With the MAGL, the PlantR blog and this one here, I’m doing a lot of writing these days. I’m pretty easily distracted, and my addiction to social interwebs and Netflix doesn’t help. Here’s a few tools that do:
1. Mindnode A super-simple, super clean mindmapping app. This is where most of my posts, papers, and general life brainstorming takes place.
2. Scrivener This app is a real workhorse. There are endless uses for it, but I use it primarily for the full screen writing, and for breaking down my writing into small, movable chunks. It’ll store everything you’re working on, give you tools for organizing your thoughts or plots. This is a must-have for any serious writer.
3. Ommwriter I’m cheating on Scrivener with Ommwriter. There’s not much too it. It’s a bare bones text editor, with simple text box, a clean backdrop, and synthesized zen-style audiotrack. It turns wordprocessing into an otherworldly experience like playing Myst or Halo back in the day.
4. Antisocial This little app enforces the self-control I can’t seem to muster on my own. It blocks access to most of the social media I use to delay writing.
Workflow:
- Turn on Antisocial
- Mindmap thoughts in Mindnode
- Write a rough draft in Ommwriter
- Cut and paste to Scrivener for storage and organization of larger projects
- Use Scrivener’s full screen mode to edit
If you want to read a blogger who really knows his stuff when it comes to apps and workflow, check out John Chandler.
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