By KimBoo York
There has been talk for years about a “killer app” for writers, but I am going to be honest: there isn’t one.
That’s not because there are no great apps out there, but because every writer is a unique flower, and usually of the hothouse kind! Every single writer I’ve ever known, including me, is incredibly fussy about their writing process. Some absolutely must start by handwriting in a journal, while others begin with drafting up story beats in a spreadsheet.
My advice is to look for solutions that fit how you think and work, instead of chasing down every writing app that crosses your path. Which means I’m not going to compare these to find out which one is better, but to share who they might work best for!
Scrivener: This is the long-standing Cadillac of writing apps, and does pretty much everything. I’ve used it for years, and love it. It has a steep learning curve, though, and is best for writers who like having everything in one place and also want complete control over their writing environment. If doing things your own way and customizing your experience is your jam, this is the one for you. A Mac-only equivalent is Ulysses.
Campfire and Novlr: Cloud-based apps like these are much more common these days, and they all have their specific quirks and features. These are best for people who prefer a more stripped down, uncluttered interface but still want useful features like automatic outlines and scene shifting.
WorldAnvil: Yes, this a world-building app, but they incorporated a writing and publishing feature a long time ago. If you have very complex world-building going on that you want tied directly into your story, it’s worth investigating as a writing/publishing platform. There is a bit of a learning curve, though, so be prepared for that.
GoogleDocs: This is the most streamlined interface of all of them, and is great for brains whose motto is KISS. At heart it is a very basic word processing app, so if all the bells and whistles of other apps are just too much distraction, open a blank google doc and start typing! The main drawback is that google docs do not handle very large files well (60k+ words), so create a folder for your story and make each chapter a separate document.
MS Word, Pages, LibreOffice/OpenOffice: These are all word processing software, and are very common and familiar, as most of us have used one or the other at some point. If you don’t like change and/or don’t have time and energy to invest in learning a new app, then stick with what you know! Just be careful about version control; save separate copies of your manuscript with the date in the title, so you can keep track of the latest version.
It doesn’t matter what you use to write your story. Professional authors across all spectrums and genres use different apps for different reasons! The only thing that matters is getting your story written.
By KimBoo York
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