What App Do You Write In?

I’ve tried many different writing apps over the years. In Raging Swan Press’s early years, I used Microsoft Word and Evernote. Things change, however, and a wise writer and designer seeks out the best tools for the job. I’ve now concluded that no single writing app fits every use-case scenario.

Worse than that, writing everything in one app can lead to bloated, unorganised directories in which it is hard to find anything. (This is why I am such a fan of Tiago Forte’s PARA method, which I am slowly implementing across all my devices, services and directories.)

For example, my beloved iA Writer creates a lovely distraction-free writing environment, but Pages is much better for layout and creating beautiful documents. Tot is fantastic as a digital scratch pad, and I’ve recently started using Obsidian as a personal wiki. As an experiment, I’m writing this in Ulysses.

Context is critical, and your (digital) writing environment can provide powerful cues and benefits. With that in mind, I’ll be trialling this multi-app writing strategy for the rest of the year. I’m not usually a fan of complications, but I’m keen to see if it makes my writing and designing easier.

This got me thinking. What apps do you write and design in? Have you got a recommendation (that isn’t Microsoft Word)? Let me know in the comments.