| From First Idea to Final Manuscript with the Help of Java Facing the blank page can be a challenge for any novelist. How do you keep track of plot, characters, and events across hundreds of pages? What can you do if writer’s block strikes? Now, with the help of Java, Ravenshead Services’ WriteItNow software gives writers the tools they need to start writing and keep writing, from first idea to final manuscript. Written in Java with a Swing front end, WriteItNow software keeps both the novel’s text and its background material in one place. Writers can write chapters and scenes while having vital information about characters and events close at hand. The software’s graphical tools include a time line, relationships graph, and a visual story board. If writer’s block strikes, the program can generate names, characters, and ideas to spark a writer’s imagination and creativity. WriteItNow also comes with a thesaurus, spell checker, readability chart, word counter, and more. And at any point the writer can export the novel as a neatly formatted, publisher-ready manuscript. Ravenshead chose to develop in Java for three key reasons. First, it was a mature, reliable language that was easy to use, but also extremely powerful. For example, the Java Collections API provided developers with a set of classes that made it easier to handle collections of objects, and it simplified sorting and handling lists. Being able to run on Windows and Mac OS X with the same code was also important, as it cut development time and made testing easier. Finally, there were numerous well-established third-party libraries that also helped speed development. The end result is a Java-enabled software tool that helps make any novelist’s life easier and more productive. | 
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