train as aforementioned. And I'm not from “Wall Street”. I don't even think an audit and tax consulting company is located there.
libreoffice
Word.
>>7593578
why that sounds mind numbingly boring, how did you end up on such an uncreative and bland job? are you asian or something?
>>7593391
this.
>>7593382
Yes if there's some specialized business use for which Excel etc. are the only real options, then of course they're the ones to use. But as far as the discussion here, about the average /lit/izen doing some writing (likely on a limited budget), then free and open-source choices are highly relevant.
>>7593465
>Apple
>luxury brand
LMAO
>>7593753
It's not that much boring, I'm exaggerating a bit to underline how much is it meaningless to follow the stock market in my situation. In order to audit a fund, we need to know how much its assets are worthing and it requires to price securities, ask for files to the promoter, make a tailored valuation for an exotic product or an OTP derivative. When there's less work—basically, closing periods are in January, April and July—we can spend our time on project, like developing a new tool with the IT, defining new procedures, working to acquire new clients, establishing a connection with more promoters or creating more efficient audit process. The department I'm currently working in has been created from nothing by our director, which was and still is a bit like creating its own business. The company gives a lot of freedom so we can innovate. I wouldn't say at all it isn't creative. Also, we have the opportunity to practice many languages. I often use French or German. In addition, it has a nice pay-off—nothing ludicrous, I started my career with $42,000 a year—and outstanding features. A car, $200 worth of meal vouchers, a yearly bonus—very rarely more than $2,000—and other enjoyable advantages like a special bank account, an underground gym and overall a very comfortable workspace. I got there by chance, I applied with a low-tier degree and managed to convince the interviewers with my knowledge and interest in the financial field.
>>7593780
I talked about my own experience but I frankly can't think of a remotely big company which doesn't require at least Excel. I don't have the feeling it's a “specialized” utilisation. Of course, you can write on your leisure time with a software of your choice but, you know, once you use Word and Excel on a daily basis, it's arguable to switch at the end of the day.
I only relies on notepad.
>>7593784
yeah people are driving their lambo with some shitty HTC One android phone they got at a t-mobile store in the hood right? fuck outa here poorlord
I use Word 2016 because I don't know of any other word processor that isn't a free version of Microsoft Word.
>>7594652
i used Pages because it costs 20$ perpetual license on OSX and the iOS version comes free with any device and u can share files between ur iCloud
Word 2010, got it for free, it just werks etc
Haven't upgraded to whatever the newer version is because apparently it doesn't have the gray theme that is as dark as my soul.
>>7594702
Don't know about 2011-2015, but 2016 has a gray theme, it's pretty gray.
OpenOffice because Bill Gates doesn't own me
>>7593125
Scrivener is very useful for novels or long academic papers. Anything that either requires a lot of research or has a lot of moving parts.
>>7594770
Oh shit, just googled it and you're right. Has actual black too. Thanks.
>>7593125
Focus writer. If you seriously use ms office kill yourself. At least use WordPerfect
>>7593519
>OTC
>derivatives
Uwot
>>7593125
1st draft is always pen and paper, usually I use one of three things for word processing, google docs, libreoffice writer, or MS word 2013 which was the last release that hasn't been "optimized for the mobile experience"
who the fuck writes papers, prose, or poetry on a mobile device without a physical keyboard?
>>7594858
What do you not understand?
pen and paper
>>7593910
>HTC One
those things are fucking nice bruh
Writemonkey
FocusWriter
>>7593234
Me too. It works. It just plain, flat-out, fuckin' works for me. Free and awesome. Might actually donate after the refund comes from Uncle Sucker and tax season.
>>7593125
Google Docs.
I can easily share it between devices and people. The only downside is if I encounter a place with poor internet, but I never leavey basement so that's not a problem!
Also there's the constant fear that maybe some google employee is reading your every word , but really that can apply to so many things.
Vi
>>7595663
>Not Evil
Really?
>>7593139
"Once my professor said to always use LaTeX unless you are writing a letter to your lover, but I didn't listen. I use LaTeX even for that."
>>7593452
Damn right, filthy google ogling all your data. Based Apple wouldn't even think of that, and also would never ever allow anyone to invade your privacy. Especially not by automatically uploading all your private photos to their tightly secured cloud.
But google, I tell you... those customized ads will probably chain you forever to consumerism.
>>7593125
Word for fiction.
WriterDuet for screenplay.
sublime
>>7593910
of course not. rich people use Vertus
>>7593125
Adobe FrameMaker
source: I'm a pro writer
FocusWriter
Notepad ですね
