Every day it seems there’s a new app or other technology being pushed as “essential” for writers. I’m attracted to shiny techie things, and I try just about anything new, although I’m finding it harder and harder to keep up will all the innovations.
After trying out the new stuff, I keep coming back to my short list of tried and trues that make my writing life easier.
Some apps, with steep learning curves can make life more complicated. At some point one has to do a cost v. benefit analysis. And by cost, I don’t just mean dollars; I also mean time.
Here are the free tech tools I use every day.
Toggl is a simple time tracker.
In a small app window on my computer’s desktop, I type in what I’m working on, start the timer, and stop it when I’m done. I can access the week’s times in the app, and all my data via my account on the web. I use it primarily to track and report time I’ve spent on projects for clients, but it also keeps me honest with myself about how much time I’ve spent on my own creative writing.
Google Drive provides a private place to back up and share files on the web.
When I put a file in the drive, it’s accessible via the web from any location from my laptop, tablet, or phone. I can also create public folders on Google Drive to share work easily with others.
I used to on rely Dropbox, but since it offers only 2 GB of free storage, I kept running out of space. Google Drive gives me 15 GB, so I made the switch.
Evernote is a note-taking and scrapbook tool.
With Evernote, I can write and store notes, create reminders, save images and videos, capture ideas on the fly, and—with a quick tap to its browser add-on “Webclipper”—clip and save articles and links as I browse the Internet. It’s easy to organize ideas and information for projects with Evernote’s folder and tag systems.
Everything I store in Evernote is available to me online or offline using any of my devices: my laptop, iPad, and iPhone.
All of these tools are free, although for a price they offer additional features. And they’re all easy to learn.
What tech tools do you use on a regular basis to make your writing life easier?
Jade Kerrion
Dropbox! Dropbox creates a folder on my drive that automatically syncs into the cloud and into whatever other computer/tablet is on my account and also running Dropbox. I place all my manuscripts in it, and it’s a seamless backup system, and it makes my work accessible to me from anywhere.
Rebecca
I use Google Keep instead of Evernote. However, I think Ebernote might be more versatile. I’ve never compared them.
I also use Google Drive. Dropbox is okay but, like you said, there’s not enough room. I now use Dropbox as a contingency plan: backup-backup for super important documents in case Google is tsken out by a cyber attack.
Toggl is new to me. What I need is someone to be accountable to ☺
Lea
Great ideas, Mary Ann, Toggl, Google Drive and Evernote are amazing and very simple to use. Talking about my favorite tools – it’s hardly ever to imagine my writing routine without Ommwriter, Unplag plagiarism checker and Pomodoro. The Devil is in the Detail!