My Favorite Tools For Writing 🖌️

Daily writing starts with a familiar default—Microsoft Word—but the real leverage comes earlier, during drafting and plotting, when structure and organization determine whether ideas turn into a coherent manuscript. For traditional publishing in particular, the workflow is built around a target word count from the outset, because many agents request submissions in Word format and because pacing and length have to land within specific limits.

The process begins in a “novel notebook,” a free-form space for dumping ideas: character sketches, pitches, concepts, settings, and even the logic of a magic system. Instead of forcing plot to make immediate sense, the notebook prioritizes world-building and connections among story elements, so later drafting can insert plot events into a compelling background. Once the writer settles on genre and age category, the maximum word count becomes the organizing constraint that drives the next step.

That constraint feeds into a beat-sheet generator (a free framework) that produces a customizable template based on major story milestones—opening image, theme, break into two, All Is Lost, and other key turning points. The generator outputs a beat map that can be printed or kept digitally, ensuring the story follows a clear emotional arc. From there, a master Excel spreadsheet becomes the “plot point tracker,” especially helpful for a writer who tends to draft as they go and then feels lost. The spreadsheet template (downloadable from Jericho Riders) automatically calculates when to switch between beats based on the target word count, and it can be expanded with columns for scene breakdowns, character involvement, consequences, and conditional formatting to flag pacing or underdeveloped scenes.

To visualize structure, the workflow pairs Excel with Plotter, an app that uses drag-and-drop digital note cards on a virtual storyboard. Each card can store scene details—synopsis, setting, character involvement, and more—while arrows and rearrangement make cause-and-effect relationships and plot progression easier to see. For writers who want a more centralized system, Scrivener acts like a binder: chapters, scenes, research notes, and character profiles live as separate documents that can be compiled into a formatted manuscript export. Scrivener also includes corkboard-style drag-and-drop organization, hierarchical outlining with collapsible sections, and split-screen editing for comparing draft versions or cross-referencing research while writing.

Accountability is handled through a calendar-based writing schedule: at least one hour per day, split into two chunks (morning and evening), regardless of word count. When drafts are complete, Scrivener compilation exports a nicely formatted document—often double-spaced and already query-ready—so editing can continue in Microsoft Word, where page count and length are easy to verify.

Finally, the productivity push extends beyond tools into learning, with Skillshare promoted as a platform for creative classes and learning paths, including a short fiction track built around exercises and community feedback. A one-month free trial is offered to the first 500 users via a link in the description.