My Favorites

People ask me all the time, “How can you use so many apps in your writing?”

Spoiler, I don’t.

I only use a few of these apps from the blog. I research each one before I post, to see if it will work for my writing. But honestly, I have my favorites. (Just don’t tell the other apps. We don’t want any jealousy.)

Yes, this will be a “lousy clip show” post. But as it is a holiday weekend, I hope you will forgive me.

My first favorite is Google Keep. It was one of the first apps in the blog. I use it almost daily. The ease of making notes and then having them available from the cloud across devices is invaluable. I can add checklists, colors, pictures, and more. I use it for To-Do lists, authory tasks, grocery lists, and a quick note with voice recognition to jot down a writing idea. For me, it doesn’t get much better than this simple app. Here are the links to my original posts: What is it, How-To, For Authors.

My next favorite for project planning is still Trello. The app has changed a bit from when I first blogged two years ago. It still has great ways to organize projects and stay connected with teammates (co-writers and editors). I use the app to organize this blog and my reading one. I map out the year of posts and can move things around easily. At this point in my career, I only need a basic project manager. Someday, I might need to move up, but for now, Trello works. Here are the links to the original posts: What is it, How-To, For Authors.

My favorite writing program is still Scrivener. I draft everything (including this post) in the program. Moving files is so easy. Seeing the story in one long chain helps me in plotting and drafting. I have both blogs on there and all my “started” novels. Honestly, I don’t use all their bells and whistles. I realize the app can have a learning curve, but for my use, it’s perfect. I will be honest, Dabble is a close second as my go-to drafting program. Since I’ve already paid for Scrivener and it’s cheaper, I’m sticking with it. Here are the links to the updated posts on Scrivener: One and Two. The version two posts are here.

For a story bible, I’m still sticking with OneNote, more for ease of use and basic amenities than anything else. I find other apps like One Stop for Writers and Aeon Timeline too cumbersome for my needs. I like that OneNote attaches to my Word draft, and I can access it easily. It can sit right next to the doc on my way-too-big monitor and constantly remind me that Cole’s eyes are blue. (Are they blue? Let me check.) Here are my posts on OneNote: What is it, How-To, For Authors.

The last I’ll mention is Blogger. I did the post in response to a few fellow authors at The Wild Rose Press asking about the app. I’m glad I did. The app perfectly organizes my material and shows me stats. I can customize the look with a few clicks. WordPress is nice for a blog, but I love the click-and-go aspect of Blogger. Plus, I can still import the posts to my WordPress website when needed. Here are the links to my Blogger posts: What is it, How-To, For Authors.

One more slight indulgence. I teach classes for all the apps on my blog. I can do a Zoom or in-person for groups and one-on-one if you need it. I’ve been a computer teacher for over twenty years, and I keep up to date on apps than can be useful in our writing careers. Contact me at ginnyfrost@ginnyfrost.com

Thanks for sticking with me on this clip post.