Legit Writer’s Tools and Apps for Every Step of the Writing Process

We’ve all seen the classic “Every Writer Must Download These Apps Now!” and other lists that claim to reveal the best writing tools as an objective fact or suggest that a writer should only need one software to do all of their writing. The real fact is that there is no magic software; it’s better to use different tools for different tasks. Instead of trying to find the perfect all-in-one writing software, build a strong toolset that suits your needs. A specialized app designed to do one thing will have more features, better design, and higher efficiency compared to a single software trying to do it all. So, unlike other “best writing app” lists, this list covers my favorite virtual apps to aid in each step of the writing process. On top of that, each tool on the list serves a specific purpose, and the tools in each category are meant to complement each other. I personally recommend using all of the apps on the list.

Best All-Around Writing App: Scrivener

Okay, I know I just said that there’s no use searching for the perfect all-in-one writing app. Just hear me out. Scrivener doesn’t do everything, but it doesn’t fit in any one category because it effectively does a lot. This app acts as a main hub for all of your writing projects. I find it useful for organization, notetaking, outlining, and planning, in addition to actual longform writing.

Scrivener’s basic interface involves the binder, editor, and inspector. The binder on the left side of the screen is your storage tool for all documents, and in my opinion, is what makes Scrivener so awesome. It offers multiple organization levels, including collections, books, folders, and subdocuments, allowing you to organize even the biggest of writing projects. You can store hundreds of documents in one place and still have quick and easy access to all of them. Create as many folders as your heart desires and customize folder icons from a substantial (and even overwhelming) icon list. I find this to be one of the most comprehensive organization tools on the market for any kind of writing project, from research papers to fiction novels.

The editor comprises the middle section and has a variety of customizable view types to show your actual content. View the documents within a folder as a Scrivener, a sleek combination of all documents into one, a corkboard, or an outliner. The text editor itself offers a variety of functions but is not overwhelming or distracting. You can even split editor view to show two documents at once.

On the right side, the inspector shows a synopsis and notes section for each document. Add a synopsis to control the text that displays for each document when viewing the corkboard or outliner. To avoid going into too much detail, I’ll leave it up to you to explore the rest of Scrivener’s features (they offer a 30-day free trial). Of course, your projects in Scrivener can be easily exported or integrated into other software.

Even though you can use Scrivener to write from start to finish, it obviously can’t replace tools like Grammarly, so it’s still beneficial, or even necessary, to use it in combination with these other apps.

Brainstorming and Outlining

Although Scrivener is great for notetaking and planning, these apps are fine-tuned for creative brainstorming and hashing out ideas.

Braincat

This unique app is still in the beta stage of development and is gathering lots of attention for its claims to actually teach you a new way of thinking. Whether or not it really re-wires your brain, it is a phenomenal brainstorming and mind mapping tool that guides you through an effective process of thought to help you reach a deeper understanding of your project and come to profound conclusions. The secret to this process is working in reverse from typical brainstorming apps: starting from small, detailed bits of information and boiling it down to the essentials. Braincat is comprised of five main steps:

1. Discover: Braincat is designed for all critical thinkers and is equipped with a full library of thought-provoking question sets depending on the nature of your project. So, find the question set that suits you (of course, there is one for writers) and get to answering. You can opt to skip this step altogether; however, I find that the questions help you consider new perspectives and will give you some valuable ideas.

2. Input: Now you can enter in all of your thoughts about the project as individual pieces of information. This is the true “brainstorming” step, so type in everything that comes to your mind in any order. There are no bad ideas! The objective here is to completely clear your mind.

3. Categorize: Braincat will now show you everything you just inputted and ask you to sort everything into buckets or categories. The main concept here is that you get to individually focus on each detail, or piece of data, and consider what it means in terms of the project as a whole. When you’re done with this step you will see the main components of your project.

4. Sequence: Prioritize the buckets you created in the last step by ordering them in any way that makes sense to you. Create a chronological timeline, an order of importance, the possibilities are endless. Finally, Braincat asks you to “name your big idea”, or title the whole project. This step comes last to keep your mind open throughout the entire process and allow you to decide the core concept based on the content itself, rather than the mindset you had before you started.

5. Output: With all of your information organized, Braincat shows you a variety of output styles, including an outline and a classic mind map. Export these files into other programs or share them with colleagues.

Aeon Timeline

While I think Braincat is best for sorting out complex ideas and concepts in one sitting, this app works better as a long-term interactive workspace. Aeon Timeline is a visual timeline tool designed for creative writing and planning. Use it however you see fit: build a storyline, develop characters, or adjust your project outline. The highly customizable interface makes Aeon versatile and user-friendly. I love using this software to develop my ideas and maintain an updated timeline for articles or research papers.

Distraction-Free Writing

Although I personally think Scrivener is a great environment for actual writing, many writers prefer to have a dedicated writing space to get in the zone. Of course, common word processors like Google Docs work well for that purpose, but let’s be honest, that’s just boring!

Calmly Writer

Calmly is a minimalist virtual notepad designed to keep you focused on writing and writing only. It removes all of the complex options featured on typical word processors and gives you just the necessities in a sleek and simple interface. I use Calmly writer when I’m having trouble staying on task. It is definitely most effective when it is the only program open on your computer — full screen, no other tabs, no notes, and most importantly, no notifications.

Unfortunately, right now Calmly is only available for Windows; the Mac and Linux versions are still in development. However, there is a free in-browser version that works just as well.

Editing

Grammarly

Unsurprisingly, Grammarly is one of the best editing programs out there. There are multiple versions with different features and specializations. For professional or serious writers, the paid version offers some pretty essential functions beyond flagging spelling and grammatical errors, such as word replacement suggestions, a tone detector, and redundancy flags.

It’s not always best to use Grammarly’s suggestions, especially for creative writing, but a thorough editing software like this one saves so much time and can actually train you to write better.

Hemingway Editor

I recommend using at least two editing programs, because just like having multiple proofreaders, they often will show different suggestions. Hemingway editor will analyze the readability of your content and offer suggestions on things like sentence length, word replacement, passive voice, unnecessary adverbs, and more. Readability is especially important for copywriting and blogging, or any content that ends up on the web.

Hopefully you find that at least some of the tools in this list are useful in your writing workflow. You may be disappointed that many of the apps in this list are paid, but the simple truth is that quality app development is not free. If you really need better writing tools on a budget, there are typically websites and programs similar to the ones listed above that are available for free; just keep in mind that you will not see the same features or design quality in a free browser service compared to a $50 software. Happy writing!