What's your workbench look like?
I'm interested in what tools you use (besides your mind) to develop your stories? How much is physical and how much is electronic? What do you use for research? After you have found the info that you will use for background, how do you store it? Do you use the old standby Word to create a written document? What do you use each and every time you have an idea? How do you set th stories objective?

Oooh, lots of questions. :) OK, here goes. My desk is usually full of clutter - executive toys, stuffed animals, books, bits of paper, pens, coffee mugs (lots of those!) and anything else that happens to be around. I bought a new bigger desk a few yeasrs ago but I've still used up all the space. LOL The most important thing on there is my pc. I use that for pretty much everything writing based - email, web, web design, research, and the writing itself. I use Word Perfect which in my 'umble opinion is vastly superior to Word. LOL Research? What's that? ;) Heh. I tend to use the internet first to give me an overview, and then follow up in books if I need something more specific. I don't really store the info, other than in scribbled note form in the story folder. If I tried to store every scrap of useless info I DL'ed for stories my pc would blow a fuse!

Re: What's your workbench look like?
My desk tends to be ungodly cluttered, although I recently cleaned it. My PC is in our bedroom, but I use my partner's when the kids are awake because her PC is in the living room. I also have a dinky laptop that I tend to use in the living room if my partner is home; I've been glued to the TV thanks to a James Bond movie marathon. Most of my work is done on the computer, but I do have notebooks in nearly every room of the house and I carry at least one when I leave to go somewhere. Ideas hit me at the weirdest times. For research, I use the 'Net and books. I've got hundreds of links bookmarked relating to Archaeology (mostly), writing, medieval history, Welsh language and culture, and of course sex. I also have countless Archaeology books I use sometimes. I store most of my background information in files on the comp and stick them in my Work folder. I also have several notebooks nearby that I scribble in as well, just in case I want/need to take the information with me when I go somewhere. I use Word on my comp and my laptop, and Wordpad on my partner's machine. When I'm on hers, I also use WordPerfect, but only to check word count. I write down all new ideas, whether it's on the comp or handwritten. As for objective, I usually don't. Once I've gotten an idea, the characters seem to come alive and take hold of everything. My characters are very real to me, and they tell the stories. I simply do the typing/handwriting. LOL

I sit on the sofa with my laptop and write into Word. I would prefer wp but there were so many compatibility problems that I gave up. I research by reading books but make no notes.

I use MSN Works. Then always end up copy and pasting it to Word once I'm done. And fixing the quote problem MSN always gives. My desk is cluttered with puter games, my sewing stuff for chokers, and god knows what all. And my handy dandy notebook nearby. Though mostly I do write straight to Works. Research is done on the net, naturally. Too much information at the touch of a button, including the blasted thesaurus. :lol: And lately Yahell messenger is being a source of work as well, with me and Liz messaging each other, playing out scenes for the new book.

chiming in
I've got the useful clutter thing going with most of my current research books in my desk, on my desk, on the floor beside my desk....:) My office is a corner of the diningroom. I had a "real" office but then #1 child came back to the nest and reclaimed it *sigh* I tend to do quick online searches then seek out books for more in depth information. Since I'm writing a lot of 19th century stuff or 19th century backstory I try to get my hands on inexpensive non fiction from that era. eBay is my very close friend --too close so says my bank account. :D

What a cool topic, I love to see how everybody works :) I write whenver and wherever I get the chance: lunchtime at work, watching TV at home, whatever. Yesterday I got some of my la-*test*-('") done while sitting on the ground in the little park thingy at Appalachian, surrounded by college kids :lol: All I can say about research is, thank any powers existing for Google. It's the telephone of our time. If I can't find out just by asking someone, and if I don't already know, I can usually find out by Googling. Everything's out there, you just have to ask it the right questions. I'm a Mac girl. My iBook is surgically attached. I don't go anywhere without it, which is kind of sad, but there you are. I keep any research notes, as well as my WIPs, in AppleWorks. And I organize my research notes by story. I have a document of notes, ideas, misc. thoughts for each story longer than about 10K. Usually, my story's objective begins to be clear after the first chapter, or while writing it. My stuff usually starts with something random that I saw, or heard, or read, or maybe from a character that pops into my head. I find that if I just start writing, the story shapes itself. Sometimes I have to do major rewrites of the first bits, but that's okay if that makes it right in the end.

My workspace is my desk either at home or at my day job. My desk at home is decidedly more crowded. I have books and notebooks everywhere. I generally use word, as that's standard, but I carry a notebook in my purse as well as a palm with a keyboard attachment. Sometimes when I have block a pen and paper are best. Most ideas are stored on hardcopy. I have a notebook for ideas. Some are on IRC logs if they're co-writing ideas, or tossed back and forth in emails that I save. I reasearch hard copy (as I work in a library) and on the web as well as by going places. I write Venice more convincingly, for instance, now that I've been there. The story's objective? Grins. The characters tell me that.

Interesting response. We all seem to have one thing in common - messy desks. :oops: One of the tools that no one seem to be using, is one that might be used for storybording. Doe any of you use anything like that? Finally, the "Desert Island" question for ya'll. Which tool would you take on a desert Island?

Except me--no desk. Desert island. Boy I hope it has wireless!

tool?? heh... I know what sort of tool I want on a desert island... **filthy thoughts** I don't have any program for storyboarding; might be interesting to try. I just keep up with bullet points for each chapter. It works okay most of the time :)

Hmm... storyboarding would be interesting. As for desert island... notebook and pen :D

::dreams:: Well, first there'd be the nice comfy bed, and the fridge, and the tv (complete with satellite, of course) and the microwave, and the phone, and the computer, and the printer, and the.... Hmm. Better make the tool a portable generator. LOL

Computer with cable internet. As far as food, I'll just hunt like a native. I have got to have my comp.

We have two computers but only one printer that works,so I do all my writing at the computer that has the printer that works. I use the internet and books for research and I keep a pocket style guide and a Thesaurus handy, I also have a Writer's guide to Naming Characters on hand in case I'm stuck for a name. If I'm done writing for the day but want to remember an idea, I'll just write where I left off writing. I'll be deleting it when I start writing again and it acts like a reminder.