I just found out that Z-Write is now in Beta 1.5 Pre-Release for OS X.
I used the OS 9 version extensively, it was the single most important factor in my hanging on to my iBook for so long. The OS X version was a little funky (its fragment of an icon is hanging in my dock as I write this) and when I discovered that its files, when uploaded to my online storage, and then downloaded again, were mangled by the process, I figured it was time to say goodbye.
It’s not exactly pretty. But pretty is as pretty does, and an OS X version that is as steady and swift as the OS 9 version is welcome to dwell on my hard drive.
Since discovering that the developer is now planning continued updates and support, I’ve been thinking of ways I can work a new and better Z-Write into my routine. It’s not that Scrivener can’t do the kind of drafting I’m thinking about, it’s that Z-Write can work as a kind of subroutine.
The new version seems like it would be amenable to letting me wander around in it, working on a single scene that is a sum of many parts, while still being able to do global search & replace and other functions that would let me treat it as a complete document. When this pre-drafting process is completed, I can mark the pertinent sections and export them as Scrivener-worthy.
Perhaps it only appeals to me because I’m such a structure nut; I struggled mightily to learn good plotting because everything else came more easily, and I still have a number of tricks that work for me, tricks that Z-Write could do.
Those interested in Z-Write can find it with this link:
stonetablesoftware.com
And a thank you to the person who pointed me to OmniOutliner; it looks intriguing, and I’ll be playing around with both it and the Beta Z-Write to see which one works better for me. Part of the appeal of Z-Write has always been its bare-bones approach, just you and the text, without any distractions. And for some reason a change of scene perks up my brain and encourages me to move words around; part of the appeal of a laptop, and part of the appeal of using different tools for different tasks.