Spent $85 on a writing software bundle and it just collects dust

I bought one of those big writing software bundles last year with Scrivener, a story plotter, and some dialogue tools thinking it would make me finish a novel. Instead I spent hours learning each program and never wrote more than a chapter in any of them. Has anyone else dropped serious cash on tools that actually made writing harder instead of easier?

3 comments

3 Comments

adam_lewis16d ago

Wait, is nobody gonna point out that buying all that stuff might actually be a form of procrastination in itself? I see it all the time where people think the tool is what makes the writer, but really it's just butt in chair and typing. Yeah @drew_park hit it with the Scrivener thing, I tried that once and it felt like I needed a degree just to start a sentence. The funny part is my buddy writes best sellers on a basic free app on his phone. Sometimes all the fancy software just gives you more reasons to fiddle around instead of actually writing. If you ask me, the best writing tool is a blank page and a timer.

dakota_nelson4314d agoMost Upvoted

Is it really that serious though? I mean yeah, buying gear can feel like you're doing something productive, but calling it procrastination feels a little harsh. Some people just like having nice tools, same as a mechanic buying a good ratchet set. All this talk about Scrivener being too complicated, that's fair, but isn't the real problem when you start blaming the tool instead of your own habits? Your buddy writing on his phone proves it, but also proves that some folks just need a different setup to click. Maybe we're overthinking what counts as "real" writing versus just fiddling around.

drew_park16d ago

You ever drop a bunch of money on something and then feel like you gotta teach yourself rocket science just to open it? I bought Scrivener years ago and still haven't figured out half the buttons. The worst part is I spent more time watching tutorials than actually writing anything. Now it just sits there in my downloads folder, reminding me I could have bought a nice new tool set instead.