Software isn’t usually classified as a gadget, but without software no gadget for writers would be able to function, so in this post I would like to talk a little about a piece of story creation software that I have been having a great time with over the past few weeks (which might explain my recent lack of posts!)

The software is StoryCraft 7.0, and it is designed for fiction writers who want to be able to take their raw ideas and transform them into fully-developed short stories, novels, and screenplays with far less fuss than you ever thought possible.

StoryCraft not only guides you through the entire process of creating and developing your stories, but also offers easy access to your word processor for each stage of your story. This enables you to quickly record your ideas and write your story with no interruptions, no delays and no excuses.

To start, StoryCraft takes your basic story idea and converts it into a concise Story Concept that will form the solid foundation on which you’ll build your story. The software then takes that Story Concept and lets you decide which Story Category (action, character, or epic) you want to use to develop the story.

The StoryCraft software employs the Jarvis Method, the system of fiction writing that is used as the accepted standard among university writing programs around the world. It identifies 18 basic patterns of stories that match all the great myths and literary classics, and gives you an instant outline of your story that is based upon your choice of one of those patterns, called Story Types.

StoryCraft then guides you through the creation of your story’s main characters and their helpers as well as the worlds that they populate, prompting you to describe the precise elements necessary for main characters of stories that match your Concept, Category, and Type.

If this sounds complex then let me assure you that it really isn’t. StoryCraft has built-in help instructions, accessible from every screen, that instantly describe the desired task. It also presents complete and continually updated Plot Outlines and Structure Outlines for your story as you write.

Those of you who have ever had an idea for a story but didn’t know how to flesh it out into something more substantial will love StoryCraft, and the good news is that it allows you to instantly put your writing into your favourite word-processing program – everything from MS Word to Final Draft! You can also import text that you might have already created, allowing you to put those old ideas to good use at last!

There is plenty more that I could say about StoryCraft, but I would rather use it than write about it, so if you are someone who would like to write fiction, or improve your current fictional output, I suggest that you pay a visit to the StoryCraft web site to take a look for yourself. Happy writing!