I wanted to introduce and talk about a couple online writing tools (free!) that you might find useful too.

The first is Google Docs. This used to be Writely, so you may have seen that mentioned elsewhere online. Google docs is handy for keeping work available from anywhere. If I get a few minutes over lunch to write or edit, then Google Docs saves a lot of time and hassle.

You can even add Google Docs to your Google homepage.

One thing to be aware of… There seem to be some length limitations. I’ve noticed that all my novel doesn’t upload, so be careful with that. You might have to split the document if it’s large.

Another online tool I find really handy is a widget available for your Google homepage, Sticky Notes. It puts a small area on your page for notes, and I use that to jot down ideas when something comes to me at work. It lets me get the idea down somewhere and then get back to what I ought to be doing! (smile)

Sticky Notes is very good for short-term ideas, like blog and article ideas. I still carry (and use) my moleskine for jotting down story and novel ideas.

I know that ideas often come to me when I have the least opportunity to write, so it’s handy to have a way to get them down so I don’t forget. Yeah, like I’m forgetful….