What writing programs do you use?

[Phantom]

Hey everyone!

 

Recently I've come into a dilemma, and I figured I'd seek out you input and advice. It's nothing to serious, but it's something that I kinda want to see what others think.

 

To date, I've been using really three different programs to write my stories, OpenOffice.org, MS Office and Google Docs. I like all three but it's getting to the point where I can't remember where I put my stories and such, or the one format I save it in isn't compatible with a program.

 

So, out of the three, which do you prefer to use and why? It'll go a long way to helping me with this deliema. Also, if there's another program that you use, please post it and describe it a little, I'm always intrested in trying new things!

 

Eric

[MikeL]

I use Microsoft Word to beta/zeta read stories for Kit. I believe he uses whatever is the standard word processor for Apple computers. I have had no compatibility issues and do not believe he has had any.

 

My wife uses both Microsoft Word and the Open Office word processor interchangeably on any one document with no hitches. I think there is a lot of compatibility among word processors.

[Sir Galahad]

None of the above. lol

 

Use Corel WordPerfect Office x4. I use MS Office at work, but if I have to take docs home, wordperfect can still edit them. Just find the whole program easier to use than Office 2007, plus it comes with Quattro Pro which I use quite a lot for spreadsheets etc.

[TalonRider]

At work, I use Micro Soft Office 2003, so that's what I use at home. It comes in handy if I need to some work from home, which is rare. It comes in handy, if I need to catch up on some editing as well. When I have my work done that is.

[Graeme]

My wife uses both Microsoft Word and the Open Office word processor interchangeably on any one document with no hitches. I think there is a lot of compatibility among word processors.

I use Open Office, but my editors use MS Word (I believe). I have had a few problems with Word documents, but only in specialised areas (such as embedded textured backgrounds, or complex table constructs).

 

I've given up on MS Word -- if someone sends me a document in their latest format, I just send it back and ask for something that's readable I've already gone through all the hassles when MS changed their document formats once, and everyone had to upgrade to be able to read the new formats. I don't intend to do the same again.

[Mark Arbour]

I use Open Office, but my editors use MS Word (I believe). I have had a few problems with Word documents, but only in specialised areas (such as embedded textured backgrounds, or complex table constructs).

 

I've given up on MS Word -- if someone sends me a document in their latest format, I just send it back and ask for something that's readable I've already gone through all the hassles when MS changed their document formats once, and everyone had to upgrade to be able to read the new formats. I don't intend to do the same again.

 

I use Open Office as well. One of the quirky things I've noticed about it is when I type/save in MS doc format, sometimes I end up with extra spaces. I think that's because it doesn't display spaces at the edges of the margins. I can live with it, but it pisses my team off.

[Emulated]

I used MS Word 2002 for my first two chapters I wrote, but quickly moved over to OpenOffice.

 

The reason being that Word liked to mess around with the layout and paragraphs when I saved the chapters into a .html file- (which I use to upload efiction and Nifty).

 

But something to consider with OOffice is the fact that it gets quite slow in any document over ~4500-5000 words long. By slow I'm talking about a few second delay between pressing on the keyboard to seeing it appear -(My pc is relatively quick otherwise). I've also noticed that it's dictionary and correction tools are not as good as the ones available in Word.

 

On the plus side it's free and handles .html layouts nicely. It can also save in .doc which makes it easy to send to Word users/Editors.

 

I recommend that you use whichever one does the best job, or better still, the one you're most comfortable with using.

[Mark Arbour]

I used MS Word 2002 for my first two chapters I wrote, but quickly moved over to OpenOffice.

 

The reason being that Word liked to mess around with the layout and paragraphs when I saved the chapters into a .html file- (which I use to upload efiction and Nifty).

 

But something to consider with OOffice is the fact that it gets quite slow in any document over ~4500-5000 words long. By slow I'm talking about a few second delay between pressing on the keyboard to seeing it appear -(My pc is relatively quick otherwise). I've also noticed that it's dictionary and correction tools are not as good as the ones available in Word.

 

On the plus side it's free and handles .html layouts nicely. It can also save in .doc which makes it easy to send to Word users/Editors.

 

I recommend that you use whichever one does the best job, or better still, the one you're most comfortable with using.

 

You know, now that you mention it, I've noticed the dictionary isn't as good either. Although I upgraded to the latest version not too long ago and found that some French words that Americans use, like cafe and fiance, seem to be in there now, complete with the appropriate accents.

[old bob]

I began about 25 years ago with Wordperfect and Lotus !!!

Today Microsoft Office 2007. I tried also others, but came soon back to Microsoft. I'm used to it, and too old to change

[corvus]

OpenOffice, because it's free.

[LongGone]

If I had my preference, I'd still be using Word Perfect on my Mac. Only it's no longer made and it only runs under OS9. I was using it until about a year ago. I have Word and it's barely tolerable. I use OpenOffice to show my scorn at MicroSloth. However it's not any better than Office -- just slower but cheaper. Word/OO make everything I want to do unnecessarily complex and very unwieldy.

[Verm]

MS Office Word 2007. Felis Character Roster to keep track of the population.

[TalonRider]

A couple of the authors I work with send me files done in Office 2007. I couldn't open then in 2003, so one author sent me a link where I could pick up a converter.

[sat8997]

I have both MS Word 2007 and OpenOffice, but I mainly use the Word 2007. I like the editing features better.

[Krista]

Microsoft Word. A terribly old 2000 version? I thought it was younger than that... damn now I know I can't call Steven "Fossil".... I started my writing on this program..

 

 

Sigh.. Krista is getting old.

[SRevol]

Microsoft Word 2003 n_n

[darkfoxprime]

I use OpenOffice when I'm editing someone's work, but for my own stuff, I use "vi", the plain Unix text editor.

[Tipdin]

I've been using Microsoft Word for a long time but I just recently bought an Apple and had no choice but to change over to using Apple's word processing program called Pages. MAJOR downgrade. It sucks.