It’s a question that writers have asked since the dawn of time. And by ‘dawn of time’, I mean 2007. Can our smartphones improve our writing?
The honest answer is no.
Only we can improve our writing. We do this by, you know, actually writing. A lot.
BUT… There are a whole bunch of apps that can help us to improve our writing.
We live in an amazing time. Today anyone can become a decent writer because we have the know-how literally at our fingertips.
So next time you’re procrastinating, struggling with writers’ block, and fiddling with your phone… Close down Snapchat, put your shirt back on, and load up on these 11 essential apps for writers.
1. Scrivener
Scrivener is the best investment I ever made for my writing career (aside from reading and writing).
They can quote me on that.
I struggled for years with Microsoft Word, which was like an abusive lover. I was used to it so I put up with the beatings. I didn’t go looking elsewhere. But after one too many massive crashes, I searched and found Scrivener.
I could wax poetic about Scrivener all day. How versatile it is, how organised, how effortless. I know it won’t be for everyone but for me it was a match made in heaven.
Scrivener is the writer’s word processor. I adore how you can set project goals, easily track your word counts, easily navigate between all of your notes and your work-in-progress, and self-publish with supreme ease in a matter of minutes.
And now Scrivener have an iPad and iPhone version. For writers on the go, this is the perfect app.
2. Headspace
The Wim Hof Method is my first choice of meditation style. However, I understand that it can be too intense, too time-consuming, and too expensive for first time meditators.
If you need a simple app that will ensure you meet your meditation goals and clear your head before a writing session, Headspace is my top recommendation.
Meditating every day in the morning is one of the best things I’ve ever done for my writing.
Writers’ block is basically non-existent after meditation. You get in the zone much quicker. And you’re happier, which is great because we all know that happy writers = productive writers.
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The great thing about Headspace is that it has commitment and accountability built right into the app. Andy Puddicombe, the man behind Headspace, is a genius because he has given meditation an addictive, game-like quality with real world rewards (aside from feeling calmer in your life, your commitment also allows you to gift the app to your friends).
3. Sleep Cycle
Another one of my all-time favourite apps.
Sleep Cycle is an alarm clock that aims to wake you up in the lightest stage of sleep.
Just say you want to wake up at 7:00 am. Well, Sleep Cycle will choose a point between 6:30 and 7:00 in which you are sleeping the lightest. It monitors this with your phone’s accelerometer and microphone. It then wakes you up in such a way that you feel like you’ve woken up naturally and of your own accord.
Why’s this good?
Normal alarm clocks just wake you up at a specific time. They don’t take into account whether it’s actually a good time for your body to suddenly wake up. If the alarm goes off when you’re in deep sleep, you get a nasty spike of cortisol and spend the whole day feeling like crap.
Sleep Cycle massively improves how energetic you feel during the day.
I don’t know about you, but I always do my best writing when I feel fully rested. The days I perform the worst are when I’ve been jolted out of deep sleep and I’m just surviving on coffee.
4. Serial Reader
I’m weirdly obsessed about reading books the way they were originally published.
A ton of great books were actually published in serial form. They weren’t supposed to be gulped down in like the latest series on Netflix. They were published every week, fortnight, or month. As such, readers developed a different relationship with the text. Cliffhangers were more meaningful. You thought about the book more in your day-to-day life. You lived with the book longer.
If you want to experience the joy of reading a book in its true serial form, you could just find out the original publication schedule and ration out the chapters. Or, if you have no self-control (like me), you can use the Serial Reader app, which will deliver a great book to your smartphone in serial form.
It’s completely free and has a fantastic selection of books.
5. The Brainstormer
Writing prompts are another one of my obsessions.
Some people refuse to use writing prompts because they think it dulls creativity if someone tells you what to write. Actually I believe it’s the complete reverse. It takes a lot of creativity to just go with someone else’s zany ideas.
I used to get my writing prompts from books like 642 Things to Write About but now I often use an app called The Brainstormer.
Spin the wheel and get a random plot, theme, subject, and style to riff on. Many times I won’t write the whole story but I will think about how a potential story containing the random elements would develop. This is a great thought exercise for those boring times in post office, grocery, and train waiting lines.
6. Twitter
What?! Twitter?! How dare you call yourself a writer!!!
Wait a minute, Franzen. Hear me out.
Twitter isn’t complete writing poison.
I personally suck at Twitter. But I know plenty of writers who rock Twitter and use it as a tool for good. Aside from potentially being an awesome marketing tool for writers (just don’t spam us, please), Twitter can be great if you’re suffering from writers’ block.
Just check out how Rabih Alameddine uses Twitter to post works of art when he’s in need of inspiration.
Or check out how Brian Bilston uses Twitter to write poetry:
Sure, Twitter’s not for everyone. I’m not even sure if it’s for me. But there are plenty of writers who have embraced the platform and found it to sharpen their literary prowess. You might be one of them.
7. Productive
The Productive app is another personal favourite of mine.
I love how clean the interface is and it makes to-do lists as enjoyable as they can be. I go through phases throughout the year of using different styles of to-do lists and Productive is the one I return to the most.
It’s great for stacking new habits and meeting your goals.
Productive uses the same rationale as Jerry Seinfeld when he discussed his famous calendar technique for writing jokes. You can see how well you’ve managed to stick to your habits over the weeks and you also get reminders when you’re due to complete something.
8. Rainy Mood
I’ve been using the Rainy Mood website for years now. So I was overjoyed to discover that they now have an app so you can get all that rainy, moody goodness on the go. Perfect for when you’re writing in coffee shops and need the sound of rain, forest bugs, or… more coffee shops to keep you focused.
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9. Kindle
Okay, so I kinda railed against Kindle recently.
But Kindle has served me well for years. Especially as a writer that’s constantly travelling. And I’ll come crawling back. In fact, I’ve got my Kindle open by my side right now and I’m just scrolling through.
Out of all the apps on this list, many of them are very good but I wouldn’t say they are all “must-have” apps for writers. But the Kindle app is probably the closest thing to a must-have app for writers.
If you don’t already have it, what are you waiting for?
10. Quora
You gotta be careful with Quora.
It’s more addictive that heroin, crack cocaine, and Pringles combined.
But it’s also a supremely useful tool for writers because it lets you…
- Research tons of cool stuff related to your book (there are experts about every major and most minor topics).
- Hone your writing skills by offering your own words of wisdom and answering questions.
- Form friendships with other writers all over the world.
Where to start on Quora?
How about you check out my Quora page?
11. Poetry Foundation
If you’re following along with the Bradbury Trio, you’re going to need a lot of poetry.
Instead of wasting a ton of time searching for your poem of the day, why not just go into the Poetry Foundation app, use their awesome random poem tool, and enjoy whatever Fate serves you?
Toilet and commute time has never been so inspirational, so beautiful, so profound.
