Steve E Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 My December 2008 copy of MacWorld came in the mail today and I was pleased to see an article about National Novel Writing Month. (The article is called, Write a Novel in 30 Days) Well, I was pleased right up to the second section which made a comparison of novel writing software. If you go there (click on the article name above) you can read the writer's software commentary as well as link to MacWorld reviews. Now I know they were just reviewing Storyist 1.4, but how does StoryMill, Ulysses and CopyWrite get four mice, Scrivener get four-and-a-half mice, and poor old Storyist just get three-and-a-half mice? And what is all this obsessing over a full-screen edit mode? Perhaps Steve should install a big red button for it! Sorry. I just had to vent a little. Actually the rest of the article is pretty good. And I've been reading the magazine pretty much since it first came out in 1984 (same year as the Mac computer). I just don't get how they assign their mouse points. Flustered, -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguerite Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 My December 2008 copy of MacWorld came in the mail today and I was pleased to see an article about National Novel Writing Month. (The article is called, Write a Novel in 30 Days) Well, I was pleased right up to the second section which made a comparison of novel writing software. If you go there (click on the article name above) you can read the writer's software commentary as well as link to MacWorld reviews. Now I know they were just reviewing Storyist 1.4, but how does StoryMill, Ulysses and CopyWrite get four mice, Scrivener get four-and-a-half mice, and poor old Storyist just get three-and-a-half mice? And what is all this obsessing over a full-page edit mode? Perhaps Steve should install a big red button for it! Sorry. I just had to vent a little. Actually the rest of the article is pretty good. And I've been reading the magazine pretty much since it first came out in 1984 (same year as the Mac computer). I just don't get how they assign their mouse points. Flustered, -Thoth. The reviewer admits to preferring Scrivener because he doesn't like being reminded to include character details, conflicts, etc. Since those are the very features that make me prefer Storyist, precisely because, not being a plotter, I tend to forget about them, I think it's just evidence of a mismatch. That happens. Given the reviewer's proclivities, I thought it was a reasonably fair and well-rounded review. Not sure why he couldn't import RTF files--I haven't had trouble with them (except in the beta versions, but that's the point of beta versions). And if Steve really does introduce full-screen editing in version 2.0, these guys will have one less thing to complain about. Different folks! It is frustrating, though. Best, Marguerite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted November 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Thank you for the calming words, Lady M. It is unfortunate when a widely read reviewer dislikes something for the very reason you like it. But as you say, "different strokes for different folks". ”I GOT DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS.” — The then Cassius Clay, 1966, Great Bend Daily Tribune (Kansas), 11 November, page 6. Popularized in the song "Everyday People" by Sly Stone in 1969. I'm thinking cerebral embolism. -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 The reviewer admits to preferring Scrivener because he doesn't like being reminded to include character details, conflicts, etc. Since those are the very features that make me prefer Storyist, precisely because, not being a plotter, I tend to forget about them, I think it's just evidence of a mismatch. That happens. Given the reviewer's proclivities, I thought it was a reasonably fair and well-rounded review. Not sure why he couldn't import RTF files--I haven't had trouble with them (except in the beta versions, but that's the point of beta versions). And if Steve really does introduce full-screen editing in version 2.0, these guys will have one less thing to complain about. Different folks! It is frustrating, though. Best, Marguerite It did seem a little odd that he felt "hemmed in" by the optional features (i.e. the plot, character, and setting sheets), but overall, I thought this reviewer was thoughtful and tried to be even-handed (he also wrote the Scrivener review for Macworld). My only disappointment was that while comparing the "higher end" features, he didn't mention Storyist's support for headers, footers, and style sheets, which the other writing apps don't support. If it makes you feel any better, in a review for Creative Screenwriting titled "Mac users rejoice--this writing program gets it", novelist and screenwriter, Elizabeth M. Cosin gave Storyist a great review. -Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.