Overlook SimpleNote and iA Author, that is the writing app I’ve sworn by for 10 years

Writing is a part of me. I’ve been writing since I used to be 11 years outdated — practically three a long time at this level. I began with a pen and paper within the Nineties, then switched to a PC within the early 2000s, and finally discovered myself writing quick novels on my Nokia 3250 XpressMusic utilizing a T9 keypad. Since then, I’ve been writing on my smartphones continuous, whether or not it’s fiction, faculty thesis, tech articles, concepts, ideas, or the rest, actually.

Once I switched from Symbian to Android within the early 2010s, the primary app I went in search of within the Android Market was a very good writing app. I didn’t need something fancy: easy textual content assist (italics and daring have been extras) and a approach to synchronize my information with my pc. That was it.

I went by way of app after app, by no means liking any, till JotterPad landed in 2014 with Markdown assist and a dozen different tempting options. I gave it a attempt, and I’ve been a JotterPad person ever since. It’s one of many first apps I set up on any new Android telephone, iPhone, Mac, or Chromebook. It’s my writing app; it’s the place my inventive thoughts feels probably the most relaxed. I simply open it, and my mind goes into “the zone.” For 10 years now, I’ve been by way of model after model of JotterPad, purchased the unique app, loathed the Professional Cloud $3.33 month-to-month subscription mannequin the devs switched to, tried different alternate options, after which got here again operating to JotterPad. That is why.

I may cite one million the reason why JotterPad nonetheless wins my coronary heart day by day, however the single absolute cause is its built-in dictionary and thesaurus. (There’s a rhyming device, too, for those who write poetry.) I’m not a local English speaker, and as a lot as I’d wish to suppose that my English is tremendous stable and my vocabulary complete, there are nonetheless occasions when phrases elude me. Or after I get caught utilizing the identical verb or adjective over and over when higher ones exist however don’t come to my thoughts.

JotterPad’s dictionary and thesaurus are a faucet away at any time whereas I’m writing. I simply faucet the “A” button on the highest proper and may simply confirm if I’m utilizing a phrase in the correct context or get one million synonyms to choose from. I don’t have to go away the consolation of my writing canvas and get distracted by net pages, on-line searches, or notifications. I stay locked in, in my psychological writing mode, and nonetheless get the assistance I would like. It baffles me that no different writing app has this function (at the very least among the many many dozens I’ve tried).

Sure, JotterPad ought to higher manage the synonyms primarily based on the unique phrase’s which means; seeing “dismiss,” “detonate,” “bonfire,” and “blast” as synonyms for “fireplace” in the identical listing is sort of wild. However truthfully, the chaos kind of works for me. My eyes roam by way of the listing and land on a couple of phrases, some applicable for my context, some utterly incongruous. It’s these wildcards that get my creativity operating, although. They’ll set off a thought so as to add later, a picture or a scene that will’ve by no means materialized had I not seen that actual random phrase. Any author would inform you that free concepts like these don’t come usually.

JotterPad presents two methods to save lots of my information: native and cloud-sync (Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive). I really like this: My phrases stay beneath my management, both on my telephone or by myself cloud storage account. This is among the causes I by no means took to SimpleNote, although I do know lots of people swear by it.

Over time, I’ve switched between these two file-saving strategies, usually utilizing a second app to synchronize my native information with my Synology NAS or another cloud service, however I used to be all the time and can all the time be in possession of my very own information. I don’t wish to lose years of paperwork and writing to some non permanent service or glitch. No, my information stay the place I would like them to and JotterPad is only a approach to entry them and write in them.

Higher but, JotterPad makes use of the easy .txt file format (and likewise helps .md, .fountain, and .fdx). No proprietary information or codecs right here. On my Mac, for instance, I usually gravitate between utilizing the official JotterPad app or shortly opening my .txt information in Apple’s TextEdit. I really like that simplicity.

Nevertheless, the minor niggle I now have is that my favourite syncing technique — Google Drive — is about to be shuffled because of Google altering the way in which apps can entry folders in Drive for higher privateness. JotterPad presents a workaround (which is greater than I can say for iA Author that’s left the Play Retailer), but it surely requires that I let it save information as in-app knowledge on my Drive. That may imply dropping direct entry to my information and simply utilizing Drive as my on-line cloud for JotterPad, the identical as my WhatsApp backups and telephone backups, for instance. Not ideally suited for me, so I could change again to Dropbox or OneDrive for saving and syncing my writing throughout gadgets.

So, I’ve talked about a number of platform compatibility, format assist together with Markdown, the built-in dictionary and thesaurus, and totally different file saving and syncing strategies, however there’s nonetheless extra to like about this app.

The writing interface is so easy and so conducive to writing. With no pointless buttons or menus, my thoughts can simply give attention to writing and zone in, forgetting each different distraction. I additionally love the view-only mode. Not many writing apps provide that, and typically, I simply don’t wish to mess with my doc, I solely wish to re-read it to verify issues are fantastic.

JotterPad additionally has a typewriter mode that places the give attention to a small a part of the display screen, greying out the remainder. I don’t use it usually, but it surely’s useful in some conditions. Plus, even in .txt paperwork, the app presents headings, daring, italics, and different formatting choices that it applies utilizing Markdown’s formatting language.

The app works offline, clearly. I’ve written one million phrases on flights and trains, disconnected from the world. There’s the required undo and redo performance, which is useful after I’m snoozing with my telephone in my hand and begin touching the show and including letters in random locations. JotterPad additionally has a discover button to shortly search for a selected phrase or construction in my doc, which is ideal after I wish to see how usually I’m repeating a sample or if I wish to change the identify or description of a personality in fiction, for instance. Plus, the app has a phrase counter, character counter and extra stats, all glorious for my ego after I go on a writing spree.

Delving in additional, there are totally different export codecs (PDF, Phrase, Markdown, HTML), a YAML interface for writing code, an automated define generator, a quotation supervisor for those who’re writing one thing that requires references, and a publishing function that sends a doc to WordPress, Tumblr, or Ghost. On prime of all of that, there are plugins for music composition, code writing and modifying, picture embeds, footnotes, mindmaps, chemistry equations, screenplays, and extra.

JotterPad isn’t excellent, and one in all its best letdowns is that it supposedly helps versioning for paperwork, however I by no means received this to essentially work for me. On its face, this could possibly be probably the most helpful function the app has, however for some cause, I simply get random saved historical past from a couple of paperwork, however not all. As a substitute, I depend on Google Drive to retrieve a previous model if I mess up my information.

I additionally dislike how I can’t change the font kind or measurement or the road peak and width inside my paperwork. For some cause, that setting is common throughout all paperwork and may be discovered beneath the Me tab. So, if I wish to make the textual content bigger, I’ve to stop my doc, change the font, after which come again. Baffling choice.

I’d additionally like it if the app added assist for NAS syncing. Simply permit me to choose my community storage folder inside JotterPad as an alternative of resorting to different tips to sync my information with my private doc vault. That’d be excellent and would save me from counting on third-party cloud suppliers.

I may go on and on about JotterPad, however the actuality is that that is an app made for writers, initially. Whether or not it’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or screenplays, the app simply works. It might probably additionally do the job for code and experiences, although that’s not its sturdy swimsuit.

Look, for those who simply wish to write lists and quick notes, there are one million different apps on the market. Strive Notion, Obsidian, SimpleNote, Evernote, and even Google Preserve. However if you wish to write — really string collectively hundreds and hundreds of phrases collectively — then there isn’t any different app prefer it. Sure, all of it comes at a value as a result of the free model is restricted, however I’ve been gladly renewing my yearly subscription for a number of years now (although I normally watch for a reduction to take action). If my cash retains this glorious service operating, then it’s cash effectively spent.

On the finish of the day, all I can say is I’ve written many 70,000+ phrase tales in JotterPad and can proceed to take action so long as the app exists. And if it ever ceases to work, I’ll be one homeless author aimlessly erring within the Play Retailer and App Retailer wilderness, in search of any app that may fill 10% of JotterPad’s footwear. I doubt that exists.