Discovering the ideal tools for writers takes time, experimentation, and knowing what inspires your muse.
Hmm. Writing about tools for writers… This’ll probably my nerdiest blog yet—fair warning.
Many people really geek out on their technology. But not me. I love my phone, and my computers, yes, of course, but the tech-gods created the term User Friendly for people like me—those who absolutely require things to be simple and obvious.
To put it in perspective…
My favorite phone game is Solitaire, my iMac is eleven years old, and whenever it’s time to upgrade, it’s a tedious battle—me not wanting to let go of my treasured devices and Joe gently convincing me it’s for the best (while probably rolling his eyes). He always wins in the end. His most recent victory was ordering me a new iMac after months of listening to me huff over my sweet computer’s snail-like loading pace. I’m getting the blue one with added memory. Well-played, Joe.
A good computer is an obvious must-have—that’s where all my stories and quirky characters come to life—but what else does a writer need for optimal story-writing and publishing productivity? Here are my must-have favorites, and nothing feeds writing motivation like having the proper tools to do it.
6 Best Tools for Writers:
At only $50, this app makes drafting a novel easy—well, except for the writing part. It doesn’t actually write the novel for you (but maybe someday). Scrivener allows writers to make notes, collect research, draft, and format their project in one place. It’s the project headquarters.
For me, the best advantage is being able to hop from chapter to chapter in a click and having a place to store my “extras” without including them in the actual draft—these are chapters I’ve written and removed but am not ready to delete yet.
In some projects, my Research section (or scene playground) contains almost as much material as the first draft. Keeping that old material at hand is much easier than having multiple Word documents to store writing that may or may not make the final cut. When I’m done drafting, I can compile my draft into other formats, like Word.
Other fun features: notecards for outlining, spelling and grammar checking, as you get with Word, a document search tool, project stats, and autosaving.
Scrivener, by far, is my most used and appreciated app.
In second place under tools for writers, there’s Grammarly. Anyone who writes anything on their computer should have Grammarly, even if all you do is social media posts and the occasional email. Grammarly will gently point out your goofs and give you the fixes. The basic app is free.
I upgraded to Grammarly Premium where I feed the Grammarly monster large chunks of text. It highlights my mistakes and offers suggestions to improve my writing. $12 per month may seem a bit steep for catching spelling mistakes, but my app earns its keep. There have been times when Grammarly has checked 120,000 words in a single week for me. If paying a professional editor, this task would cost anywhere from $500 to $1500. So, I call it a bargain.
Update: With my new computer, I don’t even need the app. After downloading it on my computer, Grammarly automatically does her magic on whatever document I’m typing, like this post. The upgrade has saved me so much time.
And money. Between my English teacher background, Word’s grammar and spelling checks, my manuscript readers, and Grammarly Premium, I don’t need to hire a proofreader or copy editor. A developmental editor proves more useful—someone who provides feedback on my story, not writing 101. It’s a better use of my writer budget.
Plus, Grammarly sends me neat stats, badges, and insider info about my writing–giving me writing motivation.
While we’re still on apps as tools for writers, a recent favorite is Notion. Hubs and I were looking for a productivity app to organize book stuff and share our efforts with each other. There are many such tools out there, but going back to my user-friendly caveat, we had trouble finding something that provided a simple interface while still offering everything we needed. Writing and publishing guru, Jane Friedman recommended Notion, and we love it. Bonus, it’s free!
For me, Notion’s easier to use than its more popular rivals. I didn’t need to take a masterclass to learn how to use it. Joe and I share an account, so when either of us updates anything, it’s shared instantaneously with the other. We have task lists, sections for research, calendars, and goals. Plus, Notion allows for creativity. We set it up the way we wanted it, and even added creative touches like pics and icons.
And we’re getting our tasks done! At least once a week, Joe and I scrum over our Notion task list (often with beers). It’s kept us on track—exactly what you want from a productivity and planning app.
Don’t worry. It’s not all apps.
For my most expensive splurge, I love my iPad Air WITH APPLE PENCIL! What started as a need to replace my malfunctioning, $35 refurbished Kindle turned into Joe and I handing over $800 for another computer. At the time, I was like “What are we doing?”
Now, I’m like, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
My writer-senses tingle whenever I take the Apple Pencil in hand to red-pen a manuscript. It’s immensely satisfying. Now that I’ve edited 3+ books this way, I can’t imagine not having it. I believe the Apple Pencil possesses magical powers, drawing out my critique-muse (in the best way). Sitting on the couch with hot tea in one hand and my iPad in the other has become my favorite evening activity. I want to write just so I’ll have more to edit.
Bonus: The iPad’s perfect for reading (no more Kindles for me) and watching Poirot in the bath, too. Wait, is that weird?
Though nonessential to all writers, bloggers require a good camera. I love my Canon Powershot SX530 HS. I’ve owned it for several years, and I’m no professional photographer. But I love creating fun pics for my blog (and the google-feelers like that sort of thing), and this camera is easy to use. Most cameras are a cinch to operate these days. But for less than $300, I have a camera with a decent 50x zoom, that takes videos, and fits in my purse. Lugging a huge camera around isn’t on my to-do list, even if the pic quality is better. The Powershot is perfect for my purposes while being fun to use.
Bonus, it has a “creative mode.” In that setting, it’ll take one picture in three to five different ways. It gives me quirky pics like these:
Though not a gadget, another writing tool I’ve come to love is my Rocketbook notebook. I’ve gone through hundreds of notebooks over the years—there’s always something to write down. I have a vast collection of cute spiral notebooks, Steno Pads, and Moleskins. But after getting a Rocketbook for Christmas a few years ago, it’s become a notetaking go-to. It’s a reusable notebook that allows me to save my notes electronically. So, nothing is ever lost or buried in the land of misfit notes.
Each plastic page washes off with a damp towel. It requires certain Pilot Frixion Erasable Pens or markers, but these are easy to find and not very expensive. Plus, they’re normal pens and markers, so they can be used on regular paper as well.
Rocketbook also offers planners, notebooks of various sizes, and index cards. Who doesn’t love techie school supplies?
Whew, we survived my nerdiest blog yet. It was a close one.
Are there any apps or gadgets you’d like to share? We’re always on the hunt for the next great tools for writers to make our writer-lives easier. Give us your nerdiest answers below.
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