Build An Author Productivity Tool Chest

By KimBoo York

It’s not always easy to be productive, and when it comes to writing, the road is filled with hurdles, twists, and turns. Sometimes we need help staying focused or finding our groove. I’ve pulled together some recommendations for apps that might help:

Focus apps: There are several apps out there that you can use to lock down your internet access, but the one I recommend to my productivity clients is Freedom.to (no, that’s not an affiliate link, I don’t have any kind of relationship with them). You can use it across multiple devices, set up “blackout” schedules, and whitelist websites that you use for your writing (such as Wikipedia or notion). Worth every penny, IMHO.

Pomodoro apps: There are a lot of these out there for both desktop and mobile devices. Some are visually streamlined and others have all sorts of dials for customizing. The principle remains the same, though, so if pomodoro works for you, get thee hence!

Note taking apps: Using a note app is a great way to build a “second brain” for storing ideas, research, world-building, and business tracking. They are flexible and help your productivity by keeping you from wandering around the internet looking for “that thing I read, what was it?” or doing deep dives in your own files looking for that one idea you had four months ago.

World-building: It might seem odd to think of a world-building app as a productivity tool, but trust the experts on this one! You absolutely will forget your lead character’s aunt’s dog’s name or lose track of all the cities your fantasy-questing squad have travelled through, resulting in a lot of time going through your own darn stories trying to track things down. You can use a basic spreadsheet, or more sophisticated wiki-based apps like LegendKeeper or WorldAnvil.

Time tracking: This isn’t for everyone, but sometimes you just need to know where your time goes. Time tracking apps are all over the place, and many have free levels for basic features. Or, just use a spreadsheet! My advice is to keep it as frictionless as possible, so using apps like Clockify and Clockspot make clocking in/out super easy to do on the go.

Professional authors often use a combination of all the above, because writing is a lonely business and it’s easy to fall off the wagon, so to speak. Take time to explore the apps mentioned above to create your own “Productivity Tool Chest”!

By KimBoo York