Here at ProWritingAid, we're geekily interested in writing tech, almost obsessively. And in honor of the upcoming NaNoWriMo, we thought we'd do a roundup of the apps we've reviewed over the years. Links to our full reviews are throughout.
Jul 20, 2020 i am currently using FD v. I am a long time final draft user and the versions got worse and worse. Unneeded features clutter the app, it is buggier than ever, updates are rare. I am giving up and finally switching to highland 2, which even in the freeware version is more convenient to work with, than FD. Drafts, where text starts. Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere! ## Now Available for Mac! ## App of the Day, TIME Magazine's Best Apps! MacStories 'Best App Updates' selection! Drafts lets you turn text into action – it’s a quick notebook, handy editor, and writing automation tool, al. Drafts is a launching-off point for text – use the actions to copy it, share it, or deep link into other apps and services. Compose a tweet or message, create a file in Dropbox, send a task off to Reminders – there are hooks into tons of your favorite apps.
Do you get sucked away into social media when you're supposed to be writing? There's an app to take care of that, of course. Actually, there are a couple. Which one you choose depends on how distracted you get.
For those of you who need to see what you're writing without worrying about formatting or making it pretty will love Ulysses. It's a straightforward text editor that lets you write and see what you're writing without worrying about formatting. You can do that later.
Others get majorly distracted by what they're writing and lose their train of thought. Do you break the flow of writing to go back and correct a spelling error or something that doesn't sound quite right? If you need to focus on what you will say rather than what you've already said, you need ilys. You can't see what you've already written, only the last letter you typed. Not even a whole word. A single letter.
For those who get sucked away into social media and end up following rabbit holes for hours, there's Freedom.to. You can block all of your time-wasting websites, apps, social media, and even your email. And the best part…you can block everything on all of your devices. So if you've blocked Twitter on your laptop, you can't just pick up your phone and surf. It's blocked there, too. Freedom.to. forces you to focus on writing instead.
Now for those of us who are mildly distracted, but still need to see what we've written, Write! is the perfect app. You can still edit as you go, and you can even perform some basic formatting. What it's great at is blocking out everything else on your computer screen so all you see is the word processing part.
Finally, for those who still want to see what they've written, but don't want their inner editor taking over while they're supposed to be writing, there's Rough Draft. It's like an old school typewriter on your computer screen. You can see everything you've typed, but you can't backspace and erase anything. Applocker password protect individual apps 1 8 0. Backspacing merely strikes through what you've written, reminding you it's a rough draft, not the finished product.
Hands-down, it's The Novel Factory. You get a logical structure that helps you flesh out each part of your novel, from beginning call to action to the final conflict and denouement. You start out with your premise or what your story is about, and flesh out your story's skeleton (your story arc). You then work on creating your characters. Next, you write a short synopsis; then you flesh it out into an extended synopsis.
On it goes through creating scenes and detailed character sketches, from high level plotting to creating your story's world, and so much more. The Novel Factory is a planner's dream.
And they recently released an online version, where before you could only download a Windows version of the app. Password 1 unit 6. Now us Mac users can partake in its wondrous process.
But wait! There's another fabulous app that appeals to planners a little differently. Beemgee helps you flesh out your characters and plot by asking you detailed questions about each. There are almost 40 questions to answer for each character in your story. It really helps you get down to their essence and create 3-D characters. You build plot event cards for each element in a menu to help you look at location, story lines, motifs, point of view, and much more. Then you can start creating your Step Outline, which is a detailed outline of your novel to help you make sure you've covered everything before you begin writing.
Finally, where would this article be without mentioning Scrivener? The ultimate writing tool for planners, Scrivener offers you the planning structure you love best in an electronic version. Do you love to write all of your scenes on index cards and move them around to find the best order? You can do that with Scrivener. Do you like to capture pictures and other information to help you visualize your characters, locations, settings, etc.? You can do that, too, with Scrivener. Scrivener is like a big binder full of everything you need to write your novel: research, scenes, character sketch and setting templates, synopsis and overviews for each scene, plus much more.
So again, awesome programs for planners, albeit each a different style. Your best bet is to experiment with all three to see which makes more sense to you.
The best app for those of you who fly by the seat of your pants depends on how distractible you are.
If you are highly distracted while writing, you need a combination of Freedom.to and ilys. You can block every website, social media, and app that sucks your attention with Freedom.to, and you'll only be able to see the last letter you typed with ilys. Talk about serious focus on writing your story.
If you're only mildly distracted, programs like Ulysses, Write! or even Scrivener again are great for just letting the words flow.
You've got to try One Stop For Writers. This writing app combines a little bit of planning in the form of templates to help you create your characters and your story's world, but it's much more.
Where its strength lies is in the 'library.' There's an 'Information Desk,' 'Thesaurus,' 'The Stacks,' and more. In fact, it can take days of roaming around the information in the library to see and experience everything.
You start at the 'Information Desk' to learn how to use the app. From there, you can go to the 'Thesaurus' with a comprehensive list for each of 13 categories like emotions, negative traits, talents and skills, symbols and motifs, and more. 'The Stacks' is where you'll find the templates and worksheets to help you create your characters and setting. There's even an idea generator.
In fact, there's so much information and knowledge in One Stop For Writers that it's worth signing up for a one-month subscription just to cruise around and see it all.
OK, if you are reading this blog, you probably already know that ProWritingAid is far and away the best app for editing your writing. Adguard 2 4 3 (718) nightly night.
Haven't tried it yet? What are you waiting for? It's free to use the online version and it will take your writing to the next level!
There's an app for every kind of writer. It may take a little experimenting to find the right one for your style and comfort level. And you may find that your tastes and needs change the more you write.
If you're interested in learning more about the apps mentioned above, you can find our in-depth review of each here:
Learning how to write a book is a many-stepped process – finding a story idea you love, outlining, drafting, rewriting and editing. Although you will encounter challenges during your first draft, asking good questions and acting on your answers will help you keep focused and finish. Here are 6 essential questions to ask yourself:
Committing to getting your story down on the page is a bold first step. As a published author, editor and print journalist, I’ve learned it’s easy to lose motivation if you demand that your story reveals itself in beautiful, polished prose from the start. John Irving said, ‘More than a half, maybe as much as two-thirds of my life as a writer is rewriting.’ Knowing this:
Remember what first drafts are for: Just get the gist of the story to start. Use note form. Be messy. Allow yourself horrible clichés and dead metaphors. Just get the story told and leave it until the rewrites to switch on your internal editor.
Know you can always edit a ‘bad’ page: You can’t edit an empty document. Even if a scene feels lacking in tension or colour, keep moving. Note in the margin anything you want to redo and come back to it when your first draft is complete.
List the elements of writing craft you find most daunting. Perhaps you struggle with the bones of writing (grammar and punctuation); perhaps the connective tissue of story (structure); perhaps its body and clothing (description, characterization).
Whether you’re in the middle of your first draft or you’re getting ready to revise, make a list of errors you tend to make (such as plot holes or vague characterization). Check for these consciously as you go, but only make small additions or changes that don’t reduce momentum.
Sometimes, what seems like a story problem is procedural instead (and vice versa). For example: Scenes feel a bit disconnected. There aren’t enough plot or thematic arcs connecting events from chapter to chapter.
This first draft challenge could result from focusing on micro structure in the drafting process – writing the book scene by scene – and neglecting the larger – macro – structure.
Even if you prefer not to plan, find a plot outlining method you can dip into if you ever feel like you can’t see the way forward, or the connective pathways.
Returning to a bird’s eye view of where it’s all going is a reassuring fall-back. A map isn’t necessarily a prison. Rather, it gives you the freedom to go on off-the-track adventures – you know, at least, where the main co-ordinates of your story lie.
We’re fortunate we don’t have to write entire novels on typewriters anymore. (Unless you love the romance of antique equipment!) There are so many tools that make organizing and writing first drafts faster and easier.
Writing a full-length novel naturally may seem a mammoth, daunting task. Simplify and focus better by: Afudos engineering editions.
Setting a deadline in a calendar and weekly word count targets: Google Calendar is free. You can even set alerts to remind you to stick to your writing plan. Use this as a loose, motivating guide. https://nycunkima1976.mystrikingly.com/blog/minecraft-net-windows-10.
Use note-keeping apps to store and organize research: Depending on genre, your story may require substantial research. Research the basics of what you need for the first draft and write note-form summaries of key dates, events and ideas in an app like Evernote for easy reference.
Use brainstorming tools to be more systematic: We developed the first step of the DIY process on Now Novel, for example, to help writers struggling with how to write a book (and finish) brainstorm and simplify. Guided prompts separate elements of story (such as plot and characterization) into manageable units.
Writing a novel, short story, or even non-fiction such as memoir, has the same task at root: Finding the large-scale and small-scale details of the actual story. Sometimes you can get past feeling stuck in a first draft by going back to the ‘5 W’s’ of story:
What is the story about: What happens? What are the main events and what themes do they explore? What subplots may develop a key theme (e.g. ‘the power of courage’) and your characters further?
Who is central in the story: Whose story do you want to tell, and why is this character (or group of characters) and their story engrossing?
Why: Why do you want to tell this story? Why do characters want or choose what they do?
Where: Where does this story take place (what is its setting)? How does place change, and what new hurdles or discoveries will these changes bring your characters?
When: Does the story span a single day or centuries? Does it depict events in the past, events happening now, or does it imagine a possible future?
Keep these questions in mind at every stage, from brainstorming story ideas to rewriting. Making sure each of the 5 W’s is intriguing ensures even your first draft will be rich and well-layered.
Although some authors finish their novels solo, acknowledgements pages are common for good reason. The conversations and collaborations we form during creative projects often unlock new paths and inspirations. Join a writing group or work one-on-one with a writing coach – however you prefer to get outside assistance.
Whichever way you approach your first draft, establish a process that will give you the balance of structure and freedom you need to tell the story only you can tell from start to finish.
0 
Star