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Yavin4

(35,357 posts)
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 01:23 PM Mar 2013

George RR Martin uses Wordstar 4.0 on a MS-DOS computer to write his epic novels

In the acknowledgements for one of his books, he thanked someone for rescuing his work after his computer crashed.


During a Q&A session after the screening, he told interviewers Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg of AllthingsD that to this day, he writes on a Microsoft DOS computer using WordStar 4.0.


http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-57575504-235/at-game-of-thrones-premiere-nerds-can-identify/
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George RR Martin uses Wordstar 4.0 on a MS-DOS computer to write his epic novels (Original Post) Yavin4 Mar 2013 OP
I'm going to say I remember word star d_r Mar 2013 #1
I remember DOS, but not Word Star Yavin4 Mar 2013 #2
probably so d_r Mar 2013 #3
Wordstar Ron Obvious Mar 2013 #4
I'll bet it's got one of those old keyboards with the very loud, springy keys. WilliamPitt Mar 2013 #5
I LOVE WordStar!!! CTRL-P P means print. CTRL-K brings up the format menu. talkingmime Mar 2013 #6
Wordstar is still used my a number of authors and has many fans. Xithras Mar 2013 #7
I still use edlin. It's very efficient. Scuba Mar 2013 #8
I could still be using Vi... hunter Mar 2013 #9
I used to use that for work… MrScorpio Mar 2013 #10

d_r

(6,907 posts)
1. I'm going to say I remember word star
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 01:24 PM
Mar 2013

and I remember getting people to stop using it was like pulling teeth. Guess he never gave it up.

I can't imagine writing novels that complex on word star.

Yavin4

(35,357 posts)
2. I remember DOS, but not Word Star
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 01:27 PM
Mar 2013

Maybe that's why it takes him so damn long to complete a book?

d_r

(6,907 posts)
3. probably so
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 01:33 PM
Mar 2013

When I was in graduate school all the older professors still used it. It booted off a 5.25 floppy disc. We younger more cutting edge folks moved on to word perfect 4.0 and then the game changing 5.1, but some of those old timers clung to word star for dear life.

 

Ron Obvious

(6,261 posts)
4. Wordstar
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 01:35 PM
Mar 2013

I used Word Star as well (on CP/M), and several of its editing commands have survived to the present day in many source code editors.

I still use Ctrl-Y to delete a line to this day.

But no, I would never use it to write a novel.

 

WilliamPitt

(58,179 posts)
5. I'll bet it's got one of those old keyboards with the very loud, springy keys.
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 01:41 PM
Mar 2013

Sounds like a team of horses crossing a bridge.

LOVE.

 

talkingmime

(2,173 posts)
6. I LOVE WordStar!!! CTRL-P P means print. CTRL-K brings up the format menu.
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 01:45 PM
Mar 2013

I still have it on my Apple II (Z-80 card). It was so fast to use with just a keyboard and when you type 80 wpm a mouse is a slow-down.

Xithras

(16,191 posts)
7. Wordstar is still used my a number of authors and has many fans.
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 01:49 PM
Mar 2013

Many still consider it the best "writing program" ever made.

I still have an old dusty Brother word processor out in the garage with Wordstar loaded on it. It's beauty is in its speed and simplicity. Even today, if I were writing thousands of pages, I'd rather do it with Wordstar than Word or Libre Writer. I actually did some preliminary work toward creating a Wordstar workalike fork of KOffice a number of years ago, but it died when I couldn't find anyone else willing to work on it with me. It turns out that most open source programmers are too young to even remember what Wordstar was

hunter

(38,264 posts)
9. I could still be using Vi...
Fri Mar 22, 2013, 02:27 PM
Mar 2013
Vi

Now I use gedit for everything.

If I must use a word processor it gets in the way of my writing.

WYSIWYG word processors are a damned distraction and documents saved in complex proprietary WYSIWYG formats can bite your ass years later if you revisit them.

Keep it simple stupid is a good rule for me anyways, 'cause sometime I'm stupid.
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