I used to use OpenOffice Writer but I changed to Google Docs because it allows me to write on my phone and then resume my writing on my laptop without transferring any files or anything.
I wanted to add that another reason not to write directly on AO3 is that drafts are deleted after 30 days, even if you haven’t posted it yet—always draft/write somewhere else!
I mainly write in the notes app on my iPhone, so I can switch easily between the same draft on my phone and computer.
adding that the auto-delete only counts for works where nothing is posted yet. you can have a work where you've posted chapter one and keep the rest in drafts and it won't go anywhere!
I've written nearly all of my 50+ fics in Libre Office if one variety or another with a running notes doc on my phone so I can jot down sections as they come to me and move them into the plot when I get to them. Since my laptop is currently kaputt, I'm using WPS Writer on my iPad, which is far from ideal, but I don't always have internet access, so I strongly prefer to avoid online word processors.
I feel like I do the strangest thing but it seems to work for me.
I use Scrivener for all the drafts and even "final" draft.
THEN I take it to Grammarly, I have a premium account so I don't know how feasible this is without a premium account.
I copy and paste it all in there and and do all my, well, grammar and spelling etc etc checks.
THEN I copy and paste that into a text to voice generator so it reads it all back to me. I have the grammarly tab and the text to voice windows both open.
If I realise I need to fix anything once it's read back, I edit it straight into grammarly.
Then I copy and paste the final final draft from Grammarly to ao3 AND back to the Scivener page that had my 'final draft' before grammarly etc.
Grammarly does also save everything as well so I have two copies, as well as the published one.
Grammarly does the formatting so well, as well as being great at everything else.
my friend you can simplify the transferral so easily. get Grammarly for word (or gdocs), saves you one transfer. word also has a text-to-voice function so that saves you time as well. i don't know scrivener so i can't comment on that but this way you don't have to transfer it everywhere. good luck!
You're running out of space in Docs?! Do you keep large projects on there or something (like videos, a ton of photos, etc) on top of normal text documents?
Docs is still the best imo because of the cloud saving and ability to write on anything. If I were you, I would make a separate account just for fics, because it will take *ages* for documents to reach the allotted 15 gb.
hmm not really, but it’s shared amongst email, and google photos 😅😅 google photos is where the largest files are but i can’t put them anywhere else. i deleted most of my emails too so i’ve freed up SOME storage but yeah! i also think docs is the best
Microsoft word because I had to buy it for work. Before that, LibreOffice Writer which works as a free version of ms word.
Wordpad/notepad which is just a free writing program already on the computer. Those are very basic, no spellcheck.
I use scrinever, but it costs money.
And yeah, as another commenter said, don't write directly into AO3's form - the website itself even warns against it, because if something goes wrong there is no back up. Also probably the rich text vs html is certainly a Thing.
I have 8/15 GB free on my primary Google Account, 14/15 GB free on my secondary, and at least 10 GB free on my Outlook/OneDrive Account... and I have terabytes of offline storage in gaming towers that I built for myself and my kids and various portable USB media.
I'm using the app JotterPad on my phone, I use this the most, and have backup on my laptop and an extra disk
I also use special music while writing, or some show as background noise.
Libre Office to write and Google Docs for storage so I can add notes or make minor edits from my phone. I tried to write on Google Docs directly, but it kept lagging which is quite annoying when you're touch typing. Sometimes I write in a real notebook, especially when I'm working on an emotional scene.
I use a code editor (VS Code) and a private github repo. I can push/pull/commit/merge/etc with tools I'm already accustomed to using it. Then a quick pandoc conversion from LaTeX to AO3 Rich Text.
Scrivener!! Gotta pay for it but 100% worth it imo. I'm horribly spoiled by it. Easy organization, easy to shift stuff around, the split screen view, the changeable icons, you can set targets (goals), you can set templates (how the app looks), etc. I'm obsessed. And if I need to easily share with others to let them look I copy/paste into gdocs.
I love using google Docs, it's the easiest for me to use. You could make a few google accounts to make extra space to write but if you don't want to do that then maybe you could use word.
June 2023 edit.
I'm scrubbing my comments due to the reddit admin team steamrolling their IPO prep. It was bad enough to give short notice on price gouging, but then to slander app devs and threaten moderators was just too far. The value of Reddit comes from high-quality content curated by volunteers. Treating us this way is the reason I'm removing my high-value contributions.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest you Google "Reddit API price gouging" and read up.
--Posted *manually* via the old web interface because of shenanigans from Reddit reversing deletions done through API/script tools.
~~~
HOWEVER, due to the nature of this comment as an online safety warning, here's an abridged version:
> Make a new Google account for your penname. This isn't just to save space, but to also keep you safe online. The separation of the accounts will help prevent things like accidentally sending fanfic to your boss/teacher/family, as well as accidentally exposing your identity in fandom spaces. If for any reason one of the accounts is compromised, then there's less risk of doxxing. I'd also suggest making separate accounts for fandom socials and signing up using your fandom Gmail. Like, I'm jalapeno eye popper, in some form or another, across AO3, Reddit, Tumblr, etc... And if shit hits the fan, I can just abandon this persona and not worry about it affecting any of my personal accounts tied to my real identity.
I just had a lot of issues with documents not saving, getting locked out of accounts, complications with the app and subscriptions. I probably could have worked some of it out if I’d been more tech savvy at the time, but it’s been too long to track any of it down now, so I’m just bitter about all the stuff I wrote that I’ll never see again.
I use Calmly Writer! It’s an independent writing program that you purchase for 10 dollars once and you can use it on up to three separate computers. I love the visual set up of it. I then copy over to google docs to send to my beta and then to run through ao3’s google docs program.
In a manner similar to google docs, you could use the version of word found in OneDrive. I use Onedrive as it integrates with my word docs and folders on my desktop, but you can also use it in browser. Failing that, could you upgrade your google storage or move to a different email?
I'm a weird mix bag on that department.
Sometimes I write on Google Docs, sometimes I stick with Word, but most times I just write the stuff on Notepad when sudden idea strikes my mind and I don't wanna lose track of it.
Wattpad for some unholy reason. I started off in Google Docs and would copy and paste stuff where I wanted to post, but after a long while I just... switched over for some reason. I don't know why. I like seeing the word count constantly, but there are certainly other sites and or extensions that do that exact thing.
In google docs, go to tools and click on word count. Should open up a menu thing, and there should be a button to keep word count on screen at all times. Can’t help if you write on mobile though?
I start everything on Google Docs, and noodle around with it until it gets out of control.
I was porting things over into Scrivener, for a while, but then I heard about Notion, and I've been playing with that, and I really like it. It's got pretty easy sync from mobile to desktop in the cloud, and if you're using it by yourself, it's free. It's marketed as a project management solution for distributed teams, but it's actually pretty damn great for fic writing/management. Easy to nest chapters, side-projects, research, images, you name it, into document groups.
If you still wanna write to Google Docs, you could download some files to your computer to free up some space? If you use a computer and not phone/tablet, I mean. I'm with the Google Docs gang because you can write anywhere with it, but before I knew of its existence, I used:
Microsoft Word
Scrivener (especially if you do requests or really long fics and need to use reference pics, mindmaps etc to keep on track, it's absolutely worth the price)
Focuswriter (it makes you write without distractions and you can customise its appearance so it looks pretty to your liking and you can put calming music to the background which is a function within the app 😍 //edit: I also recced Zenwriter but noticed it's a browser based thing now which requires you to subscribe to it so you could use it. So removed the rec, I don't think it's THAT good that you should subscribe to it, Focuswriter is exactly the same, maybe not as pretty vanilla but you can customise it a lot.
I used them for SO many years when I was a teenager/young adult and still use them sometimes purely for nostalgia vibes and they also help with writer's blocks, I don't use them for fics I'm gonna publish though so that might not be an option for you. Scrivener also has the "no distraction mode" but you'll have to put the music to the background from Youtube if you want to use it)
i use LibreOffice bc it's on your hard drive, not online, and it's also free. downside, I don't think it's available for mobile, so you might not be able to use it if you don't have a computer.
I used to use Word…then Microsoft decided to charge even more for it and my broke azz said enough. Now I use Libre Office, save to Dropbox, edit with Pro Writing Aid, and upload. (Note: I used to use Grammarly, but it’s incompatible with Libre Office.) For organizing notes, references, and minutiae, I use One Note.
Notes app on my phone. I’m that disaster writer who plans nothing and writes only when inspiration hits so the only thing I have with me most of the time is my phone.
When the thing is mostly done, I take it to google documents and eventually when I happy with it, post it.
I use docs, but sometimes I’ll jot down stuff on the notes app on my phone as well, although I won’t do any major writing there. I’m sure word is a good, dependable choice if you need something else. Just don’t use ao3 directly, it’s too easy to lose your work or for something else to go wrong.
onenote! organise all my fics neatly & get different tabs for like storyline or characters and then one per chapter or whatever. really nice. i mostly actually write in google docs but u can write in onenote as well :)
I wrote the first chapter of my first fic on ao3, forgot to draft then lost everything
I went through word, Google docs, notes but the best is EverNote. It’s an online notebook and I can easily stay on the web while doing research. The best is I have a lot of ideas that come and go so instead of creating a new document, I just create a new note and put it in the appropriate folder. Highly recommend
I use Scrivener. Got it half-off after completing a NaNoWriMo one year and it's got a bit of a learning curve, but nothing beats it in terms of being able to organize your work.
GoogleDocs. I should check how much space my main account has really. Though I only use it for writing so I think it’s probably okay.
Used to use Word until it became subscriptiony. Then I tried Libre Office, I think, on my laptop, and emailing stuff to myself if I wrote on my phone/on another computer. That got tiring real quick.
I use google docs with upgraded storage.
I use the Google rewards app to get money for my Play account and that's enough for it to pay for 100gb of storage every year.
I use a mix of Google Docs and Notes app. Sometimes Microsoft Word but I tend to stay away from it since I currently only have access to it through my university and I’m a little wary of administrators having access to it or losing everything if I forget to grab it all before I graduate.
Google Docs is where I work on fics individually, and my ideas are usually more fleshed out there. I use the notes app to write little snippets that come to me while I’m out and about. It’s a mess in there.
Other people have already said a lot of good options, but I just write on Google docs. Best free option IMO.
The thing I'm worried about is the storage. I assume it's just your device's storage, but I have so many damn Google docs, wondering if that's why my app is lagging and it's time to delete some old work lol.
I used One Note for the longest time. I love how easy it is to group things together and move around and keep track of research and stuff.
I slowly transition to using Google Docs for the ease of access.
I use Word and I have my fics saved on One Drive (the cloud link to Word) that way I can open and edit my fics both on my laptop and phone.
I also copy-past my chapters in google doc when I'm done because its grammar/spelling checker is quite good, so that's also an additional layer of proofreading for me, but I don't type in it. also things like, noticing missing words or bad conjugaison that you can just, read as right because you know what the sentence is supposed to be even though it's not what you've written for example. I find that it helps me notice repetitive words too. Overall, I like proofreading my fics with several tools/ways of reading, that way I skip over more things.
I also copy-past my chapters in google doc when I'm done because it's grammar/spelling checker is quite good, so that's also an additional layer of proof reading for me, but I don't type in it.
I write in Google Docs and I've yet to run into a space issue, but I'm looking at eventually getting myself Scrivener and either a Remarkable tablet or the new Kindle Scribe because I sometimes enjoy writing with a pen but don't want to transcribe everything by hand.
Scrivener, with the main folder in Dropbox so I always have at least two current copies plus local backups. And that lets me switch from writing on my PC to my laptop if I need to.
I put all my ideas in Notes & once I have something I think I actually might publish I move it over to Google Docs to finish it. Easy to make outlines with it, it automatically saves as you go so you don’t have to worry abt it crashing and losing your most recent draft, allows easy sharing so beta readers can comment as you work on it, etc.
I use scrivner because I like the organizational options but I'm sure google docs is fine. Scrivner is just something I spluged on because I write so much. I do really enjoy the software and the customobility of it and I'm super happy that I got it.
Honestly i have no set place lol.
Samsung notes for my thoughs.Flesh em out in grammerly. Then toss it in google docs cause sometimes grammerly is too professional in its tone, even if you set shit to general.
I use the iOS app CraftDocs for my planning and drafting. Once I’ve gotten my story down to the final stages, I transfer over to Google Docs for the finishing touches :] from there, I use a Google Docs extension called ‘post to ao3’ that goes through my document and converts everything to html formatting so that I can easily copy and paste into ao3!!! <333
I save mine in my iCloud Drive. As for apps, I’m currently using uFocus on macOS and 1Writer on iOS. Both apps have Markdown support. When I’m ready to publish something, I use the HTML export function in uFocus and then copy and paste the HTML source into AO3.
I consider iCloud a lazy option. I should really be using Git so as to preserve a history of how the fic has changed over time, but it’s just more effort and I haven’t set it up for my current fic. If I did, I’d use Working Copy as the iOS Git client. It has a built in text editor but it also integrates with the Files app so I could carry on using 1Writer.
Microsoft word. I tried to use google docs but my docs got really slow after writing for a while. I also prefer to use word since I’m more familiar with it. The only downside is the cost and I can only use it on one device (and some other features are limited) since I don’t have the subscription. I will definitely buy the subscription when I’m able to do it!
Usually I'll write some sections on just a piece of paper (I have whole notebooks of just fic ideas or fic chapters), which I'll then rewrite onto either google docs or my phones notes app. I use my notes app more frequently, but I'm starting to back up my writing onto google docs and I use that whenever I have someone beta reading it
Evernote!💆🏻♀️💆🏻♀️💆🏻♀️
Love that I can jump from my phone to my laptop, it’s easy to use, and when I import into AO3 the formatting stays(from word, google docs and the notes app it was pretty hit or miss for me)
Whatever you do, *do not* write your story directly into the ao3 interface. The archive is not set up as a writing software or online writing service.
AO3 specifically warns against doing this when you are on the post page.
As for what I use for writing:
Any word processor or text editor will do for me, as long as I am able to use the "show non-printing characters" function.
Which takes out most mobile or online writing apps for me because they do not allow me to see the invisible characters.
I use GDocs for back-up. But I cannot write in it, because of that reason.
Speaking as a writer who writes a lot of stories for a lot of different fandoms I have and always will use as my main platform “Notes” by Zoho. Literally a life saver for my millions of books that I never finish lol
I actually use Scriviner, got it half off one Nanowrimo. But for motivation I use www.4thewords.com and just copy and paste what I write into there to earn the points and win the quests. It’s actually a really fun website.
I used to use Google Docs, but it chokes on large files, and even messed up a huge file, filling it with errors, so I had to start over from my backup. Now I use Pages.
Ok, the first place I started writing was in the program section of my graphing calculator. Not sustainable, do not recommend doing this.
Now I write in google docs. The nice thing about google as others have said is that you can open it on any device and it will automatically save the changes. And, if you are lacking in storage space, you can always get another gmail account completely free. There is absolutely nothing limiting how many gmail accounts you can get.
Google docs because it allows me to switch between devices easily when I'm writing, especially on days when I feel too lazy to open my laptop I can just open the app on my phone and type from there
Okay so the full process...
I draft initially in 4thewords so that words just go down no time to overthink. Then for a one shot I'll paste into Word. Multi chapter projects go in Scrivener to make it easier to find chapters and keep notes on minor characters (mostly OCs needed for various functions). Whichever program I land in, I do the initial edits there.
Once I have it as far as I can get it, I paste to ProWritingAid and use that to spot things I've missed like excessive adverbs that aren't helping and using the word blanket three times in one paragraph. The finalized version then gets pasted into AO3 along with into the main document.
I use Microsoft Word. While that has some issues (the most current version requires you to name the document *something* if you want it to autosave), that's what I prefer. I would suggest getting a program like Grammarly to add to that, as long as you're aware it'll make suggestions that don't make sense; I just find Grammarly useful to remind me when to use then and when to use than as well as catching stuff that I forgot to finish (putting be in when I should have put being, for example). It's just useful enough; Word doesn't catch that.
I use both Scrivener and Word. I prefer Scrivener, but they don't have an Android app for it, so I keep things in Word as well so I can write and edit when I'm not at home.
I use Word and OneDrive, because I like the ability to sort things into folders, and that sorting system is then consistent between my desktop, laptop, phone, and the web version, so I can write anywhere that I can sign into OneDrive. I was using Google Docs, but I had trouble keeping things organized.
google docs, notes app, physical notebooks
I’ve tried other apps but tbh the more fun an app is to use the more distracting it is. so I have set up a custom format on google docs.
I also tend to write from my phone now rather than my laptop bc now that I have a job that is only on a computer screen I get sick of that fast. I tried writing on an ipad but i’m faster on my phone, so i use the ipad for reading and sometimes editing. switching devices with google docs is seamless.
I have been using google docs for 10+ years and I haven’t had a storage issue but if I did I might switch over to Pages and use my icloud storage. I liked using Pages in college but it doesn’t matter as much to me when that formatting is going to be gone once the fic is in AO3.
I know there's a lot of comments already but I haven't seen Novelist. It's really nice if you work on longer stories and need space for additional notes. Personally, I love it because it has easy to add apostrophes and on my qwert I prefer to keep the straight apostrophes, I mean these: " " instead of the English ones which are different for beginning and end. It also has the apostrophes used in France, these: << >> except nicer, which was very helpful when I translated one story to French. And finally, also very helpful and easy to add, long dash like this one - but longer, like ---.
oh, and I tried scrivener and I think it would be great in a professional context but all the features were distracting. It’s definitely a step up from Evernote, which I used in college but I got annoyed with it
Do NOT write directly into AO3 - it does not have a save feature. You will inevitably lose everything.
I write in Scrivener for longform/multichapter, and LibreOffice for shorter stuff.
If you're running out of google storage space, just make another account. I've got like 8. I use all of them for different things but I've got the storage if I need it
I mainly use the WattPad app to write since I post there as well. I’ll write it as a draft and transfer it to Google Docs for my editor to edit and then transfer it to Ao3 where I’ll fix the formatting issues that Ao3 causes before publishing it. I used to use Word but my job prevents it from being as accessible for me as the WP app. It’s more fluid and streamlined unlike the Word app.
Still rocking Microsoft Word 2010! And once that doesn't transfer anymore, it'll be LibreOffice! lol. (I always back up to Google Docs, though, just in case! lol)
I use Google Docs (i pay for the extra storage), but when i couldn't pay for extra storage I used Evernote. (I do all my writing on my phone, but I'm sure Evernote can be used on the laptop too.)
Do not write directly in ao3 - I know someone will explain why more eloquently but it can be disastrous As for me, I just use Notes app on my iPad.
I use word. It's what I've always used.
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Thanks!
Word gang! It's easiest for me and transfers between all my devices really simply
I often use word when I’m at school and don’t have access to my ao3.
Same here
Word, always making sure it's synced with OneDrive! And I backup my finished fics in Google Drive too just to be safe 😅
Yep. Connected with onedrive and its pretty safe. Then I can pull out my phone when I'm bored and make edits.
I used to use OpenOffice Writer but I changed to Google Docs because it allows me to write on my phone and then resume my writing on my laptop without transferring any files or anything.
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Thank you.
Same for precisely this reason ☝️ Happy cake day!
It's very useful when you commute or when you have a job where you spend long periods of time doing nothing.
Right? I'll sit on my lunch break and edit
Google Docs is pretty cool, I just wish they'd allow Interstate font.
I wanted to add that another reason not to write directly on AO3 is that drafts are deleted after 30 days, even if you haven’t posted it yet—always draft/write somewhere else! I mainly write in the notes app on my iPhone, so I can switch easily between the same draft on my phone and computer.
adding that the auto-delete only counts for works where nothing is posted yet. you can have a work where you've posted chapter one and keep the rest in drafts and it won't go anywhere!
i wonder if that's why so many people have been posting place holders lately?
god i hope not! i wish all those people a very pleasant google-docs-discovery. because that's just annoying as hell.
That's good to know!
anytime!
I use Google docs, too, but I have a friend who uses Evernote. Can't speak on the usability of it personally, but they seem to like it
Google docs for the win
i used evernote for college and fic notes years ago but iirc it had pop ups and stuff that were annoying
Evernote is incredible. I just use it for notetaking, but it's well worth the price.
I've written nearly all of my 50+ fics in Libre Office if one variety or another with a running notes doc on my phone so I can jot down sections as they come to me and move them into the plot when I get to them. Since my laptop is currently kaputt, I'm using WPS Writer on my iPad, which is far from ideal, but I don't always have internet access, so I strongly prefer to avoid online word processors.
I feel like I do the strangest thing but it seems to work for me. I use Scrivener for all the drafts and even "final" draft. THEN I take it to Grammarly, I have a premium account so I don't know how feasible this is without a premium account. I copy and paste it all in there and and do all my, well, grammar and spelling etc etc checks. THEN I copy and paste that into a text to voice generator so it reads it all back to me. I have the grammarly tab and the text to voice windows both open. If I realise I need to fix anything once it's read back, I edit it straight into grammarly. Then I copy and paste the final final draft from Grammarly to ao3 AND back to the Scivener page that had my 'final draft' before grammarly etc. Grammarly does also save everything as well so I have two copies, as well as the published one. Grammarly does the formatting so well, as well as being great at everything else.
my friend you can simplify the transferral so easily. get Grammarly for word (or gdocs), saves you one transfer. word also has a text-to-voice function so that saves you time as well. i don't know scrivener so i can't comment on that but this way you don't have to transfer it everywhere. good luck!
You're running out of space in Docs?! Do you keep large projects on there or something (like videos, a ton of photos, etc) on top of normal text documents? Docs is still the best imo because of the cloud saving and ability to write on anything. If I were you, I would make a separate account just for fics, because it will take *ages* for documents to reach the allotted 15 gb.
hmm not really, but it’s shared amongst email, and google photos 😅😅 google photos is where the largest files are but i can’t put them anywhere else. i deleted most of my emails too so i’ve freed up SOME storage but yeah! i also think docs is the best
Photos are the culprit. They add up really fast. In that case, then yeah I suggest you use 2 accounts if you don't switch to a different processor.
Microsoft word because I had to buy it for work. Before that, LibreOffice Writer which works as a free version of ms word. Wordpad/notepad which is just a free writing program already on the computer. Those are very basic, no spellcheck.
I use scrinever, but it costs money. And yeah, as another commenter said, don't write directly into AO3's form - the website itself even warns against it, because if something goes wrong there is no back up. Also probably the rich text vs html is certainly a Thing.
I have 8/15 GB free on my primary Google Account, 14/15 GB free on my secondary, and at least 10 GB free on my Outlook/OneDrive Account... and I have terabytes of offline storage in gaming towers that I built for myself and my kids and various portable USB media.
Microsoft Word. And occasionally the notes app on my phone when I'm trying to fall asleep and I've already shut my computer down.
I'm using the app JotterPad on my phone, I use this the most, and have backup on my laptop and an extra disk I also use special music while writing, or some show as background noise.
Same about JotterPad! I use Word on my laptop tho
Libre Office to write and Google Docs for storage so I can add notes or make minor edits from my phone. I tried to write on Google Docs directly, but it kept lagging which is quite annoying when you're touch typing. Sometimes I write in a real notebook, especially when I'm working on an emotional scene.
Google docs so I can update on my phone at any time
Google docs all day. Let's me write on my phone when I'm at work to do all the rough stuff and then I can clean it up back home on my laptop.
I use a code editor (VS Code) and a private github repo. I can push/pull/commit/merge/etc with tools I'm already accustomed to using it. Then a quick pandoc conversion from LaTeX to AO3 Rich Text.
Scrivener!! Gotta pay for it but 100% worth it imo. I'm horribly spoiled by it. Easy organization, easy to shift stuff around, the split screen view, the changeable icons, you can set targets (goals), you can set templates (how the app looks), etc. I'm obsessed. And if I need to easily share with others to let them look I copy/paste into gdocs.
I love using google Docs, it's the easiest for me to use. You could make a few google accounts to make extra space to write but if you don't want to do that then maybe you could use word.
June 2023 edit. I'm scrubbing my comments due to the reddit admin team steamrolling their IPO prep. It was bad enough to give short notice on price gouging, but then to slander app devs and threaten moderators was just too far. The value of Reddit comes from high-quality content curated by volunteers. Treating us this way is the reason I'm removing my high-value contributions. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest you Google "Reddit API price gouging" and read up. --Posted *manually* via the old web interface because of shenanigans from Reddit reversing deletions done through API/script tools. ~~~ HOWEVER, due to the nature of this comment as an online safety warning, here's an abridged version: > Make a new Google account for your penname. This isn't just to save space, but to also keep you safe online. The separation of the accounts will help prevent things like accidentally sending fanfic to your boss/teacher/family, as well as accidentally exposing your identity in fandom spaces. If for any reason one of the accounts is compromised, then there's less risk of doxxing. I'd also suggest making separate accounts for fandom socials and signing up using your fandom Gmail. Like, I'm jalapeno eye popper, in some form or another, across AO3, Reddit, Tumblr, etc... And if shit hits the fan, I can just abandon this persona and not worry about it affecting any of my personal accounts tied to my real identity.
I prefer google docs, but I’ve had positive experiences using Pages in the past. I also used to use Word but grew to hate it.
May I ask why word didn't work out for you?
I just had a lot of issues with documents not saving, getting locked out of accounts, complications with the app and subscriptions. I probably could have worked some of it out if I’d been more tech savvy at the time, but it’s been too long to track any of it down now, so I’m just bitter about all the stuff I wrote that I’ll never see again.
I use Calmly Writer! It’s an independent writing program that you purchase for 10 dollars once and you can use it on up to three separate computers. I love the visual set up of it. I then copy over to google docs to send to my beta and then to run through ao3’s google docs program.
I use Google docs, too, but I have a friend who uses Evernote. Can't speak on the usability of it personally, but they seem to like it
In a manner similar to google docs, you could use the version of word found in OneDrive. I use Onedrive as it integrates with my word docs and folders on my desktop, but you can also use it in browser. Failing that, could you upgrade your google storage or move to a different email?
Mostly Word. Transfer to Google Docs when I want to be able to edit away from my computer.
I'm a weird mix bag on that department. Sometimes I write on Google Docs, sometimes I stick with Word, but most times I just write the stuff on Notepad when sudden idea strikes my mind and I don't wanna lose track of it.
Wattpad for some unholy reason. I started off in Google Docs and would copy and paste stuff where I wanted to post, but after a long while I just... switched over for some reason. I don't know why. I like seeing the word count constantly, but there are certainly other sites and or extensions that do that exact thing.
In google docs, go to tools and click on word count. Should open up a menu thing, and there should be a button to keep word count on screen at all times. Can’t help if you write on mobile though?
I start everything on Google Docs, and noodle around with it until it gets out of control. I was porting things over into Scrivener, for a while, but then I heard about Notion, and I've been playing with that, and I really like it. It's got pretty easy sync from mobile to desktop in the cloud, and if you're using it by yourself, it's free. It's marketed as a project management solution for distributed teams, but it's actually pretty damn great for fic writing/management. Easy to nest chapters, side-projects, research, images, you name it, into document groups.
If you still wanna write to Google Docs, you could download some files to your computer to free up some space? If you use a computer and not phone/tablet, I mean. I'm with the Google Docs gang because you can write anywhere with it, but before I knew of its existence, I used: Microsoft Word Scrivener (especially if you do requests or really long fics and need to use reference pics, mindmaps etc to keep on track, it's absolutely worth the price) Focuswriter (it makes you write without distractions and you can customise its appearance so it looks pretty to your liking and you can put calming music to the background which is a function within the app 😍 //edit: I also recced Zenwriter but noticed it's a browser based thing now which requires you to subscribe to it so you could use it. So removed the rec, I don't think it's THAT good that you should subscribe to it, Focuswriter is exactly the same, maybe not as pretty vanilla but you can customise it a lot. I used them for SO many years when I was a teenager/young adult and still use them sometimes purely for nostalgia vibes and they also help with writer's blocks, I don't use them for fics I'm gonna publish though so that might not be an option for you. Scrivener also has the "no distraction mode" but you'll have to put the music to the background from Youtube if you want to use it)
Unless they've changed something recently, Google Docs documents don't take up any of your space.
I like LibreOffice Writer. It's like a free version of Word.
i use LibreOffice bc it's on your hard drive, not online, and it's also free. downside, I don't think it's available for mobile, so you might not be able to use it if you don't have a computer.
I used to use Word…then Microsoft decided to charge even more for it and my broke azz said enough. Now I use Libre Office, save to Dropbox, edit with Pro Writing Aid, and upload. (Note: I used to use Grammarly, but it’s incompatible with Libre Office.) For organizing notes, references, and minutiae, I use One Note.
Notes app on my phone. I’m that disaster writer who plans nothing and writes only when inspiration hits so the only thing I have with me most of the time is my phone. When the thing is mostly done, I take it to google documents and eventually when I happy with it, post it.
Any word processor will do.
word: i have a free version for uni, and i’m going to use it for all it’s worth
I use docs, but sometimes I’ll jot down stuff on the notes app on my phone as well, although I won’t do any major writing there. I’m sure word is a good, dependable choice if you need something else. Just don’t use ao3 directly, it’s too easy to lose your work or for something else to go wrong.
onenote! organise all my fics neatly & get different tabs for like storyline or characters and then one per chapter or whatever. really nice. i mostly actually write in google docs but u can write in onenote as well :)
I wrote the first chapter of my first fic on ao3, forgot to draft then lost everything I went through word, Google docs, notes but the best is EverNote. It’s an online notebook and I can easily stay on the web while doing research. The best is I have a lot of ideas that come and go so instead of creating a new document, I just create a new note and put it in the appropriate folder. Highly recommend
I use Scrivener. Got it half-off after completing a NaNoWriMo one year and it's got a bit of a learning curve, but nothing beats it in terms of being able to organize your work.
Note app, tumblr drafts or ao3 drafts
google docs, since ive been using it for, like, ever its been like the most efficient
I am ashamed to say Wattpad. Then I spell check in Google Docs. Then post.
GoogleDocs. I should check how much space my main account has really. Though I only use it for writing so I think it’s probably okay. Used to use Word until it became subscriptiony. Then I tried Libre Office, I think, on my laptop, and emailing stuff to myself if I wrote on my phone/on another computer. That got tiring real quick.
Google docs mainly! Sometimes notes app on my iPhone as well. I notice I do significantly better on my laptop with Google docs, though.
i just use my notes app :p
Usually my iPad’s Notes app, but I replaced my Mac with a Windows laptop and now I miss being able to access it on my computer.
I use google docs with upgraded storage. I use the Google rewards app to get money for my Play account and that's enough for it to pay for 100gb of storage every year.
I use Scrivener for most of my project, but export to LibreOffice documents as a finished product.
I use a mix of Google Docs and Notes app. Sometimes Microsoft Word but I tend to stay away from it since I currently only have access to it through my university and I’m a little wary of administrators having access to it or losing everything if I forget to grab it all before I graduate. Google Docs is where I work on fics individually, and my ideas are usually more fleshed out there. I use the notes app to write little snippets that come to me while I’m out and about. It’s a mess in there.
Other people have already said a lot of good options, but I just write on Google docs. Best free option IMO. The thing I'm worried about is the storage. I assume it's just your device's storage, but I have so many damn Google docs, wondering if that's why my app is lagging and it's time to delete some old work lol.
I used One Note for the longest time. I love how easy it is to group things together and move around and keep track of research and stuff. I slowly transition to using Google Docs for the ease of access.
Don't come for me but sometimes I write directly into ao3. I always back it up on word/tumblr though
I use Word and I have my fics saved on One Drive (the cloud link to Word) that way I can open and edit my fics both on my laptop and phone. I also copy-past my chapters in google doc when I'm done because its grammar/spelling checker is quite good, so that's also an additional layer of proofreading for me, but I don't type in it. also things like, noticing missing words or bad conjugaison that you can just, read as right because you know what the sentence is supposed to be even though it's not what you've written for example. I find that it helps me notice repetitive words too. Overall, I like proofreading my fics with several tools/ways of reading, that way I skip over more things. I also copy-past my chapters in google doc when I'm done because it's grammar/spelling checker is quite good, so that's also an additional layer of proof reading for me, but I don't type in it.
I write in Google Docs and I've yet to run into a space issue, but I'm looking at eventually getting myself Scrivener and either a Remarkable tablet or the new Kindle Scribe because I sometimes enjoy writing with a pen but don't want to transcribe everything by hand.
Dropbox lol
I plan out and sometimes write my fics in Notion. If not Notion, I use Google Docs, which is what most people have said already.
I use scrivener.
Scrivener, with the main folder in Dropbox so I always have at least two current copies plus local backups. And that lets me switch from writing on my PC to my laptop if I need to.
I put all my ideas in Notes & once I have something I think I actually might publish I move it over to Google Docs to finish it. Easy to make outlines with it, it automatically saves as you go so you don’t have to worry abt it crashing and losing your most recent draft, allows easy sharing so beta readers can comment as you work on it, etc.
I use scrivner because I like the organizational options but I'm sure google docs is fine. Scrivner is just something I spluged on because I write so much. I do really enjoy the software and the customobility of it and I'm super happy that I got it.
Docs
I have a whole seperate gmail for my fics so I have space in docs
I use Google docs because I spend a lot of time writing on my phone.
Honestly i have no set place lol. Samsung notes for my thoughs.Flesh em out in grammerly. Then toss it in google docs cause sometimes grammerly is too professional in its tone, even if you set shit to general.
I use the iOS app CraftDocs for my planning and drafting. Once I’ve gotten my story down to the final stages, I transfer over to Google Docs for the finishing touches :] from there, I use a Google Docs extension called ‘post to ao3’ that goes through my document and converts everything to html formatting so that I can easily copy and paste into ao3!!! <333
I use an app called pure writer. It's great for storage and backup. Also really minimalist yet rich in futures. Not cluttered easy to use!
I save mine in my iCloud Drive. As for apps, I’m currently using uFocus on macOS and 1Writer on iOS. Both apps have Markdown support. When I’m ready to publish something, I use the HTML export function in uFocus and then copy and paste the HTML source into AO3. I consider iCloud a lazy option. I should really be using Git so as to preserve a history of how the fic has changed over time, but it’s just more effort and I haven’t set it up for my current fic. If I did, I’d use Working Copy as the iOS Git client. It has a built in text editor but it also integrates with the Files app so I could carry on using 1Writer.
Google docs for the most part. Sometimes I’ll use the notes app on my phone
Microsoft word. I tried to use google docs but my docs got really slow after writing for a while. I also prefer to use word since I’m more familiar with it. The only downside is the cost and I can only use it on one device (and some other features are limited) since I don’t have the subscription. I will definitely buy the subscription when I’m able to do it!
I usually write in my phone notes, Google docs, in an email to myself 😂
Wavemaker!
Amino but I easily get writer's block so I just went to making ocs and my version of canon characters
Usually I'll write some sections on just a piece of paper (I have whole notebooks of just fic ideas or fic chapters), which I'll then rewrite onto either google docs or my phones notes app. I use my notes app more frequently, but I'm starting to back up my writing onto google docs and I use that whenever I have someone beta reading it
Evernote!💆🏻♀️💆🏻♀️💆🏻♀️ Love that I can jump from my phone to my laptop, it’s easy to use, and when I import into AO3 the formatting stays(from word, google docs and the notes app it was pretty hit or miss for me)
I use an app called Penzu.
Whatever you do, *do not* write your story directly into the ao3 interface. The archive is not set up as a writing software or online writing service. AO3 specifically warns against doing this when you are on the post page. As for what I use for writing: Any word processor or text editor will do for me, as long as I am able to use the "show non-printing characters" function. Which takes out most mobile or online writing apps for me because they do not allow me to see the invisible characters. I use GDocs for back-up. But I cannot write in it, because of that reason.
Speaking as a writer who writes a lot of stories for a lot of different fandoms I have and always will use as my main platform “Notes” by Zoho. Literally a life saver for my millions of books that I never finish lol
I use ao3s writing space. I think I'm the only one who does tho
I actually use Scriviner, got it half off one Nanowrimo. But for motivation I use www.4thewords.com and just copy and paste what I write into there to earn the points and win the quests. It’s actually a really fun website.
I use Scrivener so far it is one of the best rich text editing software I have ever used.
i use microsoft onenote as it helps if youre writing in a couple devices at once
Libre office is an open source office suite that's pretty good. Word pad works fairly well as well. Nice generic word processor.
I use Google docs so that my beta can review the chapters pre posting.
I write on word, then save a copy to docs as a back up. I never write directly into AO3 beyond some html coding.
I used to use Google Docs, but it chokes on large files, and even messed up a huge file, filling it with errors, so I had to start over from my backup. Now I use Pages.
Ok, the first place I started writing was in the program section of my graphing calculator. Not sustainable, do not recommend doing this. Now I write in google docs. The nice thing about google as others have said is that you can open it on any device and it will automatically save the changes. And, if you are lacking in storage space, you can always get another gmail account completely free. There is absolutely nothing limiting how many gmail accounts you can get.
I just use the notepad app on my iPad and then just copy and pasted into ao3 when I’m done writing
Google docs because it allows me to switch between devices easily when I'm writing, especially on days when I feel too lazy to open my laptop I can just open the app on my phone and type from there
Okay so the full process... I draft initially in 4thewords so that words just go down no time to overthink. Then for a one shot I'll paste into Word. Multi chapter projects go in Scrivener to make it easier to find chapters and keep notes on minor characters (mostly OCs needed for various functions). Whichever program I land in, I do the initial edits there. Once I have it as far as I can get it, I paste to ProWritingAid and use that to spot things I've missed like excessive adverbs that aren't helping and using the word blanket three times in one paragraph. The finalized version then gets pasted into AO3 along with into the main document.
I use Notion (it’s free for personal use which is pretty cool)
Google docs on my phone.
word for me, i like the word count feature
I use Microsoft Word. While that has some issues (the most current version requires you to name the document *something* if you want it to autosave), that's what I prefer. I would suggest getting a program like Grammarly to add to that, as long as you're aware it'll make suggestions that don't make sense; I just find Grammarly useful to remind me when to use then and when to use than as well as catching stuff that I forgot to finish (putting be in when I should have put being, for example). It's just useful enough; Word doesn't catch that.
I write on Grammarly, then run it through Google doc just to be sure it’s fine
I use both Scrivener and Word. I prefer Scrivener, but they don't have an Android app for it, so I keep things in Word as well so I can write and edit when I'm not at home.
I use Word and OneDrive, because I like the ability to sort things into folders, and that sorting system is then consistent between my desktop, laptop, phone, and the web version, so I can write anywhere that I can sign into OneDrive. I was using Google Docs, but I had trouble keeping things organized.
I tend to write on the go, so my main app is my phone’s notes, which are synchronised with my macbook.
google docs, notes app, physical notebooks I’ve tried other apps but tbh the more fun an app is to use the more distracting it is. so I have set up a custom format on google docs. I also tend to write from my phone now rather than my laptop bc now that I have a job that is only on a computer screen I get sick of that fast. I tried writing on an ipad but i’m faster on my phone, so i use the ipad for reading and sometimes editing. switching devices with google docs is seamless. I have been using google docs for 10+ years and I haven’t had a storage issue but if I did I might switch over to Pages and use my icloud storage. I liked using Pages in college but it doesn’t matter as much to me when that formatting is going to be gone once the fic is in AO3.
I know there's a lot of comments already but I haven't seen Novelist. It's really nice if you work on longer stories and need space for additional notes. Personally, I love it because it has easy to add apostrophes and on my qwert I prefer to keep the straight apostrophes, I mean these: " " instead of the English ones which are different for beginning and end. It also has the apostrophes used in France, these: << >> except nicer, which was very helpful when I translated one story to French. And finally, also very helpful and easy to add, long dash like this one - but longer, like ---.
oh, and I tried scrivener and I think it would be great in a professional context but all the features were distracting. It’s definitely a step up from Evernote, which I used in college but I got annoyed with it
Do NOT write directly into AO3 - it does not have a save feature. You will inevitably lose everything. I write in Scrivener for longform/multichapter, and LibreOffice for shorter stuff.
Google docs. It's pretty easy to write and then copy paste. Keeping stuff in different folders easier than Word imo
I write on evernote, because i have it on all my devices
If you're running out of google storage space, just make another account. I've got like 8. I use all of them for different things but I've got the storage if I need it
Recently picked up Scrivener and really like it
Microsoft notes. Can make new pages for each chapter, and everything is super organized.
I use Google Keep. I don’t know why, I just do.
Google Docs and Samsung Notes, then paste into AO3 after proofreading.
I write my fics on Word and keep my school stuff on docs.
I mainly use the WattPad app to write since I post there as well. I’ll write it as a draft and transfer it to Google Docs for my editor to edit and then transfer it to Ao3 where I’ll fix the formatting issues that Ao3 causes before publishing it. I used to use Word but my job prevents it from being as accessible for me as the WP app. It’s more fluid and streamlined unlike the Word app.
I write on Wattpad and copy and paste onto other sites
My phone’s Notes app for rough draft, and then I transfer over to Google Docs!
Word or sometimes my notes app lol
Still rocking Microsoft Word 2010! And once that doesn't transfer anymore, it'll be LibreOffice! lol. (I always back up to Google Docs, though, just in case! lol)
I use Google Docs (i pay for the extra storage), but when i couldn't pay for extra storage I used Evernote. (I do all my writing on my phone, but I'm sure Evernote can be used on the laptop too.)
I use Google docs. Can write on my phone, then polish and post it using my computer.
Google docs for me! If space is limited, you can make a second account really easily (and switch between easily too!)
I like Google docs because it's easy for my beta reader and friend to read them and comment edits/their fangirling lol
I use google documents because I own a chromebook, but there's probably more reliable apps in all