By day, I write about tech for several websites. By night, I engage in a great deal of creative writing, whether as a professional ghostwriter or for my enjoyment. Yes, I’m one of those folks who likes to write in my downtime, too. Go figure.
To accomplish this, I use a variety of apps on my iPhone, iPad, and Mac, as each serves a unique purpose. If you are into creative writing, you might benefit from what I have learned.
6Scrivener: When I Want to Tell a Story
I have relied onScriveneras one of my primary writing instruments since I first started writing. It released six months before the first iPhone became available in stores, so it’s well established. The app functions as my reliable writing companion when I work on extensive projects on both my Mac and iPad.
There are three primary features that make Scrivener great:
The app also supports split screen, which is excellent for keeping track of research, and you’re able to save different versions of a document, which means I can always keep track of earlier drafts.
I depend on the Scrivener mobile app to continue my work from anywhere. This version provides a simplified interface that allows me to access my Binder and edit content or create new ideas whenever inspiration strikes. The automatic Dropbox syncing feature means I can switch between devices seamlessly without interruption.
Scrivener is not an inexpensive solution, as you need to purchase desktop and mobile versions separately, but it packs a lot of features. Although it’s primarily geared towards anyone with an interest in writing novels and non-fiction books, it’s also suitable for screenplays, stage plays, long-form articles, and other forms of writing, all of which I dabble in.
5Apple Journal: Where I Save Story Ideas
I have never maintained a journal or a diary. TheApple Journal app, which debuted in iOS 17.2, changed this. The free app lets you log your daily experiences through words, photographs, videos, and audio recordings.
I use the Journal app to store story ideas. The app helps me maintain better control of these ideas because every entry includes a timestamp. In June, for example, I submitted a few proposals to one of my clients, who requested short story ideas based on my trip to Europe. In the app, I had added images and text from each day I was there as a way to remember my visit.
The Journal app also includes a prompts feature that encourages you to draw from recent activities, such as recent photographs you’ve snapped or songs you’ve put on repeat. It’s a fun way to capture the present moment.
The Apple Journal app is currently exclusive to the iPhone. However, that’s about to change with thepowerful iPadOS 26and macOS Tahoe 26 updates, which bring the app to iPad and Mac.
4Story Planner for Writers: Keeps All My Ideas in One Place
The outlining process for long-form fiction storytelling presents both delightful and challenging moments for me. TheStory Planner for Writers apphelps me organize my thoughts and ideas during the frequently disorganized process.
This app stands out because it lets you create customized projects tailored to your individual needs. For example, I can sort my work by tags, which makes organization simple.
Additionally, the way this tool handles plot lines is great. Through this feature, I can establish multiple story arcs while color-coding them, allowing me to see the scene list instantly. I can view my entire story layout, which naturally divides into distinct sections.
you may easily export content from StoryPlanner into Scrivener, which can save me time when I’m on a deadline. If you don’t have Scrivener, you can write the next great novel directly in the StoryPlanner for Writers app.
3Apple Pages: My Traditional Word Processor
When I want a more traditional word processor, I don’tturn to Microsoft Word like many do. Instead, I launchApple Pages. It’s very similar to Microsoft Word, but as an Apple user, it costs me nothing, which is one of its biggest appeals.
It’s user-friendly and accessible to both new and long-time users alike, with an inviting design that lets you dive right in.
The formatting tools are another reason I’m a fan. I can enhance my documents through typography features, basic image editing tools, and shape manipulation capabilities, which allow me to personalize my work. Additionally, the software works well with Microsoft Word documents, so I can work with Word files sent by others without encountering formatting issues.
2Ulysses: Organizes My Individual Documents
BothUlyssesand iA (see below) provide Markdown tools, making them ideally suited for writers who want a clean surface on which to write. Ulysses' strength lies in its ability to organize documents.
The library-centric approach of Ulysses means that all your writing content exists as sheets within an internal database, which follows a structured organizational system, which is great for large projects. Furthermore, the app allows me to create nested folders for thought organization, and I can add keywords, notes, and images to the sheets.
The Smart Folders feature is incredible, too. It provides automatic content organization through custom-defined criteria, which maintains both order and accessibility.
Ulysses also provides superior export capabilities. The app enables direct publishing to WordPress and Medium, and includes built-in proofreading and editing assistance. Unlike iA Writer, which is available for a one-time purchase, Ulysses requires a subscription payment. This allows you to use the app across platforms.
1iA Writer: My Primary Markdown Writing Tool
The ever-usefuliA Writeris my primary writing tool on every device I own, including my Mac, iPhone, and iPad. The distraction-free interface of iA Writer creates a space that helps me concentrate on developing my thoughts and ideas.
I find Focus Mode to be one of the most valuable features in iA Writer. When activated, this feature removes all background elements, allowing me to see only the current sentence or paragraph highlighted in a glowing format, which enhances my concentration. I’m also impressed with the app’s Syntax Highlight tool, which uses color coding to highlight different parts of speech, helping you to improve your writing style and content quality.
Thanks to iCloud, your iA Writer content is synced across all devices. To use it across platforms, a one-time purchase is required for Mac and another for iPhone/iPad. This setup could turn off some, but I consider it an excellent investment. I strongly endorse iA Writer. It has a clean interface and is responsive, which together provides a streamlined writing experience that allows me to focus on my creativity without distractions.
The App Store is filled with countless apps to help you with your writing and fuel your creative side. There are many that I use every day; find the ones that you’ll love and enjoy. You’ll be glad that you did.
