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Technical requirements.
The online word processor - tailor made for writers.
Tools.
Wizards for book ideas, templates and books.
How ideas, templates and books are related.
The Find function.
Sharing ideas, templates and books.
Meet writing friends.
The Forum.
News.
Personal blog.
The submission tool.
Export the book.
How Pro Novelist ideas, templates and books are related
Pro Novelist is based on three concepts: The Idea, The Template and The Book.
So keep the following working order in mind:
1. Create an idea
2. Create a template (out of the idea)
3. Create a book (out of the template)
The Idea
You start with an idea. Create the idea by clicking on Ideas in the menu to the left. Then choose New Book Idea. A wizard will help you to capture the most important elements of your book idea.
Once you have gone through all the steps in the wizard and saved your idea it becomes available under your list of ideas. You may continue editing your idea and refine it until you're satisfied with all the details.
Once you're finished with the idea you move on to create a template.
The Template
Book templates are created from ideas, so after you've created your idea you click on Templates and choose New Book Template to create a template out of the idea. A wizard will guide you through the whole process here as well.
The Book
When you have created a template you may create a book. Click on Books and choose Create New Book. Now you can start writing the book and the system will provide a number of functions for you to make the writing process much easier.
There's a left, middle and right pane where you write the book. The left pane contains a set of links which lead to each scene. These links make it easy for you to jump quickly between scenes. In addition you get an overview of the whole book so you can easily go back to scenes and plan forward towards a specific scene.
The middle pane contains a fully fledged online word processor and that's where you write the text.
The right pane features a set of functions which make life a lot easier for you. You may use these functions to check you text in various ways and to get suggestions. For example there's a text analyzer which checks for common mistakes and analyzes the literary quality of the text. And there's a writer's unblock function which can give you new ideas.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
The Word Processor
Pro Novelist includes an online word processor which was tailor made for writers.
Starting the Word Processor
Click on Books in the navigation menu to the left and select the book you're working on. Then you'll be taken to the word processor page.
Editing Scenes
You can now jump smoothly between scenes and each scene will be loaded into the editor immediately when you click on it. Move the mouse cursor over a scene link and a balloon tip will show you the complete scene description.
Saving
You can jump between scenes and your edits will then be saved in the web browser, so you don't have to think about saving each scene when you jump between scenes. For example, you edit scene 3 and then jump to scene 5. Then you come back to scene 3 and your recent edits will be there. If you want to save all your changes so they are secured after you quit the word processor page, then you should click on the save box in the upper left corner. Then all your changes will be saved on our servers.
You don't have to think about selecting file names and so on. And you don't have to decide where you should save the documents because your book will be available under your list of books in the navigation menu.
The next time you continue writing, just log in to Pro Novelist, go to Books in the navigation menu and select the book you're working on. Couldn't be easier.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
Technical Requirements
There are almost no technical requirements. All tools, including the word processor, run
in your web browser, so there's no need to install any software on your computer.
You need the following.
A Windows or Mac computer
Pro Novelist works on Windows and Mac OS X. We have tested on Windows XP and Windows Vista, but there's no reason why it should't work on, say, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 using Internet Explorer.
Screen Resolution
1024 x 768 pixels works, but you'll get a better experience with 1280 x 800 pixels or higher.
A Web Browser
Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome are the browsers we have tested with. All these browsers work fine with Pro Novelist. Use either Safari or Firefox on Mac OS X. We haven't tested Pro Novelist on Linux, but since it works fine in Firefox, which is available for Linux, Linux shouldn't be a problem.
Javascript
You shouldn't switch off Javascript in the browser. Javascript is switched on by default, so unless you have switched it off, you should be safe. Pro Novelist relies heavily on Javascript to reduce response times and to make the writing process as painless as possible. The page you're reading now wouldn't be accesible without Javascript so the fact that you're reading this is a proof that your web browser is running with Javascript switched on.
An Internet Connection
Pro Novelist is a web service so you need an Internet connection. It won't work with a dial-up connection because it's too slow and isn't suitable for being online for a long time. You don't need a super fast connection though. We recommend at least 256 kbits/second, which you normally get with ADSL, DSL, 3G, fiber or cable.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
Tools
Pro Novelist features a number of tools which can make the writing process easier. All these tools are used on demand only. Some of you might never use them or you might want to use one or two of them more frequently. The functions produce comments in your text which you may delete at the click of a button.
Writer's Unblock
There's a button called Writer's Unblock. If you click on it you get suggestions for how the story could proceed.
Story Suggestions
Depending on which story you're working on (specified in the idea wizard) you can get help, suggesting how the story could unfold, what the character's could do and how they could do it etc.
Warnings for Common Mistakes
If two consecutive sentences begin with the same word or if you do other common mistakes, which usually drive publishers crazy, then this function might be used to alert for such cases.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
Wizards
Pro Novelist contains three wizards which you may use to create or edit a book idea, a book template or a book.
The Wizard For Your Book Idea
Almost all book projects start with an idea. Therefore Pro Novelist has an interactive guide which will help you to write down all the details around the idea. If you click on "My Books" and then "Edit a book" you can see a list of the books you've created. There are a number of links under each book title. To enter the idea wizard, click on "Edit the fundamental book idea (characters and the plot)" and the idea wizard will start. The details you provide there can then be used by the system to help you, once you've started writing the book. The wizard will also help you to craft characters and the plot, because each wizard step has a set of help icons which we recommend that you click on to get help. They give suggestions which will be useful for you.
The Wizard For The Book Template
The template defines all scenes and how many parts the book contains, the actual structure of the book. To start the template wizard click on "My Books" and then on "Edit a book". Then under your book title, click on "Edit (add/remove) parts and scenes". Then the template wizard will start. The template contains a list of all your scenes etc. and can be seen as the idea taken one step further. The template is used when you write the book in the sense that you can click on all scenes and they will load instantly into the online word processor.
The Wizard for Books
This is the actual writing environment and the place where you click on scenes and write the scenes. There are also a set of tools and a notepad where you can enter reminders.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
The Find Function
Use this function to search for ideas, templates and books which have been shared by Pro Novelist members. You can also find ideas, templates and book drafts, using this function, which we have made available for you.
How does it work?
Like a search engine. Select what you're looking for; ideas, templates or books. Then type in one or more keywords and click on the search button. If you didn't get any hits then try with different keywords.
Searching for an idea
Ideas are great to start with. You can use an idea to develop a template on your own. Then use the template to write the book. Ideas define the basics of the book, for example the type of book, who the protagonist is, if there's side kick and so on. You can change all details of the ideas you find using the search function, so in some cases you might be better off searching for an idea you can change rather than creating one from scratch.
Searching for a template
A template is always based on an idea, so if you search for a template, find one you like and decide to use it, then you'll also get the idea it was based on copied to your account.
Searching for a book
A book is always based on an idea and a template, so if you search for a book, find one and decide to use it, then you'll also get an idea and a template copied to your account. Community members may publish anything here, so you might find ideas, templates and even book drafts.
Public doman
All ideas, templates and books which are available using the Find function are in the public domain, which means that you may use them for any purpose, commercial or non commercial.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
Sharing ideas, templates and books
The ideas, templates and books you find using the Find function have been shared either by the Pro Novelist staff or community members. You may share items too.
Why share?
If you share items then you encourage other community members to share their ideas, templates and books. It's a give and take. Another reason for sharing is that someone else might continue to work on the idea, template and book. And then they might share the result.
How?
Click on Share in the navigation menu. You'll see a list of all your ideas, templates and books. If they're shared then they'll be selected. Select the checkbox to share an item in the list.
Sharing ideas, templates and books
If you share a book then you also share its underlying template and idea because a book is always based on an idea and a template. If you share a template then you also share the idea it was based on because a template is always based on an idea. If you share an idea you only share the idea, neither a template nor a book, even if you created a template or a book using the idea.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
Meet Writing Friends
Pro Novelist is a community in the sense that you may establish useful contacts and become a friend with other community members who are also aspiring or established writers.
Chat Rooms
There are chat rooms for various topics which you may enter whenever you want. Have a break from your writing session, relax and enter a chat room. Or use the chat rooms to ask questions or to get advice. There's a special chat room for collaborations (team work) which you may enter if you'd like to chat with your writing partner.
Team Work
There's a Team Work function which enables sharing of ideas, templates and books within a team. Typically someone creates an empty idea, template and book. Then he or she clicks on Team Work and types in your user name. Then the idea, template and book will become available through your account as well and it'll be possible to work on the same book (and its template and the idea it was based upon).
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
The Forum
Pro Novelist contains a forum where you may discuss a number of topics.
Forum
Click on Forum in the navigation menu. Then browse the topics and post messages. We add new sub forums and topics continously. If you want to suggest new sub forums then contact us on the Support page.
A forum is a great way to ask questions, get tips and discuss problems and solutions which may arise. Not necessarily technical issues, but writing related issues, for example what people think about an idea you have or what you need to do to move your story forward.
Creative discussions
Are your characters well crafted or more like paper dolls? What about the plot? Which type of story would be most suitable for your idea? Environment? Side kicks? Parallell stories? There are so many things to discuss and the forum's an ideal place for that.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
News
We link to news on writing, the publishing industry and much more.
Where
When you log in we display the three most recent news items in a random category. You may read all news items by clicking on the News link in the navigation menu.
Topics
At the moment we provide news feeds from Publishers Weekly, Moreover and The Daily Telegraph. Topics include international news from the publishing industry, book reviews, trends in books and much more.
Suggestions
We're always looking for interesting news feeds which we may include in the news section. Feel free to give us a tip on the Support page or in the forum. The news must be so called RSS Feeds, a technical standard to retrieve news on the Internet.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
Personal Blog
When you create a Pro Novelist account you also receive your own personal blog page.
Blogging
You don't have to touch the blog page at all if you're not the blogging type of person. If you do, we suggest that you write about publishing, books, writing or your own writing projects. Pro Novelist is a writing community so imagine which type of exposure you can give to your writing projects if you also spread a link to your blog on pronovelist.com.
Personal URL
Those who read your blog don't need a pronovelist.com account. Instead, the blog page is just like an ordinary blog page which anyone may read and link to from outside the community (as well as from the inside of course).
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
The Submission Tool
Pro Novelist features a submission tool which has two purposes.
Submitting your book to publishers who use Pro Novelist
Publishers may apply for a particular type of Pro Novelist account. It contains the same set of features as you use, but with the addition that they may browse excerpts from books which have been submitted by Pro Novelist writers. And they may get in contact with you if they like what they read.
Keep track of your mail submissions
If you send your manuscripts to publishers with the snail mail then the submission tool provides methods for you to keep track of which publishers you sent the manuscript to, when you did it and what the status is. The submission tool then works as an organizer or notebook for your submissions.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
Export and Back Up
Pro Novelist features several export options, so you can save a book on your own hard disk rather than on the Pro Novelist web.
Why?
We back up your Pro Novelist book every 24 hours and we believe that Pro Novelist offers everything you need, but there might be some of you who prefer to work with Pro Novelist only partially, for example to create a draft. And when that's done you continue working on your computer as usual, for example in MS Word or Open Office. Then we offer several options.
HTML
Your book may be exported as pure HTML. You may choose to save the whole book on your hard disk as a single HTML file.
RTF (doc)
We also support the RTF format, which can be read by applications such as MS Word and the Open Offce word processor. Once the RTF file has been read by these applications you may save in, say, .doc format or whichever format you prefer.
Just think twice
If you choose to export the book and continue to write on your local computer rather than inside the Pro Novelist system, then you'll have to think about backup. What if your hard disk crashes? Such things do happen. With the Pro Novelist system your edits will be backed up on a daily basis. That's only one of the benefits with Pro Novelist. You get backup, powerful tools, wizards and a community which may help you.
Still need help? Check out our tutorials.
Writing environment and community for professional novelists and script writers.