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As someone who earns his keep mincing words, I've always scoffed at software that promises to teach writing -- especially those that make claims like "Learn to write like James Joyce in 12 weeks or less." They remind me of those late-night TV ads for devices that promise better stomach muscles through electric vibration.
Just as there's no substitute for doing sit-ups, I'm afraid there's no shortcut to developing writing skills. Hard work is the only way to master language and develop a keen eye for meaningful detail, as I'm forever telling my undergraduate students at Emory University in Atlanta.
Still, I have found one very worthwhile program for creative writing, such as novels and screenplays. It's called Power Structure. Forgive the ugly name -- this is an elegant piece of software. And while previously available only for the PC, the program's developers, San Diego (Calif.)-based Write-Brain, have recently released a Mac version.
DAUNTING JOURNEY. Power Structure makes no claims about turning you into the next James Joyce. Instead, it guides you -- as painstakingly as a Tibetan sherpa -- along the rocky path of learning how to think like a writer. That's a journey few aspiring writers survive.
I've been using Power Structure to conceive my fourth children's novel. The program is really no more than a basic word processor with a good outliner, but the designers have fashioned these simple tools into a Swiss Army knife for writers. With Power Structure you can develop characters, track their emotional development, weave them into a plot line, and pace the conflicts among them.
The program lets you view a story scene by scene, chapter by chapter, act by act -- or all at once. Such views, from microscopic to big picture, are a great way to see if your story hangs together or if it's riddled with holes. Power Structure has helped me spot unresolved conflicts and find major characters who wandered out of my story, never to return. Oops.
CREATING AN OUTLINE. Here's how I used the program: I started by jotting out a quick list of possible scenes in no particular order. Then I dragged and dropped the scenes into a story outline, divided the book into chapters, and the chapters into three acts. I did this over and over again -- adding missing scenes as I went -- until I finally had an outline that felt like a complete book. Now I'm ready to write the first draft.
You do all this hard work in a well-organized, easy-to-use tabbed main window. Each tab represents a different story element, including characters, chapters, and acts. Click a tab, and the main window displays that element's information.
Two tabs are particularly useful. One graphs the ebb and flow of the conflicts within a storyline, showing you at a glance if your drama is building or just petering out. The other is what Power Structure calls a Gestalt view, which shows character developments, scenes, and chapters side by side. It's a great way to see if all the elements of your story are meshing.
HEART OF THE MATTER. Beneath the tabs are two panels. The left panel is a hierarchical list of items. The list changes with the selected tab. Under plot points, you'll see a list of scenes. Click on a scene, and what you've written about it will be displayed in the right panel. This is also where you rearrange items by dragging them.
For me, the right panel is the heart of Power Structure. Here the program questions you about what you want to write and why. These questions guide you step by step in building your story or screenplay. Questions include: What's a character's driving motivation, how does he move the story forward, and who does he become by the end of the narrative? What you've written is then listed in the left panel.
You're free to answer all or none of the questions, and you can make up your own. But I highly recommend, especially to aspiring writers, wrestling with the queries that come with the program. They're as good a lesson I've ever seen in teaching the basic elements of great storytelling.
ON THE PRICEY SIDE. Power Structure isn't perfect. I found its built-in dictionary and thesaurus second-rate. That's a shame -- strong reference tools would greatly enhance the program. I also didn't care for how the program requires you to insert the CD every time you start it up. And at $179, Power Structure's price is a little high for a program sold only over the Internet. You'll find it at www.write-brain.com.
Still, this is a great tool for those serious about learning how to write novels or screenplays. It doesn't cut out the hard work, but it gives you a better idea of where you need to focus your energies.
Haddad, Atlanta-based correspondent for BusinessWeek, is a long-time Apple Computer buff. Follow his weekly Byte of the Apple column, only on BusinessWeek Online Edited by B. Kite
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