Writer Apps — Really Good or a Curse?

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Writer Apps — Really Good or a Curse?

My current procrastination exercise is checking out different writing apps. With all the choice available you would think it would be easy to get exactly what you want. Sadly, it doesn’t appear to work that way. I know that many millions of words and thousands of books are written each year in the publishers darling, Microsoft Word. Just how many versions of this tool are out there? It’s a simple and equally complex program which most people have used at some stage in their lives. It’s now on subscription (Office 365) and it’s not going to break the bank here. It is a must for any writer who wishes to get their novel published via the Agent/Publisher route.

I have used, and still use Scrivener, which is a wonderful piece of kit on Mac, iOS, Windows and even on Linux. I’ve used every one of those and it is still my go-to choice for novel writing. One of the many things I like about it is the flexibility of it. If you can’t think of how to begin your work then start at the end, or in the middle. Swap scenes around easily, swap chapters if you feel the need. It is that simple.

The only gripe I have, if it is a gripe, is syncing between platforms. It needs to be treated carefully when switching from one to the other. For example, if I am working on a project on my laptop, and then later pick up my iPad to amend or add something to the said project, it’s possible to get a conflict. You must be sure to close one before opening the other. It sounds simple but I have fallen foul of this, more than once, even though there are warnings to ensure this doesn’t happen. I hold my hand up that it’s my fault for not being careful enough.

I’ve tried Ywriter, which is only available on Windows unfortunately because I thought that was a very useful (and free) tool. I’m sure there are some techies who can set up some way of making it work on other platforms but I’ll have to leave that to them.

I’ve also recently tried iA Writer which I quite like. It syncs well on iCloud and is a very good distraction free writing app. Quite reasonably priced too, for those who wish to invest like I have. It’s perfect for reports, blogging or writing notes. But for me, it’s inability to allow me to easily change the order of scenes makes it a no-no for anything more substantial. I’m sure that many others will disagree with me but I don’t consider it a novel writing app, although I’m certain that, like Word, there are novels out there, that have been written on it.

I’ve also just looked at Bear but I consider that too, like Evernote, really aimed at blogging and less complex writing.

Then there is Ulysses. Quite simply put, it’s the best, distraction free, writing app out there, in my opinion. Okay, I know there has been a lot of controversy over their switch to a subscription model and I’m still unsure if this is the answer, as a lot of people have been put off by that. I myself swore I would never use it again but after searching the universe I have had to accept that there is nothing that comes remotely close to it. Everything just works. It’s infinitely customisable and the sync between Mac and iOS is almost instant. It looks clean and invites you to write, it links easily with Medium and WordPress. Even though it’s now an annual subscription, the cost (particularly given my lifetime discount) is really quite reasonable.

Nit-picking? Apart from an annual subscription, not much.

There are still many dozens of other apps to try like Bibisco, Manuskript, oStorybook to name but a few that are on my list to try, next time I find I’m struggling with a plot direction or a character and the dreaded procrastination attacks me. I’ll look then.