Most of the writer’s that I know tend to categorize themselves as either a Pantser or a Plotter1 and I am definitely a plotter.  Really, I’m only happy when I’m plotting2.  While I’ve used a number of plotting tools in the past, I still haven’t THE ONE.  You know, the one system that just feels so right and aligns itself perfectly with the twisted machinations that go on inside my head when I’m plotting out a story.  In an effort to get back into my neglected manuscripts, I’ve been exploring the different plotting tools out there, trying to find which one might be the best fit.3  Here is the current short list of 5 that I am considering:

  1. Spreadsheet – it seems like plotters would naturally gravitate towards such a robust tool of formulas & calculations, and yet, I shy away from it.  I think I feel a little intimidated by the vast complexity that it offers.  I ain’t no slouch, but I’m also not an expert.  I know that if I took the time to learn it well enough to bend it to my needs, it would ultimately be the best fit, since I can make it do almost anything I want.
    Pros: Free & very customizable.  Also very portable, since every computer I use has a spreadsheet program.
    Cons: I’m worried about how much time it would take to set up.4  I  know I’d have to actually learn more about spreadsheets. ((See point re: laziness))  And it feels a bit . . . stuffy or confining.  Plus, it isn’t as shiny and cool as some of the other options.
  2. Evernote - This is a very handy little program/web app that lets you capture almost anything you can think of.  It has just enough features to elicit the ‘oooooh cool!’ response from me, and yet not enough to make me throw out every other cool program/web app that I use.
    Pros: Free & very portable5.
    Cons: I feel restricted by it’s nesting structure!  You can only have notes in your notebook and no sub-folders.  I know they let you tag things and do smart searches, but that’s all too vague for me to make it work with the structure I want.  Plus, you can’t put tables in.6  I know that a more robust option is Microsoft’s OneNote program, but it’s also about $100 last I checked. (And I’m kinda cheap.)
  3. Liquid Story Binder -  So, aside from opening the program, I haven’t actually attempted to dive in and use it.  But from the feature list, it’s all kinds of shiny writing goodness.  And, in theory, I’d love to dive in and really grok it out.
    Pros: Lots of cool features!
    Cons: Possibly too many features and then it would become a time suck and/or, I’d have to try really hard to learn it.  There is also a cost involved.  And, I’m not sure how portable it would be.  Which means I’d have to install it on my work computer and then synchronize files, and I haven’t checked how easily that could be done.
  4. PageFour -  Just discovered this one the other day, and so far it looks pretty good.  Not too many features on it but it does have a nice structuring option.
    Pros: There is a free version!  I tried syncing it at work and home and it works perfectly.  Some good search functionality and the ability to see which words you may be overusing.
    Cons: The free version would not be robust enough for me.  Still no tables!
  5. Wiki - When I started plotting, I started out using a wiki and liked it fairly well.  But, I’m not sure that it’s the best tool for me.  It uses a browser which is just like an invitation to distract myself online.
    Pros: There are free ones out there.  Can be pretty easily customized.  Interlinking important elements is very easily done.  It’s also an easily portable option since all you need is a web browser.  I can have it open among my normal web-browsing and/or work tabs and write discreetly at work (on my breaks, of course!)
    Cons: The wiki that I started out using doesn’t seem to work with Chrome, which is the main browser that I use.  I could switch browsers, but right now just the writing wiki isn’t a compelling enough reason to make me switch back to firefox

Ok, if there are any plotters out there who think they have a solution for me, let me hear it in the comments!  Recommendations or comments on any and all of the above are definitely welcome!7

  1. though it’s really more of a spectrum than an ‘either/or’ situation [↩]
  2. and to be quite honest, yes, my plotting does extend beyond the written page . . . [↩]
  3. Yeah, I know . . . I should be actually writing instead of mucking about with all the tools [↩]
  4. And this is bad mostly because I’m lazy [↩]
  5. It even has an iPod Touch app that you can use on the go [↩]
  6. I like tables.  They are like the non-scary version of a spreadsheet. [↩]
  7. Unless you’re going to recommend Scrivener.  Not only do I not have a Mac at home, but there’s no chance of switching to a Mac at work, so it would cut down on my opportunities to write/plot. [↩]

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