Many people who write think that the only writing tool available for their computer is Word, but there are other word processors. More to the point, there are other kinds of writing tools to help you collect and organize your thoughts. These include mind-mapping applications and outliners. There are also full-screen text editors that can help you to eliminate the many distractions that computers now offer, web applications for when you need to work on someone else’s computer or collaborate with users in different locations, and built-in and online dictionaries.

Choosing the right tools is essential to developing a good writing strategy. This means choosing tools that enhance your ability to think, organize, and write without getting in your way. You can find more information about such tools on my personal wiki. My focus has been on the Macintosh, which I used to write about for my now discontinued blog, On My Mac, but I include links to applications for Windows and other platforms where possible.