Everything you need to know about planning, writing, editing and publishing your first book

Once upon

Image credits: Literautas/Ulysses GmbH & Co. KG/James Dai Limited

Just the thought of writing a novel is tiring in itself for most people, but, if you have the talent and patience to do so, some help will be needed. The fact is that it is close to impossible to simply sit down and start writing, and to then continue to the end of the novel in a way that would allow the finished work to make any sense. Research is needed to create the characters, to describe the locations and to ensure that there are no inconsistencies within the story itself. You will likely have seen the occasional continuity error that pops up in films and if even the professionals can make these errors you will almost certainly follow. Inspiration is another area that can be hard to come by, but just like with the organisation of a story you can use your Apple devices to greatly assist you.

Planning is essential

There is a little known app called Story Planner for Writers that works and synchronises between iOS and Mac and is most certainly an option that you should check out. The simplicity of the interface gives way to the planning that you need to do and this helps to make the initial organisation process as efficient as can be.

Build an app collection

Now that you have an app to help you plan your novel you can either look at alternatives or collect some more apps that will be needed to get you started. You will need to find the best writing environment for your style, a research app of some kind to keep your documents together, and a myriad of other tools.

1 A one-stop shop

The Ulysses app could be an option if you are looking for one solution to cover your writing, organisation, publishing and editing. It is a very powerful subscription-based tool.

2 Keep your focus 

There are many apps, including Write…, that offer a simple interface for you to write without distraction. We cannot emphasis how important this can be for your creativity.

3 Remember everything

  Your Mac’s Stickies app lets you keep info onscreen at all times, even when you are writing and researching your novel. You want to build an effortless writing environment.