Frequently Asked Questions| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is WriteItNow? | WriteItNow is a program for writing and storing novels. It has sections for chapters, characters, locations, events, notes and ideas. You can use it to generate names, characters, ideas Tools include a spelling checker, thesaurus, readability calculator. Registered users of WriteItNow can generate characters and notes using any of our free add-ons. |
| OS X Lion | We've created a new version of WriteItNow which runs on OS X Lion.
You will need Java if you don't already have it. This can be downloaded from Apple here: The new WriteItNow installer can be downloaded here: |
| Paying With PayPal | To pay: [1] Go to this page [2] Click on the button for WriteItNow 4 [3] On the PayPal page, make sure your details are correct. [4] To pay by PayPal click on "Proceed to Checkout" |
| To Pay By Credit Card | To pay by credit card,
[1] Go to this page
[2] Click on the button for WriteItNow 4 [3] On the PayPal page, make sure your details are correct. [4] Click on the [Proceed To Checkout] button [5] Where it says: -------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't have a PayPal account? Use your credit card or bank account (where available). Continue -------------------------------------------------------------------- Click on the 'Continue' link |
| Problem saving target_results.csv | The file target_results.csv holds writing targets. It's not currently used by WriteItNow 4 but may be used in the future to display graphs of writing target results.
Have you installed WriteItNow under the \program files directory? E.g c:\program files\writeitnow4 ? This can cause problems saving some files on Vista and Windows 7. If so it's worth re-installing it in a directory which isn't under c:\program files\ E.g. c:\writeitnow4 |
| Printout of Help Files | To print out the built in help:
Run WriteItNow and select Help -> Contents Click on the sections you want to print in the left hand tree view (hold down CTRL to select multiple sections) Pinyon Publishing have produced a book describing how to use WriteItNow 4 and this can be bought from Amazon here |
| Better PDF Export | The PDF produced is not as good as the RTF produced by
Export -> RTF. You can produce a much better PDF from the RTF file. For this you need Open Office (a free download). Load the RTF file into Open Office and chooose 'Create PDF' It then generates a PDF file which is very similar to the RTF. |
| Moving Stories to a New Computer | Each WriteItNow story is a single file which ends with .wnw E.g 'my story.wnw' These files have an icon which looks like a yellow and black bird's head. This file contains all the story details such as chapters, scenes, events, characters etc. So what you need to do is: [1] Download and install WriteItNow on the new computer. [2] Unlock it with your unlock codes [3] Copy any .wnw files from the old computer to the new one. [4] Open the story you want to use on the new computer with File -> Open |
| Creating Names | Select the characters tab. Click 'Options' Select 'Create Name' The name picker dialog is shown. This has a database of dozens of name sets and is very flexible. See here for more details. |
| Unlock Codes Don't Seem To Work | When using the codes remember: [1] You need to enter the name and unlock code exactly as listed. Make sure you don't have Caps Lock on. [2] If you enter the codes incorrectly 3 times you'll need to restart WriteItNow before trying again. [3] When entering the name and codes do not put quotes around them [4] It's easy to confuse some letters and numbers. E.g. lower case 'L' and '1' or 'B' and '8' or 'S' and '5' |
| Getting Started | If you press F1 there is built in help. The most useful section is probably under the "Getting Started" section. This has simple step by step instructions on using the software. One thing to bear in mind is that the software is flexible. You don't have to use it in a particular way. As long as you write the novel text as chapters or scenes and keep other info in the other tabs it's hard to go wrong. At any point you can use Export -> Story As RTF to create a formatted manuscript and see how you are progressing. There is also a useful book available through Amazon: Making The Most Of WriteItNow 4 |
| Installing PC Version From a CD | Typically, all you need to do is put the disk in the CD drive. This then starts the installer and by following the on-screen prompts the program can be installed in two or three minutes. If the installer doesn't start this could be because you have auto-run disabled. In this case you need to do the following: [1] Put the disk in the CD or DVD drive. Wait for a while. If auto-run is enabled on your computer the installer will start. If this happens go to step [6] If not go to step [2]. [2] Open the file manager to view the DVD drive. There are several ways to do this but the simplest is to hold down the Windows key (this is between CTRL and ALT on the bottom left of the keyboard). While the Windows keys is held down press the 'E' key. [3] The file manager is then shown. On the left hand side are the drives on your computer. One of the drives is the CD drive or DVD drive with the CD. [4] Double click on the CD/DVD drive. The right hand side of the file manager will show the programs on the CD. [5] Double click on the file install.exe [6] When the installer is running follow the on-screen prompts. |
| Main Features of WriteItNow 4 | WriteItNow 4 has all the main features of WriteItNow 3 and adds scenes, a story board, prompt sets, writing targets and much more. See here |
| How can I use text from MS Word? | A simple method is to use ‘Cut and Paste’ [1] Select the text you want in Word and press CTRL+C [2] Put the cursor where you want the text in WriteItNow and press CTRL+V This link has more details. |
| Backups | Always make a back-up of the story files. These end with '.wnw' WriteItNow 4 can save revisions of each version of a story. See the program help for more details. Hard disks can go wrong so always make a back up of the '.wnw' files to CD or a USB drive. See the program help for more details. |
| Waiting for my unlock code | After you register we send the unlock code. This is a manual process and can take up to 24 hours. The vast majority of unlock codes are received quickly (within two or three hours) but occasionally there is a short delay. If you've waited longer than 24 hours then it's worth checking that your inbox isn't full. This can stop mail reaching you. Also check your spam filter settings. You may have filtered out our reply. Then check the email address you used when you registered. Occasionally people mis-type this. If this was wrong, then email us explaining how and when you ordered and supplying the correct email address. |
| What if I re-format my hard disk? | You'll need to download the demo here You will need your original name and unlock code: After downloading the demo, use the original unlock code to re-register it. |
| How can I recover an older version of a story? | If the story has been corrupted you may be able to recover from a backup. WriteItNow saves a backup each time you save a file so there should be plenty of these. To look for these [1] Go to the "File" menu and select "Load". [2] Set the 'Files of Type' selection to "All Files" [3] Look for a file with your story name and the ending '.bak' E.g . ’mystory.17.bak’ [4] If there is more than one of these the one with the highest number is the most recent. [5] Save the story with a suitable name. E.g. ‘mystory’ It's always a good idea to backup stories onto some other media (floppies, zip drives etc) from time to time. |
| I can't download the demo. | You'll need to visit our web-site to do the download. Trying to download remotely won't work. Users who are using firewalls might encounter difficulties downloading. If you are on a system with a firewall installed that is running in Stealth Mode (or similar mode), it is likely you'll have to turn that feature off temporarily. How you do this will depend on what firewall program is running. If you have Norton you may have to temporarily turn off ALL security settings in Norton before downloading. |
| Accessing the exported RTF files on a Mac. | [1] Select the WriteItNow application [2] Hold down the CONTROL key and mouse click [3] Select the 'Show Package Contents' option [4] Select the 'Contents' directory [5] Select the 'Resources' directory [6] Select the 'Java' directory The exported rtf file is in this directory. |
| How can I pay for an unlock code? | You can register with a credit card or a PayPal account or by post.
We have been selling on-line for eight years now and have a very good reputation. |
| How do I find help? | You can access this manual from the "Help" menu, check the "Tip of the Day" or look at Context Sensitive Help. |
| How can I use documents I've written in other applications? | You first need to save the documents as plain text, then you can import them. This link has more details. |
| Can I use WriteItNow with Microsoft Word? | Yes. You can save stories you've written in Microsoft Word as text. See the section on 'importing text' for more details. When you're ready to submit your story you can export it as RTF into Word and make any final adjustments. |
| How can I print my stories? | You print a story by exporting it. When you export you can do this as RTF and send the story to a Word Processor such as Microsoft Word. From the Word Processor you can make final adjustments to the story and print it. When WriteItNow exports a story it adds your preferred formatting to the story. This lets you concentrate on writing while you are creating the story. By default WriteItNow uses a standard set of formatting choices (double line spacing, courier font etc.) With WriteItNow you can adjust line spacing, fonts for heads and footers, paragraph formatting and many more settings. |
| What format should I use for printing stories? | Exporting stories as RTF gives you the most control over how the story is formatted. |
| What is Rich Text Format (RTF)? | Rich Text Format or RTF is a format for storing text. It can include information about layout (fonts, line spacing etc) and is understood by most Word Processors. |
| How can I buy by post? | Fill out the form here
print it and send it to Ravenshead Services Ltd PO Box 7722 Lockerbie DG11 3YH Scotland Make all checks payable to : Ravenshead Services Ltd. The CD has the Windows and Mac OSX Versions of WriteItNow. |
| If I buy by post who do I make the check to? | Make all checks or postal orders payable to Ravenshead Services Ltd |
| After registering how do I use the Add-ons? | Add-ons are activated when the unlock code is entered. We will be introducing more add-ons in the future. These will always be free. Use the option "Create Character from Add-on" on the Options Menu on the characters tab to access the character and personality add-ons. Use the option "Create Note from Add-on" on the Options Menu on the notes tab to access the background add-ons. The period add-ons create characters for the USA in the 19th Century (1800-1899) and for Tudor Britain (1485-1603) and Victorian Britain (1837-1901). There are two personality add-ons. One creates characters using the Enneagram system, the other creates personality types based on the Myers-Briggs personality types. To download new add-ons select File -> Downloads |
| Unlock WriteItNow. | First download the demo software. You register and we email your unlock code You run WriteItNow and type in your unlock code to unlock it. Use the same unlock code on the PC & Mac OS X versions. Registration is fast, easy and secure. You can register at our website here |
| Running on multiple machines | You can use WriteItNow on multiple computers. You need to install it on each and the unlock it. The same unlock code will work on each. To transfer stories between machines you need to copy the files with a .wnw extension. These will normally be in the directory where you installed WriteItNow. |
| Upgrades | When you register WriteitNow 4 we send you an unlock code. This is an eight character code based on your name. If you need to re-install WriteItNow or install it on another machine the unlock code is still valid. The same code will work on the Mac and PC versions. If you have registered version 3 you can upgrade to version 4 for $19.95 |
| The main features of WriteitNow3 | WriteItNow is novel writing software for PCs and Macs (OSX). Download and try the free demo from http://www.ravensheadservices.com The demo can do everything the full version can except save stories and use add-ons · Write and store complete novels · Keep background details of characters, events, locations and ideas. · Display charts of events and relationships · Generate characters, names and ideas · Registered users can generate characters and background notes using add-ons · Record all manuscript submissions · Sample story with tutorial. · 100,000 word spelling checker · Auto-scale charts · 100 step undo and redo · RTF output. Create a neatly formatted manuscript with two key-presses · Save and load individual characters, chapters, events, notes and ideas. · 200,000 word thesaurus · Events summary screen · Tree view of all characters, events, ideas,locations and notes Anyone who has registered version 2 can upgrade to version 3. |
| How do I get a word count? | You can check the number of words in any text. The word count shows information specific to the section. E.g. the word count for Chapters shows the word count for all chapter text and for any scenes that make up the chapter.
To check a Chapter select it and click the 'Tools' button and select 'Word Count' If you select a block of text the word count for this is also shown. |
| Mac OS X Version | WriteItNow 3 works with Mac OS10.3.
WriteItNow 4 runs on Macs with Java 5 or 6. |
| How can I download the demo version? | Download the demo here
The demo lets you try all of the features except saving stories and using add-ons. You can view stories, create characters, names, titles and ideas. You need to register to save stories and use add-ons. |