I have started writing a book. It is just that I have that idea in my head that I’d like to bring to paper. I first started to write it all down in Microsoft Word. I eventually started to encounter limitations in the software that made it more difficulty to keep an overview of characters, the main plot, subplots, ideas and all that good stuff that you pin down to avoid forgetting it.
Celtx is available as a free version for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. There is also Celtx Plus, a commercial desktop version and an online studio version to manage team projects. Most users should start with the free version though to see if they can work with Celtx to create their novels, comic books, films, audio plays, storyboards or other types of media. The software is very versatile in this regard.
I’d suggest to load one of the demo projects on first start to get a feel for the program. A demonstration is available for each type of media supported by Celtx. The program layout adapts to the selected production type. If you have selected Novel for instance, you are presented with an interface divided into the project library, the novel’s chapters and the core text editor part. Other modules can be displayed, like index cards, the title page or the master catalog offering information about characters, items of importance or scene details.
One of the program’s strengths is the ability to add detailed information to the catalog. Character information for instance include a name and description, media, physical description, character traits, functions, motivation and backgrounds.
Even better, information added to the catalog are automatically linked in the play, novel or script. Additional options include adding notes to any part of the media, external links to websites that offer information or are important for research, options to add a synopsis or history to the project library and a lot more.
The text editor is decent enough. While it does not offer the full functionality of an Office suite like Microsoft Word or Open Office, it offers enough text editing and formatting options to the aspiring content creator.
It feels a bit strange that all guides posted on the site are for purchase only. A good starting point for new users are the Celtx Wiki and user forum.
Some buttons in the program interface, like Toolbox or My Studio, lead to the add-ons page on the website. Add-ons need to be purchased before the functionality becomes available.
Celtx is a sophisticated pre-production system. More than 1.5 million users use it worldwide to create media according to the project’s homepage. The program can be downloaded for all supported operating systems from the developer website.
© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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