Word processors.
They're something I have a love/hate relationship with. While I love the feel of my fingers gliding across my keyboard (and how quick it is!), paper and pen certainly have their own charm.
I started writing on computers at the tender age of eight due to my learning disorders. I was very excited to have my own computer to mess around on, even though it was for school (trust me, a fair amount of Minecraft was watched).
Slowly, through help with my teachers and parents, I started writing more and more. Once I hit high school, I wrote my own fair share of terrible fanfiction, then moved onto original fiction.
In the past, I've used many a word processor: Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Pages, and many more.
I've found that Pages is favourite. It's simple, formats well, and is invisible to me while writing. It even gives me a word count at the bottom so I can tell how much I've written when I select a section of words. For me, it's the best arrangement and helps me get my maximum amount of words out.
Let's go over the pros and cons of each processor so you can decide what works for you.
Google Docs
Pros:
- Multiple people can work on it at once
- Commenting and suggesting features
- Your work is saved online and every few seconds
Cons:
- Can be slow when you reach more than 20 pages
- You can see your open tabs on your web browser
- Lots of buttons and widgets that can be distracting
Personal ranking: 6/10
Microsoft Word
Pros:
- Professional, clean
- Can give you a wide variety of formatting and text options
- Common in the writing world
Cons:
- Can be slow and easily outdated
- Must be paid for if not on PC
- Navigation can be difficult at first
Personal Ranking: 8/10
Pages
Pros:
- Easy to navigate, simple
- Offers a variety of formats and text types
- Clean, doesn't show more than is necessary
Cons:
- Font resets if you choose a different text type
- Seeing the word count can be stressful
- The grammar checker isn't consistant
Personal Ranking: 9/10
Your personal preferences on word processors will be different from mine. Each person has their own things they want in their writing and each processor caters to a different type of writer.
Simple, elegant, professional, cluttered, busy or complex -- it's up to you to find what works best for you!
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