Writing tools I cannot live without

 

After reading this blog, I was inspired to make my own list of writerly tools I cannot live without. I realise that I haven't really used pen and paper for serious writing for several years (close on 20 now), but I do have a couple of other tools that I simply cannot do without, whether I am just blogging, or if I am seriously writing.

1. My family: my husband and daughter provide oodles of inspiration as well as support. And, while they cannot really be considered tools of the trade, I will not be able to write without them. And, of course, my daughter is my ideal reader.
2. My laptop: the model and make is not as important as the mobility it provides. I have had a variety of laptops over the past 8 years, the current one being an HP 8710p with a 17" screen. For me, the screen size of the current laptop is a great bonus, because, well, it allows me to see more on screen.
3. Music: I have noticed that I write my best work when I am listening to the right music. I can be in the noisiest or most unfriendly environment, and, as long as I am listening to the right music, I am all right. Most of Young Gods was written with The Parlotones and Bryan Ferry providing the sound track. Other types of writing demands other soundtracks, but all my writing needs music to breathe.
4. Books: I read as much as possible. It is a well-known fact that you cannot write if you cannot read. Typically, I will read continuously for a couple of months, and then write for a couple of months. It is rare that I do both at the same time. I do read a wide variety of book (as wide as the budget will allow), but my favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Haruki Murakami and, recently, Neil Gaiman.
5. Google:  How can I find source pictures, stories, history, anything, without Google? And closely linked to that is Wikipedia.
6. Other blogs: there are a couple of blogs that I read religiously, some for inspiration, some for information. My favourite writing related blogs at the moment are:
   1. Pub Rants - Agent blog
   2. Lit Soup - Agent blog
   3. Neil Gaiman - Author blog
   4. Daily Writing Tips - writing blog
   5. I Should Be Writing - writing blog
7. Photoscape: my current favourite photo editor, and it is free (download here).
8. Windows Live Writer: the best blogging client I have ever used, ever. Seriously. It is compatible with all my blog hosts, and have a range of nifty features that make blogging super easy. And it is free too (download here).
9. Chocolate: Do I really need to say more? Favourites are Lindt, and the Pear and Caramel dark chocolate from Woolworths.
10. My mobile phone: I have been blogging via email for several years now, and set it up specifically so I can blog from my phone. My current phone is a HTC s710 (Vox) and I love it dearly.

Now playing: Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Deanna