As a writer, there is so much more that goes into your craft than putting some ideas down on paper to create a nice story. It does not matter if you are writing science fiction, an autobiography, doing work as a journalist, or planning, organizing, editing, spell-checking and even copywriting something as a college student. No matter what it can be a real pain to stay on top of your work and be organized throughout each project. Rather than engulfing your working space in scribbled notes and crumpled up paper balls, stick with this friendly reminder: just because its how things have always been done does not make it the best way. Now there are countless apps and online tools designed specifically for writers who need assistance in staying organized in their work. If you Google “the best software tools for writers” you are overwhelmed with literally thousands of results all telling you something different. Our helpful list distills the overload into the most useful tools and how to use them.
Braincat
It is said to save the best for last, but I would hate to waste anyone’s time by withholding that information from you. Braincat tops the list because it is quite a unique tool on the market today. Braincat goes beyond getting organized and collecting your thoughts. The engineers behind this app tapped into the way brains think and developed an app that stimulates ideas and then organizes those ideas into a productive output. Writers can utilize the brainstorming prompts in Braincat to create plot lines, develop characters, clearly organize their notes, blueprint thoughts and ideas, map out arguments, and so much more. The power of this app is rooted in completely clearing your mind of old patterns and removing your creative blockages. Braincat follows this simple process:
- Discover: Braincat provides prompts and questions that guide you to think outside of your old ideas by thoroughly understanding all the parts of your project.
- Input: Enter all details no matter the order. It does not have to make sense. Input can be done manually, or upload notes from another platform or doc.
- Categorize: Look at all your ideas on the page and individually decide what category it belongs with.
- Sequence: Decide what is most to least important. This is when you will find your “big” idea.
- Output: Braincat gives you a variety of different directions to take your writing in, including a traditional outline and a mind map.
Scrivener
This app is like the cloud or Google drive. It is a nice tool to organize all your work. It gives you an endless number of folders to store your information for large projects. This app also has a minimalist option if the original layout is too overwhelming or distracting.
Ulysses
This is another app used for organizing writing space which is dedicated to seamlessness and exclusivity only for Apple users. The point of this app is to keep your focus with a clever and minimal user interface. It has also incorporated markdown techniques like excel spreadsheets. This can take some getting used to, but once you get the feel of it, Ulysses can be a great tool to help you stay on track to completing your projects on time while staying organized. Most users praise the app for the ease they experience once they understand how everything is formatted.
Plottr
The beating heart of this app is in its to creative outlining and the development of novels. It has a fun and colorful interface that gives its users a way to create multi layered timelines and to also help the construction of plotlines and character development. It lets you create notecards that are then organized chronologically. You can go back and add any information you want at any point in time by just clicking on the notecard. This requires no subscription, just a one time fee of $25.
Grammarly
It goes without saying but grammar is an important tool for any kind of writer. Even if you think you are a grammatical genius, Grammarly can save you loads of time with proofreading. We all make mistakes from time to time, and Grammarly will be happy to point that out to you. It also will suggest improved word choice and brevity to really keep your writing strong.
Reedsy Book Editor
This app takes pride in its sleek and minimalist interface designed for writing and organization. Reedsy makes its formatting incredible simple to understand and offers tons of free stuff considering it is a free app.