As I’m a properly programmed lover of my iPod Touch (we’re not sposed to say iTouch, that makes the giggles come), I of course have been going through looking for good apps on writing. I thought, with NaNoWriMo coming up, I’d give you guys what I found.
- WriteRoom: I haven’t played with this a lot because simply I don’t like to write on the tiny screen. Short txts and emails are all I can manage. But supposedly this lets you write and then connect with your computer, either via sync or wifi, so you can always keep up with your WIP. Great if you are the kind of person who wants to get another couple of words squeezed into your work over lunch break or in a long line.
- Write Chain: This is the one I really like. From How Not To Write, it’s a simple little app that lets you log your daily wordcount goal, how many days you’re allowed to “slide,” and then lets you know how many links are in your chain- how many consecutive days you’ve written, and total wordcount. It’s simple, but so is the paper clip.
- NaNoMoJo (NOTE- links directly it iTunes App Store): I wanted to like this one. I really did. It claims to interface with the NaNoWriMo site once you input your user number, listing your friends, their wordcounts, and the NaNoWriMo blog, as well as linking to Dictionary.com. But I can’t get it to work after I input my number. I’ve tried contacting support and I have heard nothing. I may try to contact the developer via Twitter. As this is not a free app, I do not recommend it until it manages to iron out the issues.
What apps are you using to keep up with your writing?
(and yes, every time I mention a Mac-only piece of software, people complain. If you want an Windows option to Scrivener, search the blog, I’ve listed them several times, but people still ask me every time I mention Scrivener. If you want to know what apps are available for other phones/handhelds, send me one of those devices so I can test them out. I review what I can, guys. Write your own blog for your own phone/platform.)
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7 Responses to NaNoWriMo for iPhone/iPod Touch users
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NaNoMoJo’s Twitter feed indicates all is not well yet with the API. I really want to get this app but I’m holding off until it’s shown to work well, before November starts. Please keep us updated, perhaps later in the month?
Honestly, I use Excel to keep track of everything. I also have a weekly writing goal other then a daily one, which would make Writing Chain a bit less usable, but I think I’m going to give it a go anyways. It’s always nice to have a simple reminder that I need to write.
I recently purchased an iPod Touch and have been looking for apps that I can use during NaNoWriMo. There are a few that I plan on trying this year. Documents and Documents 2 both allow you to download from and upload to Google Docs. This is great for catching those few minutes throughout the day for writing, then backing that up to Google Docs and vice versa. The only problem that I see is that the documents don’t sync. Instead a new file is created on your Google account. I usually modify the title to reflect the day that I’m uploading the file to keep them straight.
The other two apps are Evernote and Amazing Notes. These apps I use for notes concerning my writing and for plotting my novel. Evernote is free while Amazing Notes is $4. Amazing Notes is more organized and allows you to upload/dowload to Google Docs, while Evernote has applications for the web, desktop, and the iPhone/Touch, allowing you to sync between all applications at once.
There’s my two cents.
I have been using Notebooks (http://www.alfonsschmid.com/Notebooks/Notebooks_for_iPhone.html) for quite some time now. I have tried many apps but finally sticked with this one, because it is very powerful, provides a pleasant writing experience (for me at least) and the developers provide good and speedy support.
Notebooks does not interface with NaNoWriMo, as far as I know, but maybe an email to the dev will change this?
Hey Mur,
I just bought NaNoMoJo in the hope it will work – their website says
“UPDATE for 10/8/2009:
The awesome NaNoWriMo tech team has just informed us that the Wordcount API, which we use to get the username and wordcounts, will be turned back on around October 15th. As soon as they complete their work, the app will automatically update any info you entered. ”
Hopefully in the next few days, it should work.”
Love the iphone! Speak soon, Joanna
Dictionary (from dictionary.com): An offline dictionary and thesaurus.
Encyclopedia: An offline copy of the full wikipedia site (Text only, no images. Requires 2GB of space on your iPhone/iPod Touch).
Wikipedia is, of course, not the most reputable encyclopedia. But I like to write in areas where there is no wifi coverage to avoid distraction.
NaNoMoJo has another update as o 10/20/2009… they’re still waiting for some technical fixes on NaNoWriMo’s site, which will then feed the needed info into the app. I still have high hopes, but they’re not there yet!