![]() ![]() It’s neat, simple, and has enough to make it a decent choice if you’re happy with the price tag. It focuses on providing a plain text view and a rendered preview of the text where the markdown is converted into rich text. Depending on the platform, it is sometimes free, yet even where it is a paid-for product there are always with free trials available. IA Writer is a cross-platform app for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. This is because a text file is a simple string of bytes representing characters without all the extras involved in Word, like macros and file encoding, where viruses can be hidden.įurther points of convenience are that markdown editors can be used with cloud services like Dropbox and iCloud to sync between your devices, to keep everything up to date, and all will export Word, EPUB and PDF, among other file types. The main reason is for the portability of plain text files, which are not tied to a single app, are lightweight for using on mobile, and don’t experience incompatibilities between mobile and desktop files.Īnother benefit is that text/markdown files aren’t susceptible to viruses in the same way that Word files are. ![]() But over time I’ve warmed to certain markdown editors. At the time Markdown Editors were first released I was sceptical, and felt that quite high prices were being charged for something very simple. Markdown was created in the early days of the smartphone and tablet revolution to provide a solution to limited functionality, and text editors turned this into a selling point, positioning themselves as minimal and distraction free. You use *asterisks* or _underscores_ either side of a piece of text to define italics, and use **two of them** to indicate _bold_. Markdown is a schema for plain text files, arranging them with hashtags, for example, to represent headings. The cost varies, depending on your device, and it’s also important to note that the macOS and iOS version development is ahead of the Windows version, so you won’t always find all the latest features on Windows just yet. This isn’t a call for everyone to turn away from Scrivener-each writer needs to find the tool which fits-but the app isn’t ideal for everyone. For some this might be useful, but I prefer to follow a logic that if I don’t remember details without making notes, then how can a reader stand a chance? This can lead into the distraction, as it did for me, of filling out character details and plot overviews. Second, the app guides you down a path that encourages you to think about writing fiction in a certain way. The first is that there’s a lot to learn about the organisation and logic of the app for you to get started. I fall into the second category, for two reasons. It’s an app that has every writing whistle and bell you could imagine for storyboarding, character development, book outlining, target setting, and so on, alongside exporting to Word, PDF, EPUB, Kindle, LaTex, Final Draft, and more.įor some writers it is a way of life, but for others it is overkill. One of the most talked about apps in Facebook writing groups is Scrivener. In this way you will learn the obstacles you face as a writer and be able to select the appropriate technology to overcome them. Write with what you have first, then look at apps that might facilitate better use of time or work around your activities, making the writing process easier and more convenient for you. This doesn’t mean technology won’t assist someone who is already a motivated writer, but expecting an app in and of itself to make you a writer is to set off down a road to disappointment. The idea that being a writer demands you to have the perfect app, or the perfect computer, or a retro piece of kit, like a typewriter, is nonsense. Often technology is a distraction from the task at hand. ![]()
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