Adventures of the Jade Assassin

Writing Tools

Below is a collection of writing tools to assist with your fiction writing project. Each tool will be listed with information on the developer, a product description, features and the formats that the product is available in. I'll hyperlink to files and/or web-pages where applicable.
Tools developed by yours truly, located in the Writing Tools by Keiko section, will be updated as feedback and time allows, so be sure to let me know if you'd like features added, amended, or removed. You can also find a link to the folder containing each group of spreadsheets by clicking on the title.
Want to know when new stuff becomes available? I've created a newsletter just for this purpose. Subscribe through the Feedblitz widget on the right sidebar. Updates may be infrequent, but you will be the first to know!
Have a tool to add to the list? Contact me and give me the lowdown. I'll check it out and add it if it offers new and unusual tools for writers.

Writing Tools by Keiko

As I have mentioned above, I have taken it upon myself to create a few spreadsheets for those looking for ways to organize their thoughts on a project. These are by no means perfect, and are a work-in-progress. You can find the entire folder via this link. For your convenience I have hyperlinked the title of each spreadsheet folder, which will also allow you to access the older versions of each spreadsheet as well.

Writing Calendar

Developer: D L Owens (a.k.a. Keikomushi)
Description: This spreadsheet is for tracking the progress of numerous writing projects over a span of a month based on daily inputs.
Features:
1. Wordcount tallies allow you to see the numeric value of your writing output.
2. Work Hour tallies show how much time you spend on writing.
3. Writing Morale gives a rating of how you feel about a project on a given day.
Available Formats: Open Office Calc (.ods), Star Office Calc (.sdc) & Microsoft Excel (.xls)

Storyline

Developer: D L Owens (a.k.a. Keikomushi)
Description: A spreadsheet for planning and tracking your novel. Progress tracking includes total wordcount, average wordcount per day, total hours spent on project and average hours per day. Planning includes worldbuilding, plot building and character development.
Features:
1. Cover sheet contains information about your novel, such as title, author, genre, style, influences, start and finish date. After you've inputted the word target, the number of days spent on the novel, wordcounts by chapter and hours spent on the novel; the cover sheet will show total wordcount, total hours spent on project, average wordcount per day, average hours per day, percentage of novel complete, percentage of novel left, average hours per day, average words per hour and average words per minute.
2. Cover now features tables for keeping track of your deadlines and submissions. It also comes with tables for tracking podcasting progress, allowing you to see what stage you are up to with an episode, what sites you have uploaded the episodes to and where you have submitted links to the feed.
3. Progress sheet allows you to keep a running log of how your novel progresses over time. If you want to keep track of the hours spent on the project via the cover sheet, you need to input on this worksheet. Input date next to the workday, then add end-of-day wordcount, mood and process.
4. Resource sheet for listing sources used for your story.
5. OST sheet allows you to create your own soundtrack, sound effects and/or other background sounds that suit a character, scene or mood.
6. Brief and expanded plot inputting worksheets.
7. Character development for protagonists, antagonists and supporting cast.
8. Worldbuilding development for the entire planet, continent and nation.
9. Worldbuilding development for races, religion and technology.
10. Worldbuilding development for timeline and lexicon building.
Available Formats: Open Office Calc (.ods), Star Office Calc (.sdc) & Microsoft Excel (.xls)

Plotter

Developer: D L Owens (a.k.a. Keikomushi)
Description: This is a chopped-down version of Storyline and contains resource, OST, plot-building (brief and expanded worksheets) and character development (protagonists, antagonists, and supporting cast) components.
Available Formats: Open Office Calc (.ods), Star Office Calc (.sdc) & Microsoft Excel (.xls)

Tracker

Developer: D L Owens (a.k.a. Keikomushi)
Description: This is a chopped-down version of Storyline and contains only the progress tracking components. Includes cover sheet, wordcount by chapter tally and progress worksheets.
Available Formats: Open Office Calc (.ods), Star Office Calc (.sdc) & Microsoft Excel (.xls)

Worldbuilder

Developer: D L Owens (a.k.a. Keikomushi)
Description: This is a chopped-down version of Storyline and contains only the worldbuilding components. Worksheets include Planet, Continent, Nation, Races, Technology, Timeline and Lexicon.
Available Formats: Open Office Calc (.ods), Star Office Calc (.sdc) & Microsoft Excel (.xls)

Writing Tools Online

Below is a collection of writing tools that can be found online. Although some of the entries might appear similar in type, I've been careful not to double-up on tools and services.

Seventh Sanctum

Developer: Steven Savage
Description: Steven Savage has developed a bunch of generators for the bored writer and roleplayer alike. You'll find lots of writing prompts; plot generators; name, place, spell name, maneuver names and item generators. There is a bunch of other generators on-site, and you'll also find regular art competitions that make use of the various prompts on the website to create a work of art or something else, all depending on the specifics. Seventh Sanctum generators can be used for fun or for something more serious.
Available Formats: Online only (code is available as long as you credit the author and the website)

STORYtoolz

Developer: BitPeg Software, Inc.
Description: STORYtoolz offers a few useful tools to authors, including progress meters and readability analysis for a piece of writing.
Features:
1. Progress Meters offer self-updating widgets for your website or profile.
2. Story Idea Generator allows you to randomly generate 3 conflicts from a list of conflict groupings. (See IPL: FAQ)
3. Random Conflicts Generator increases the number of conflicts generated to more than 3. (See IPL: FAQ)
4. Readability analysis allows you to see trends in your writing, even determining areas for improvement.
5. Subscription upgrades allow you to increase the number of progress meters available and improved functionality, such as more options for your meters and increased readability limit.
Available Formats: Online inputs to create a self-updating widget for your website and/or profile. In-house generators and readability analysis.

Write Sparks!

Developer: Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ
Description: When creativity is lacking Write Sparks offers writing prompts to get the juices flowing. Although the Lite (free) version suits my needs, you can purchase larger archives with updates and upgrades. The use of the Lite version has lead to at least two projects from yours truly and I highly recommend it to writers of any any experience level.
Available Formats: PC-only executable file