What program do you usually write in?
Leave your answer in the comments below!
Sincerely,
Neville
P.S. Example responses might include:
– “I write in Google Docs.”
– “I write in the WordPress visual editor.”
– “I use Notepad and then copy/paste it into Aweber.”
P.P.S. Want to see a visual representation of everyone’s answers?
You can see them all in this Google Spreadsheet:
I mainly use Word but also use Scrivener especially for blog posts.
I really like iA Writer because its a simple interface with no distractions. Plus, its Markdown and once you learn to write in it you’re stuck for life.
Awesome, thanks for the heads up about it Bill!
Um, Neville, what program do you write in?
I 80% of the time write posts directly in WordPress….but if I’m doing a sales page or consult it’s just a plain old Google Doc :)
Google Docs, Notepad++
Evernote
I’m constantly frozen by choices like “where should I put this note” and “what tags should I use” and so on… I use Evernote as a place to put anything from a website to a note to myself, and daily combine notes and/or categorize…
Google Doc
I use this mostly because many of my clients like to use it… it works well for everyone.
I write in http://hemingwayapp.com/
I write in Open Office :)
Google Docs and Microsoft Word
I’m old school as well. And very earth-conscious.
Since my rural climate isn’t ideal for cultivating papyrus, I’ve come up with a way to reuse brown paper shopping bags and school glue (thanks Pinterest) and fashion my own writing utensils from the forest. Once I retreat to the snowy mountains for, on average, ten days, I will have completed my first blog draft. From there, I’ll make the trek back to my home, pull out my iPhone and snap a shot, send that to someone on Fiverr, then paste the content of the returned document into WordPress.
However, for my 34 incomplete books, I stick with Scrivener.
I use either Libreoffice or Abiword. I guess I’m a rare breed here.
I write in Evernote!
I’m all over the show.
Need help sticking to one!!
Google Docs for most things. Especially for stuff I need to share.
Sometimes Microsoft Word. Usually for something that others send to me.
For meeting minutes, notes, etc. I use Evernote.
Use Googe Docs along with Google Keep.
These sync between my PC, laptop, and cell phone for work/ideas anywhere.
+1 for Typora
I discovered Typora recently (it is still in Beta), and fell in love.
Earlier, it used to be VS Code.
Oh wow, Typora looks really cool, never heard of it till now. Great find!
I use MS Word for most writing tasks, but for bigger, multipart documents, I’ve been using Scrivener. Still lamenting the lack of development of Z-Write :(
Seems Scrivener is still the main choice of book writers!
Hemingway mostly and the not pad app on my iPhone.
Old school pen and paper, Notes, Evernote, VI or Sublime Text.
Really depends on what it is.
Old school – vi to write + asciidoctor for 100% valid HTML formatting.
It depends on what I am writing.
I use Word for long documents.
I use Evernote for shorter documents.
I’ve switched to Ulysses for 90% of my writing. Sometimes I write directly in WordPress. There’s somthing about Ulysses that just makes sense for my brain, it’s such a subtle thing but the 3-pane organization makes it win over iA writer, which I used to use religiously.
Notepad ++…. a brilliant program 😊.
Word
Whenever I get the time to write, it’ll most likely be with MS Word. For quick notes, lists, etc., I jot them down with Samsung’s Notes.
Microsoft Visual Studio 2017
I write in Scrivener and edit in Google Docs
and in between I use Grammarly and Hemingway too
Wow, thanks for that, Hemingway is awesome!
Word
MS Word — not so much for the formatting, but for all the add-on/third-party editing programs I can run on my first drafts. Now Word itself is providing an editor feature as well.
Google docs
Microsoft Word. I’ve been using it since it was a DOS program. I also use Google Docs occasionally.
Notepad++
I use the crap outta the Hemingway App. Even though it annoys me to death sometimes, the program points out a lot of my long-winded sentences. Considering you can use it for free, it’s a great program for helping your mind thing more concisely while writing.
God Bless
Mark Elmo Ellis
Most of my initial thoughts are dictated into Evernote via Siri. This requires a bit of editing, but I drive 1.5hrs each day and it seems to be the best way for me.
For my youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/TheTechDoctorNetwork I have a Google Sheet with each episode in a seperate tab and a master tab to keep track of everything.
How the hell do you delete in Siri?
For websites I use sublime text to do HTML/CSS/JS/PHP
for project management it’s trello
And for some clients google docs for the commenting system, after a write up has been made for a QA check.
I sketch on paper sometimes. I
I also use Notepad/ Text very frequently when I am using a computer. In fact, I almost never close this app.
I write in Google Docs when the content is meant to be longer or for editing.
This. (Thank you for putting it here so I dont need to)
A paper notebook for those ideas that come in the night or when I am using the computer for something.
I write posts in the WordPress Visual Editor
I use for Notepad++ to write my books
Word for most other things
I like using Scrivener when I’m starting from scratch and don’t have a clue about how I’m going to organize my writing (regardless of length or content marketing plan). Otherwise, I use MS Word for offline and WordPress for online passages.
Google Docs + Grammarly + Hemingway App + Google Docs.
I have a lot of copying and pasting going on.
Notepad++ or gedit(linux) then paste into mailchimp, website, reddit etc…
I use Evernote
This has all been extremely enlightening. I currently have a 20+ year case of writer’s block…so I’m not writing at all, but I have found a few tools to check out just in case (thanks, Neville!). Also for all of you who are doing the WordPress + export thing, you may want to check out wordable.io. I’m not affiliated…it just seems like it speeds up the process…
I used to write in Apple’s Pages or WordPress – but I’ve had instances where I lost it all.
Thanks to your Kopywriting Kourse – I only write in Google Docs. Thanks Neville!
I use LibreOffice5.
Scrivener. My wifi was being screwy for a while, so I needed offline and online access. The sync between my Mac and iPad is really nice.
I, too write in Scrivener and I love it! Sometimes I handwrite my blog posts and newsletters but when I don’t, I use Scrivener.
For work (both writing and editing), I use Google Docs. Collaboration is key, and on that count Docs beats everything else hollow. Its formatting options are intuitive too.
For personal writing, primarily fiction, I use Scrivener and wouldn’t part with it for the world.
For bite-size recreational blog posts, I often write directly in Blogger. Any long-format posts I’ll either jot down in TextEdit (Notepad) first, or, if it’s really involved and goes through revisions, write it in Scrivener. I love Scrivener’s screen-shot and compare features for keeping track of different versions.
In addition to the conventional types of writing, I send a lot of handmade cards and long-form letters. Those I draft with mechanical pencil in a notebook before writing a fair copy. Writing personal notes can be a lot more challenging, I find, than writing copy, and writing by hand rather than typing makes me less able to delete something that I feel isn’t working. I leave it there and move on to another line, and I can grow my thoughts more organically until I figure out what works and what I really want to say. The eraser’s just for ‘typos’.
MS Word
Classic :)
Ms Word + Grammarly + Hemmingwayapp
Nice setup you’ve got there!
Whichever editing tool is appropriate for the environment and need for the circumstance.
Good outlook….which one’s in particular do you use David?
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word, Google Docs
Notepad
Yup, I’m late to the party again. I use a combo of Notepad, Google Docs and Airstory.
Very nice!
google Docs
That’s pretty much what I use the most outside of the WordPress editor!
For books/long-form writing: Ulysses
For blog posts: Airstory if a lot of research or Story Chief
For personal essays: these days, right into Medium
For poetry, which I’m starting to do again: napkins
I use gingkoapp (for mind dump), re-arrange there then edit in google doc
Oh interesting, never heard of that before.
WordPress mostly. VIM for some things. A touch of Word when producing books.
Yup, WordPress editor is pretty good, plus you can directly publish from there!
MS Word or notepad
Classics of the PC world!
BlankPage.
Airstory
Oh nice :)
I write in vim and then up update it with Grammerly and Hemmingway.
Very interesting, it seems VIM is more for programmers but you’re using it for writing. Will check it out!
I use an old version of Scrivener running in fullscreen black background with yellow text and nothing else visible mode.
Pen and paper – drafting, getting thoughts down, to-do lists that I don’t have time (or want to) put in Freedcamp
Word – drafting documents/video scripts for work
Google Docs – all of my creative writing (that is not being penned) goes here!
For me, it depends on what I am writing:
For copywriting: iA Writer or Ulysses
For still unfinished novels: Scrivener
For spellchecking: Word
For English texts: Grammarly (as English is not my native language)
Libre Office, the backs of envelopes, post it notes (whatever’s handy when the idea shows up) or a black leather Cervo Journal from Gallery Leather – the last one is awesome as they’re only 10 bucks (comparable to the $30 Gallery Leather stuff) but only available from Barnes and Noble (No Amazon for this one, gasp!) – I buy 3 at a time and the quality is insane. Also, Pilot G-2 05 (or 07) Black, or a Blackwing pencil
Scrivener!
MS Word
I mostly write in Notepad++. Occasionally directly in Google Docs but typically I do my first drafts in the former for less distraction.
Google Docs
grammarly
google docs
pen and paper
Google Docs all the way!
I use the OLD version of Pages on Mac… hate the new version!
Notepad
I write in Scrivener or MS Word
Emeditor if on Windows & Sublimetext on Mac.
Textedit – the stark minimalism of it really helps me focus and examine the words. If I’m working on headlines or want to re-write a paragraph, it gets pasted here to be worked on.
Google Docs – is where I do most of my work documents. Its just easy to share and for revision control.
Word – honestly, just for my resume. Although, Google Docs probably lets you save as pdf right? Word is getting less and less use over time.
Google Docs lets you save as PDF, and even has resume templates ;)
I’ve recently started writing resumes for clients and have used Google Docs each time for it!
I usually write in Microsoft Word then copy and paste into InDesign or WordPress.
Occasionally I write rough drafts longhand, then transcribe into Word. If I review my project notes at night or just before a nap, my subconscious works while I sleep and the words flow very quickly when I wake. The organic longhand process of capturing them seems to help.
Also, I like using my LiveScribe pen and paper at my favorite coffee shop. They have wi-fi but sometimes getting out the computer is a bit of a distraction. The pen syncs via my phone and captures the notes to Evernote automatically.
I use Ulysses.
I write in Google Docs
My favorite also!
I use Hemingway Editor for blog posts, Google Docs for copywriting (web copy, Amazon listings, etc.), and Scrivener for that elusive book I haven’t started.
Bahahaha….Scrivener is the top choice for people who haven’t written that book yet 😂
***iStudio Publisher***, if I am writing and designing a brochure/flyer, etc., and want to see how the words look in a specific size page with specific design elements. Sometimes the right words come faster to me when I know the size/space constriction I’ll be working in.
***Scrivener*** for collecting/experimenting with a bunch of ideas/information and longer writing.
I really just like to write in MEDIUM’s interface… It’s so smooth and spacious. Since I cannot use it for everything, the next best editor would be WordPress’s built in editor.
I like the simplicity, and their avoidance of needless features that only confuse WORD! (Crazy fonts, line heights, and all the whack margin lines… I just want to write!)
Totally agree! When Word made those changes years ago with all the wacky boxes at the top of the screen, I think that was the mark of its downfall.
I usually write in the wordpress editor, first in visual mode, then inntext mode to edit html directly.
Like you said, it’s simple!
Is there spell check built in?
I use Notes with iCloud to keep them in sync.
I have started using Notes more and more.
I like that it’s jist auto-synced between all my desktops, iPad, and phone.
Also I now take iPad Pencil notes in it too…..Microsoft screwed up OneNote for iPad bad….and I’ve moved it all to Notes!
I write in word, then copy and paste
I use Day One on Mac, iPad, and iPhone, and Apple Pages; really love both.
You mean there are “other” programs….gasp. Lawd, I’ve got to catch up! I write in OpenOffice, and use grammarly
I’m in the same boat! You’re not alone.
On my laptop I use scrivener for.long form, word for one offs and docs for sharing.
On my android phone, I use Fast Notepad and share notes to dropbox to pick up in the laptop.
My blog I write straight into wordpress. Experimenting now with Gutenberg and WPBakery
Notepad master race
Google Docs almost exclusively these days. Can’t beat the global access and easy sharing. Occasionally I’ll whip out notepad2 if I’m in a hurry, but it’s always copied to GDocs afterward.
I’m old school.
I hand write my first draft, use Dragon dictation software to dictate my draft into Word, rewrite and edit, then drop it into Notepad to strip out extraneous coding before posting to my blog.
Normally i use Scivener
Ms Office or Google Docs
Bear
Evernote
MS Word or Google docs
Draft in OneNote and Word, share via Google Docs
Simplenote, Byword or the Day One app.
I use MS Word and sometimes ProWritingAid.
I use Poe and then paste it in MS Word so the rest of the team can manipulate it further (designers etc.).
It’s simple and black and it gives me a sense of dark atmosphere for writing, which makes it more fun :) I kind of feel like I’m creating super cool-stuff like Stephen King (but don’t tell anyone) :D
I jot down phrases and ideas in a Notepad document, then I transfer all to Dropbox Paper for writing.
I do most of my writing in sublime text, google docs, and evernote.
Pages. Simplicity while offering more design options.
I write in word, then copy and paste
Etch A Sketch.
When I don’t have one handy I mostly use Word and occasionally Google Docs.
I write in Word, then copy paste.
Note Tab Light
Notes and Research – Evernote
Long posts / blogs – Google Docs
To-do’s – Things 3
Priorities and Daily Musts – Plan notebook and Google Calendar
I write in Google Docs, with assists from Keep (thanks to you, Neville) and Grammarly.
I write in Google Docs
Evernote/Google Docs.
Hemingway to check the readability.
Grammarly if I have to write in English. (I’m Italian)
I use google dicks
iA Writer for macOS and iOS.
Ideas go in Keep, then I flesh them out in Google Docs or straight in Mailerlite
I use Google Docs mainly, and sometimes Stickies for the first draft.
Mainly Word for Mac or Pages.
I write on a blackboard with a chalk.
I use the Google machines docs.
Sometimes word. I’ll voice to text into Notes on my phone then cut n paste into goog docs.
I like Evernote but wish it had a word counter.
I use ByWord. Minimalist and distraction-free. Optional white copy font on black background is a life saver at night. Syncs across all my Apple devices via iCloud or Dropbox. Love it.
https://bywordapp.com.
WordPress
I usually use google docs then copy and paste into WordPress. Or export as a docx to email assignments in.
Scrivener.
Google docs and the Word for a better spell check.
I write on Evernote. It’s minimalist and ubiquitous.
Microsoft Word, not sexy haha :)
And WordPress for the final touches…
I write in Scrivener.
Word. After that I just copy and paste to whatever platform I need
Pages – then I cut and paste to Text Edit to clear any extraneous code before uploading to the web.
If writing for paper or PDFs I just use pages :)
I use mostly Word with a Grammarly plugin. But I also have Scrivner for organizing and writing screenplays and novels. Recently, I started using Typora. It is a minimalist, writing software program. I like it a lot because it reminds of paper. I will let it take over the screen, and I will put my Tomato pomodoro clock on another desktop (mac), so when 25 mins are up, it will automatically stop me. On occasion, I will use Google docs, but because I rent Office for my tutoring job, I rarely use it.
For quick notes, I write in Bear. For blogging, I’m currently exploring StoryChief. Looking good so far.
Word.
Makes spell check, and others input easy. As well as structuring the final text.
Copy it into my WordPress site and Mailchimp, where I do the designing.
I like to use WriteMapper! Its a mind mapping tool with expandable nodes which allows for full text editing. Perfect for visualizing the big picture and still keeping all the details.
I use Scrivener for book writing and Pages and Google Docs for copy.
I use pen and paper mostly. Second choice is scrivener.
WordPress + Word doc.
Bear – it allows me to have that-box-thing were I type words on top of everything else on the screen. Useful.
Bear looks a lot like Slack which I started using recently as well.
I use the Hemmingway app
I love writing in Sublime, its actually for coding. You can have many tabs open and organise them into projects..
This makes so much sense.
If it’s going to be multi-published, eventually to be in a book, Scrivener. If it’s a PDF, usually Word or Pages. If it’s an email, I usually write it in Edit plus first, then paste it in Drip, ConvertKit, or Mailchimp, whatever I’m using at the moment for an AR.
I write in Google Docs, Word, and NotePad++.
Google docs. I think I would prefer Word, but all I have is docs. I would love to hear what your experience is and any wonderful suggestions. This is a great question. I enjoyed reading the responses.
Scrivener
Depends on what I’m writing.
Emails to my lists: Markdown Monster
Notes about everything: The Journal 7
Ebook to sell as PDF: Word
Fiction: Scrivener
i usually use:
1. google docs.
2. then ginger to check spelling.
3. them hemingway to make sure all is short and to the point.
4. then paste into wordpress, and do some seo optimization.
:)
I draft in Scrivener. I produce in whatever final form the brief requires.
Word, Goigle docs, the Notes app on my phone, Scrivener… all depends on what, where, when, and why!
I write in Google Docs.
I like to draft in Word but deliver in Google Doc (I just can’t get used to writing directly in there)
That, and the notes app on my phone
Google docs
I write in the WordPress , then spell and grammar check using prowritingaid
I write in the WordPress visual editor
Google Docs for me too. It’s incredibly convenient.
I write my blogposts in Atom, in Markdown format. Then copy paste HTML into WordPress editor.
Notepad++
I write in Google Docs. Clients love it. I love it. Google is my most favoritest company ever.
Google Docs all the way personally, then Microsoft Word at work.
I use Word for writing, checking on Grammarly. And sometimes Notepad.