Jer's Novel Writer for Mac

User Reviews

• System of choice for long documents

  Martin Turner--2008September 23, 2010

  Pros

  This is a word processor entirely optimised for writing long prose. It has minimal formatting and no layout features, but integrates powerful databasing, margin notes and other items useful to the long document writer. Outlining is very good.

  Cons

  It can be a little flakey if you want to change fonts ? but you shouldn't want to, since ePub format and the manuscript requirements of publishers reject those kind of changes.

  Summary

  Word starts to crash when documents go over sixty pages. Pages is great for layout intensive stuff, but doesn't offer the writer anything extra. Jer's Novel Writer, in common with others such as Scrivener, is designed to provide the maximum help and stability for those whose business is long-form prose, removing every other distraction, and even allowing a full-screen, distraction free mode. It gives good integration of tools you actually need ? spelling, dictionary, thesaurus, outlining, Google search, and rich text notes. It avoids mail-merge, tables, boxes, and all the stuff you don't. This is _not_ suitable for technical writing with its need to embed charts, graphs and figures. It is _highly_ suitable for writing text to be laid out or published by someone else, and for ePub.

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• Must have program

  UmpymanJanuary 21, 2009

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />First time I'm leaving feedback on VT, just felt I needed to for this program. I've toyed with Scrivener and StoryMill, but Jer's Novel Writer runs circles around them. The new version is very stable, lots of the little bugs have been cleaned up. The best thing I can say about it is that it makes me want to write! Having a program this full-featured and helpful gives me that little added excitement to sit down and throw some words "on paper." Everyone should give this a shot, and give Jerry some props (and donations.)

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• Oh YES!

  hogeisen.kunMay 28, 2008

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I came across this program on random chance (I was searching for something completely different), and it caught my eye. I have to say that it has been a blessing! I'm one of those people who likes things organized, and in my own, let's say, unique, way. Jer's Novel Writer gives me that freedom - or iron-fisted control, depending on how you look at it. It has just about everything I need, and it's all right there, ready for me to use, and easy to see. Great stuff! My only suggestion is maybe a goal meter? Sometimes I write for goals or word counts, so it might be neat to have an optional goal meter at the top where I can obsess over it (yes, obsession makes me write more ... I'm a strange creature). That being said, it isn't a must, and the program is lovely as it is! Great job Jer!!! So try it out!

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• Five star program

  jgiammatteoDecember 11, 2007

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I write novels, long sf/fantasy novels. Most programs bog down under a huge load, but with Jer's I have all three of my books (nearly 1,000,000 words) in one file and that's not counting the margin notes, database, notes section. I, too, have tried almost, if not all, of the writing programs out there and this is by far the best. Even better, Jer actually listens to suggestions. The margin notes are great, well thought out, but my favorite part is the database. Being able to keep track of all of my characters, places, weapons, etc. and have them right there handy is fantastic. Even more important is the nice feature he added to 'add to database' or 'add to description of in database'. This is the best thing I've seen in a writing program. In this way, when I'm describing a character I can immediately add that description to that character's database and never have to leave the program. Later, perhaps in the next book even, when I go back to that character, I can look up and see exactly how i described him/her the first time. A wonderful notes section is also a nice feature. Jimg

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• Very good writing tool !

  guyjacquOctober 21, 2007

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  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />AT LAST! the tool I needed for months... I often have to ANNOTATE e-texts, and I've tried many, many word-processing programs, big or small - and they ALLWAYS lack of what I need: a possibility to type my annotations about a passage, keep them visible and « floating » with the text. I suddenly disovered Jer's « novel Writer », and it is exactly what the others would be! I agree with the comment of another enthusiast user: APPLE should make Jer's a bundle with the Macs... PS: excuse my bad english - I'm french, you know :-)

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• If you're a writer, this is worth investigating

  Tim HDecember 18, 2006

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  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I've noticed there haven't been any reviews of JNW for a while. That's too bad, since many folks would benefit from trying out this terrific app. I've been using 0.614 for the past four months and putting it through it's paces. The developer's objective was to create an app for writers who want minimum distractions (if you've ever been plagued by Word trying to tell you what to do every two minutes you'll understand) and who need intuitive tools to track, edit, and restructure story elements. Even in this beta version, he has succeeded remarkably well. The program is stable and a delight to use. Anyone working on a longer document, who is concerned more with writing than formatting, would benefit by giving it a try. The wonderful implementation of Margin Notes alone makes JNW a keeper for me. I've also tried Avenir, CopyWrite, Ulysses, and several others. Avenir and CopyWrite are also both worth a try. I find them useful, but not as elegant or innovative as JNW. Ulysses is a clunker which looks like it's been ported through a dozen wormholes and is way too expensive. Ultimately this kind of program is a matter of fit. JNW fits my style, and I love it. Jerry is also very responsive to user community feedback. The whole experience has been a pleasure. [The only reason for the 4-Star rating, rather than a fiver is that JNW isn't finished yet. The developer is constantly making the thing even better.]

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• I can do it myyyyy wayyyy!

  EAB01November 5, 2006

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This is the most intuitive "writing processor" I've used yet (and I've used a lot of them, both Mac and Windows). It matches the way I write and doesn't force me to change my habits. Just don't let it get bloated, Jer. Tweaks only, please! Oh, by the way-- I use it for nonfiction too (which is actually how I pay the bills).

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• So goodâ?¦

  Martin Turner--2008November 4, 2006

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  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />â?¦[xx] gingerly opened the new software. It promised a lot, but he had had his fingers burned before â?? Word, Wordperfect, Wordstar, Write [[note to self, explore why they all begin with 'W']], even QuarkXpress. But every single one of them had let him down. Could Jer's be the one?â?¦ Like, it seems, everyone else who has reviewed this application, I've been through a pile of high priced software that either failed me when the document got big, or was just too clumsy to be good to write with. I used to bang away on an old Imperial typewriter, eventually moving onto an electronic, and then an Amstrad. Those Amstrads! Then Wordstar, WordPerfect, all on the grim MSDOS interface. Like a fool I embraced Windows 3.0, and eventually moved onto a Mac. But everything which makes the Mac great makes it hard to write on. I can play endlessly with fonts, colours, styles. I can switch on iTunes to get me in the mood to write. I can surf the net for inspiration. But, ultimately, these are just displacement activities. The single-mindedness of the Imperial or the Amstrad or, even (heaven help-me) MS-DOS, gave much needed discipline for writing. Now, at last, someone (Jer) has come up with an application which gives you all the things that only the Mac can give you, but so simply that it's like working on an old typewriter with reference materials spread around your desk. Except, of course, that you can take it with you on your PowerBook, and nobody ever rearranges your papers while you are out. Like (it seems) everyone else, I love this application: it completely suits me as a writer, and, for now at least, it's free. Seriously, Apple should include this with every new Mac, just as they have done with ComicLife.

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• simple and amazing

  ifdefOctober 31, 2006

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  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />This is how I write, exactly. Thanks Jers!! I've tried em all, but Novel Writer head and shoulders above the rest in enabling the flow of writing and making the process more organized and focused. I now do all my writing except for screenplays in Novel Writer. I expect in a few years to get rid of Final Draft too. ;)

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• Novel Writing

  tlaloc44August 13, 2006

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  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />I have been using 6.0.1 version of "Jer's Novel Writer" for about a month and I am deeply impressed by it. I am a professional writer, and I think I have used every typing program invented. I hated all of them, partly because when I was using them I was working and I am naturally a lazy sod, but mainly I hated them because they made my working harder. They concentrated on "helping" with tasks that would make say, writing a letter, easier for someone who liked lots of fonts but they didn't make organising my thoughts any easier, manipulating vast amounts of text any easier, revising easier, or just typing any easier. Worst of all they all showed the desktop (and its myriad distractions) behind them, and all had hundreds and hundreds of interesting buttons across the top menu. Then I found "Jer's Novel Writer" which has full screen mode, which I adore because it hides all the distractions on the desktop thereby making it easier to stop bludging. But "Jers" has "notes" which make the revising and correcting process about 500% easier than it has ever been before. Simply put, I no longer print out multiple drafts for corrections and no longer have to decipher the proofers illegible scrawlings. If you write for a living and the things that you write are longer than begging letters to filmstars, you should compare this program to "Copywrite" and see what you think. I know that I prefer "Jer's Novel Writer" but I know that you will definitely abandon "MSWord" in very short order and have a far happier life, which I am sure you will agree, is the point of it all. This is the best Beta I have ever seen.

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