NaNoWriMo - Writing Tools for Mac Users

By Damien Barrett

So you've decided to take the plunge and participate in this year's National Novel Writing Month, in which thousands of people from around the world aspire to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It sounds crazy, but many people have done it successfully and a substantial number have even gone on to to successfully publish their work written during NaNoWriMo. But now the start date has rolled around and you're panicking, thinking, why on earth did I ever agree to try to write a novel in 30 days! Don't panic, there are some tools for Mac OS X that may help you write your NaNoWriMo novel:

  • Ulysses is a word processor designed for creative writers and doesn't have a lot of unnecessary buttons and features. It's streamlined functionality combined with some organizational tools to help you keep your plot, subplots and characters in line makes it a great choice for helping you to write your NaNoWriMo novel. There's a 30-day demo available for download. Use it for the 30 days of NaNoWriMo and if it helps you, buy it. If not, you're not out any cash.
  • Nisus Writer Express 2.5 is another lean word-processor with some powerful features. It's fast, stable, and liked by a large number of Mac users. There's also a fully-functional 30-day demo available.
  • Copywrite 2.0 is a very nice word-processor with excellent change-tracking features. There's a drawer for annotation and it allow for easy organization of chapters and project elements. There's a downloadable demo for aspiring writers to try.
  • Don't forget about Mac OS X 10.4's built-in dictionary and thesaurus provided by Oxford American Dictionaries. Panther users can download the free Nisus Thesaurus or visit any one of the free online dictionaries.
  • Dejal Time-Out! is a freeware program that will gently remind you take a break from your computer. You might be pounding out the words but breaks are healthy.

NaNoWriMo begins at midnight on November 1st every year. If you've decided to participate this year, we wish you the best of luck.
  

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