In a writing group I joined recently online, the question of writing software for beginning writers came up. There’s a lot that beginning writers worry about because they haven’t found what works for them yet, but I don’t think software needs to be one of them. Not because there aren’t a lot of choices of writing software available, but because there really isn’t any need for a beginner to invest in specialized writing software. Focus on craft before tools wherever possible. The beauty of writing is that it’s got a low barrier to entry!
(Image via StockSnap)
A lot of writers swear by specialized writing software, like Scrivener for novelists or Celtx for screenwriters. These are great because they do, indeed, have the particular needs of their specialized users in mind. Scrivener is particularly great for writers who work scene-by-scene, for instance, and it’s true that Celtx is an industry standard right now. But you probably already have perfectly serviceable software at your fingertips already for whatever project you’re drafting.
The main players in word processing right now are Microsoft Word and Google Docs. I tend to alternate between them depending on my needs at the time, as neither is perfect but both will definitely get the job done for nearly any writing project.
Why don’t I advise Apple software like Pages? Compatibility.
In my teaching roles, I’m regularly helping students manage word processing programs. No hate to Apple users, but nearly every problem I’ve ever had in a classroom with compatibility has to do with Apple products. While there are simple ways to save to a more universal format in Pages (such as print to PDF), most users aren’t very aware of file formats and locations, and Apple’s interfaces don’t really help with that. So for my apple users, I would recommend using something that will be more compatible by default.
So, Word or Docs? Which to choose?
Both are robust programs with broad compatibility and great interfaces. So let’s get into what each program does really well.
Google Docs
Of course the biggest advantage for Google Docs is that it’s free. I pay for a Google One subscription because, after a decade of use for all kinds of files (including some video projects), I kind of need the extra storage. But it’s for most users, especially if you’re mostly using it for writing, it’s going to be free.
The second biggest advantage for Google Docs is its real-time collaboration abilities. I know of no other software that is as easy to use when you’re working with someone else on a document. I use it all the time with my students so that I can see what they’re writing, offer immediate feedback, write instructions or format information in real time, and even create large class projects. The other users don’t even need to be logged in if you use the “anyone with a link can edit” sharing option (but use that one only in cases where security is not a top concern, of course).
Another feature that is related to the collaboration advantages of Google Docs is the instant auto-save and the version control options. This means that if you need to see or revert to an earlier version, or see who made which changes, you can. This is a more advanced user skill, but easy enough to figure out if you need it. But more noticeable for most users is the fact that it instantly saves your changes and makes them available to any other users on the document.
Of course, there are a few drawbacks to Docs. There are some security concerns, of course, because it does work entirely in the cloud. There have even been some concerns lately about the terms of service for Google Docs. If you are writing in an environment with patchy internet access, such as in a cafe with poor wifi or on public transit, you may find Google Docs less useful.
Docs also lacks some features that are useful for some writers. This is only a slight drawback, though, because one of the strengths of Docs is that you can get “Add-Ons” for for several of these features easily from inside the program. The one I use most often allows me to sort paragraphs alphabetically, which I use when organizing sources in a bibliography or other such research tasks. However, Word already has this feature built into it, and it’s much easier to use there.
The feature that I miss most when using Docs, though, have to do with embedding images, such as making captions for images and formatting them with the text. If you are creating an image-heavy document, I don’t really recommend using Google Docs.
However, if you are using Docs for drafting or collaborating, it’ll do everything you need it to do for free and in an easy interface.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is massively powerful—far more powerful than most writers actually need. It will work best with a Microsoft 365 subscription, so it’s not exactly free, but it’s affordable for personal use. And the .docx file is widely compatible and generally recognized by most other platforms that you might be uploading to, such as if an agent uses a query tracking system, submitting assignments on a learning management system, or attaching documents for a job application. Like Docs, it can also export easily to PDF and can save in real time if you are storing your document on the OneDrive cloud, but it has the advantage of being able to work offline from a USB drive or a local file location if your circumstances make that work better for you.
Where Word excels for a writer is formatting. If you are writing a document that has to be in a very specific format, Word is your best friend. Word makes modifying styles and setting up repeating styles easy. It makes page layout easy. It makes captioning images easy, whereas Docs can’t really do that. If you need a specific page size, margin size, header, footer, or other format detail, Word will make it easy and there’s usually at least two ways to get it done. Word will happily take care of the formatting for you once you set it up, and that setup is pretty quick in most cases. It’s what I used for my dissertation formatting—and if you have ever done a thesis or dissertation, you know how exacting, arbitrary, and complex formatting for those documents can be.
Now, I do have one caveat for my praise for Word’s formatting capabilities: the web browser version kind of sucks. The web version will hide your header and footer, which causes my students no end of anxiety about where their page numbers went, and doesn’t have all the formatting abilities of the app itself.
Still, if you are doing something where you care a lot about the visual formatting of your document, or if you are just looking for a powerful general-purpose writing software, Word will do what you need it to do in a familiar interface.
So Which Is Better?
Better is very much a relative term. In fact, what might be best for you is a more specialized software for whatever type of writing you do most often. But these are my two go-to programs, and I alternate between them according to my needs at the time.
If I’m doing something that requires me to switch frequently between devices, collaborate with a team, or monitor another user, I’ll always choose Google Docs. Some of my NaNoWriMo novels were written in Google Docs because, in those years, I was often writing on the go, in libraries or switching between a laptop and a desktop, or otherwise in a scenario where I needed the agility of working on the cloud. I use it when I do classroom demonstrations because I know my students are familiar with Docs and because I can have them collaborate in real time on the document. Google Docs is great if you have constant internet access and want to be able to hop between access points or collaborate with someone else.
But the truth is that I actually prefer to work in Word. If I know I’ll be mostly working independently on my own computer at home, or at least just alternating between that and my tablet where I’ve set up OneDrive for easy access, then I’ll choose Word nearly every time. Docs has a streamlined interface that’s easy to pick up for new users, but Word gives me all the controls right there at the top. I can hide them if I’m finding them distracting (an option I have used on occasion). I can customize them so that the ones I need most are easily accessible.
Making the Most of Your Program
Whether I’m using Word or Docs, I’m going to be using the program’s abilities to make my writing easy to navigate and format. The refrain I tell my students regularly is “Let the computer do the work for you.”
I use automatic page numbers. I use word counts. Most notably, I use headings.
Headings are the tool I use to make these programs work better for my long projects, such as novel writing. Both can do them pretty well (although Word has more options and uses for headings).
When you use headings in these programs, you can also view a “document outline” in a separate pane to the side. This outline lets you click on the heading title to go directly to the start of that section. My chapter titles and numbers are all headings so I can see them at a glance.
What about the functionality of things like Scrivener to make notes, move around scenes, keep track of characters, etc? Well, yes, those are useful. I use a separate document for that, and have little desire to change my system at this point because it works for me. My separate document uses headers to designate areas for a list of characters, a list of places, and a list of scenes, as well as any other notes I might need to keep track of. Part of why I prefer these in a separate document is because I make each draft a separate document as well, so if I scrap a draft, I haven’t scrapped my notes. Yes, I do have to open at least two files every time I sit down to write, but I’ve got my devices set up to make that easy for me.
If you take anything from this discussion about how to improve your use of writing software, let it be that using headers will help you organize your writing. But even that isn’t the most important takeaway here.
The main idea here is that you don’t need to use specialized software to write a novel, or really any other kind of writing project. Any word processor will do. Whatever program you already know how to use is just fine for writing. If you don’t already have a comfortable space, or if you’re frustrated with some aspect of the program you’re currently using, by all means try out other programs. But ultimately, all the writing programs available nowadays are quite robust and will do the basic work of writing. All that matters is that you support your own writing process.
Please note: This is NOT a sponsored post in any way. This post is representative only of my lived experience and preferences with word processing software.
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