Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I’m starting to post a “writing tool of the week” on every Wednesday to showcase and share any writing tools I have created or discovered that have helped me become more efficient in my own writing practices. The first tool I would like to share with everyone is one that helps me keep all my freelance projects organized, track the status on all my projects and use an integrated word count function which is reflected in your progress bars.
I know many of the writing tools we see today are online, but there is a reason I still make my own Excel spreadsheets for handling a substantial portion of my writing business:
- They are local files that will always be on my computer regardless of internet connection, website downtime or internet breach.
- They are private.
- They allow for maximum customization, where as with online software you are limited to whatever the developers have created for you.
- They allow you to format the sheets exactly the way you want and print them out for hard copy reference or presentation.
- As a writer I feel like I should always be writing and handling an organized marketing schedule. This allows you to actually DO the work and practice your craft without all the automation.
- A writing project task list with the ability to change project name, due date and the percentage of project completed.
- A word count tool that allows you to paste in your project text.
- The word count tool not only calculates how many words, but uses a word count goal to integrate your progress into your task list.
Are there any other tools that you would like me to make in the future? Let me know what you think of the Writer’s Task List and Word Count Tool.
Click here to download the Writer’s Task List and Word Count Tool FOR FREE and view the demonstration video below to see how this writing resource can work for you!
About Joe Warnimont
I love what you’ve made in Excel here. It reminds me of some of the NaNo Excel tools, only amped up on steroids. I use Excel to plan and track as well. I’ve tried writing programs such as yWriter and Scrivener, which I like, but I always come back to the basics: Excel and Word. I do keep a to-do list in Evernote, which is a lifesaver because it syncs across platforms and can be used for anything and everything. I even use it to keep story notes and character notes.