15 Apps for Writers

The following apps are ones I’ve either used or have heard about from other writers. Each app offers help with productivity, promotion, creativity, or the actual act of writing a story. They are listed in no particular order.

I’m linking each of these apps to the Apple store, but many are also available at the Google Play and/or Amazon App Stores.

IntervalTimer

1) Interval Timer: Focus on your productivity and beat procrastination. By Nasa Trained Monkeys

Evernote

2) Evernote: Capture notes and sync across all devices. Stay organized. By Evernote

OneNote

3) Microsoft OneNote: Lists, photos, and notes, organized in a notebook. By Microsoft Corporation

Word

4) Microsoft Word: A word processor. By Microsoft Corporation

Pages

5) Pages: A word processor. By Apple

TheBrain

6) TheBrain: Dynamic Mind Mapping, Note Taking and Information Management. By TheBrain

SimpleMind

7) SimpleMind+ Intuitive Mind Mapping: Helps you organize your thoughts, remember things and generate new ideas. By xpt Software & Consulting B.V.

ListsForWriters

8) Lists for Writers: Ideas for creative writing. By Thinkamingo

ThRex

9) Thesaurus Rex: a thesaurus with modern content and synonyms for new words. By Dictionary.com

MW

10) Merriam-Webster Dictionary By Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Wunderlist

11) Wunderlist: To-Do List & Tasks By 6 Wunderkinder

Hootsuite

12) Hootsuite: Schedule Posts for Twitter, Instagram & More. By Hootsuite Media Inc.

Pocket

13) Pocket: Save Articles and Videos to View Later. By Read It Later, Inc

WhiteNoise

14) White Noise: Ambient sounds of the environment to help you stay relaxed and focused while you write. By TMSOFT

YogaStudio

15) Yoga Studio: Play, create, customize and schedule easy-to-follow HD video yoga classes. By Gaiam, Inc.

 

For Writers: Recommended Books & Articles

Resources for Writers

The Resources for Writers page of my website has been updated with several new books and links that I hope other writers find helpful. Many of these were a big help to me in my journey to publication and developing my own writing process (which continues to evolve over time). For the latest updates, check out the sections titled Books on Writing, Writing a Fast Draft, Selecting Character Names, Grammar Resources and Tips, General Outlining Articles, and Self-Publishing Info. 

GLBT Bookshelf

This past week, I finished writing an article about GLBT Bookshelf, a new on-line community. As their web site states, this is a site for “writers, artists, publishers, reviewers and readers … with a difference. We’re a GLBT Community, where the emphasis is on gay books. If you enjoy a great gay read, this is the place for you!”

The article will be featured in the upcoming Rainbow Romance Writers’ chapter newsletter. I had the pleasure of talking with the site’s creator, Mel Keegan. Mel is passionate about this site, and I could see why. It’s a global community dedicated to supporting and promoting GLBT books … and ONLY GLBT books. Kinda nice, huh? Writers of gay stories often have to deal with discrimination against their writing in contests, bookstores, and other areas of the business. It’s nice to have a site where all the books, opinions, reviews, and more are not excluded or judged for their gay content. You can click into the Bookstore and all the books are GLBT, categorized by genre. Way to go Mel Keegan and the other site administrators.

So check it out. You can browse for books, post reviews, participate in discussions, look at cover art, and more at www.glbtbookshelf.com.

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Here’s the page I created on the site. My page includes info on my writing and free fiction. I also list some of my favorite authors and books since I don’t just write gay stories–I read them too!

What do you think? Have you checked out GLBT Bookshelf yet? Comment or send me an email. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the site.

Sloan Parker