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pjeremy

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 66

looking for wordprocessor for writers

Does anyone know of wordprocessors specifically designed for writers for Linux?
There are several such programs for OSX (such as:  Avenir, CopyWrite, Manuscript, Scrivener, Storyist, Ulysses, etc..) but I don't know of any for Linux.

bt

Member

Registered: 2007-04-11

Posts: 198

Re: looking for wordprocessor for writers

Look at latex. The texlive package is in AUR.
A bit of a learning curve, but it turns out to be simple and effective.

Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

Website

Re: looking for wordprocessor for writers

You might also want to look into Lyx if you use LaTeX.

Dusty

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eyolf

Member

From: Copenhagen

Registered: 2005-11-29

Posts: 339

Website

Re: looking for wordprocessor for writers

I don't know any of those programs, but after a quick look at Scrivener and Avenir, it seems that LaTeX is NOT what you're looking for. The major features of those programs seem to be outlining, some kind of database-like way of organizing notes, references, "post-it"s, chapters, etc., and the ability to quickly reorganize and merge the final text. For that kind of thing I don't know of a single program that does it all, so here are some alternatives, off the top of my head:
1. LyX has been mentioned. Apart from giving you access to the powerful LaTeX backend for the final typesetting (including packages for plays, poetry, etc), it has a pleasantly customizable interface, and fairly decent outlining features, but no "scrap-board" and all the other things to organize things outside of the text.
2. Another option would be to look at the outlining tools there are. I've used kdissert to some extent (it's called Semantik now). It's basically a mindmapping tool, but there is much room for editing text for each of the "nodes" in the map, and it can all be viewed as a continuous text, and exported to many other formats (html, openoffice, LaTeX, etc).
3. or a wiki-like solution? Zim is a nice little app which makes it quite easy to keep track of different files and ideas through the wiki-style linking.  The advantage over the other wiki solutions for a writer is that  the editor is rather capable and has a LyX-like WYSIWYM (what you see is what you mean) appearance. I like it quite a lot, and have actually used it for some "creative writing".
4. If the ability to shuffle and reorganize and to save bits of information and notes here and there is important, you could have a look at tiddlywiki or some of the other browser-based solutions (wiki-on-a-stick, etc.). Tiddlywiki is one html file with loads of scripting in it where every item (a "tiddler") can be placed wherever you want, made hidden, made sticky, whatever. There is also a sidebar for quick access to your synopsis and the main chapters :-) That it is one file also means that you can put it on an usb stick and write anywhere you like, as long as you have access to a computer with  a browser on it. The disadvantage is that you write in wiki markup, which may not be ideal.

Well, these were just some ideas. None of them match Scrivener completely, but they're all good tools which you might want to try out.

oli

Member

From: 127.0.0.1

Registered: 2006-02-07

Posts: 164

Website

Re: looking for wordprocessor for writers

I'm using TeX and Vim for my PhD. And no, it's not computer science

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Use UNIX or die.

pjeremy

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 66

Re: looking for wordprocessor for writers

Thanks for the suggestions.
While I like LaTeX for my university papers, it's not quite what I'm looking for.
Zim looks rather decent though.
Thank you eyolf.