It’s difficult to view your project as a whole when you’re hyper-focused on one piece. You’re zoomed in, thinking about how to fix a plot hole or improve your prose. It’s easy to get stuck on one part of a manuscript or article. But the best writing apps allow you to combine at least two steps of the writing process into one program. A great writing app will save you several steps, making the entire process flow that much easier.Ĭan you brainstorm, write, edit, edit again, format, and send to your editor all with one program? Some writing applications will get you pretty close. Whether you’re drafting a book or a blog post, writing is a multi-step process. You don’t have to worry about grabbing the wrong journal when you go on a writing retreat, or about suspicious coffee stains blurring your outline. You’ll never have to wonder where you jotted down that one great scene. More advanced apps will allow you to quickly navigate between your notes and your draft. With basic writing apps, you can use headings for easy navigation, or you can save things to one folder for your project. Writing apps can hold all of your notes, dabbles, outlines, and drafts in one place.īasic writing apps focus solely on word processing and aren’t designed with long documents in mind. The best feature of a great writing app is that everything you need can be safely stored all in one place. Even the most basic writing apps will help you improve your writing process. Why use a writing app? Is it really worth giving up your trusty pen and paper for a piece of technology?Ībsolutely. But I’ve selected the apps that are pretty close to perfect-depending on your needs.

Keep in mind that no app is perfect because every writer is different. Each app has its strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to understand what you need for your personal writing process. Not every writing application does all these steps. Today, writing applications support multiple areas of the writing process: brainstorming, plotting, drafting, editing, and even formatting. That seems obvious, but these days writing apps go far beyond a traditional notepad application. 9 Best Writing Apps for Windows and MacĪ writing app, short for writing application, is any software designed for writing.

Features to Look for in the Best Writing Apps.

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