#I can't edit in my chromebook so I did this on my phone

[wearebackbagels]

The piano.

[jessepinwheel]

okay, so this one broke containment (thanks, everyone). let's talk about the results! if you do not want to read this very long post, press J on your keyboard.

Google Docs - cloud-based, easy sharing/collaboration features, usable on computer and phone By and large the most popular option because of low barrier to access (most people have a gmail), the fact that it's free, has autosave, good sharing/collaborative writing features, and the ability to use it on pretty much any computer, tablet, or phone including chromebooks. I personally do not use Google Docs for writing purposes because it chugs when it comes to longer documents, and can't be used if your internet connection is spotty.

Microsoft Word/LibreOffice/OpenOffice/other office suites - application-based, rich text editing, lots of document and formatting features Microsoft Word is kind of the prime example of a word processor. It's very good for documents that need to be printed onto paper, and has a lot of good formatting options. Since it's an actual desktop app, it runs well even when there's hundreds of pages, and of course you can use it offline since it's saving things locally, or you can also save things to the Office 365 cloud services to access from multiple devices (I have never used these, so I don't know how well they work). I think these days there's also a Microsoft Word web app so you're able to use it in browser instead of having to download the application. A lot of people have access to Word for free through their school or job.

If you do not have access to Microsoft Word for free, or just hate Microsoft on principle, there are several open-source free alternatives such as LibreOffice or Apache OpenOffice. I'm pretty sure these don't come with any cloud-based storage or backups, but there are ways to get around that (I'll get there later).

Notepad/Other Plaintext Editor - simple text, no formatting, lightweight, no distractions I did a very large amount of writing in Notepad some years back--I did my posting on forums, so I would type the HTML tags straight into the .txt file to copy directly to the forum page. Obviously you will not be doing any formatting for print, or putting in any pictures or tables or anything like that, but when you want to just get your story into words on the page, that can be a plus. Because .txt is so lightweight, you're never going to get any lag and the text files themselves are tiny and easy to share. Nobody (hopefully) is doing their final editing in a plaintext editor, but I didn't ask about editing, I asked about writing.

Some write-ins for plaintext editors: Vim, Emacs, Wordgrinder, Atom, Notepad++ (all free)

Scrivener - rich text, project binder style, many organizational tools for keeping documents straight or rearranging parts Scrivener is my long story (and audio drama script) writing application of choice. I was honestly kind of surprised that this many people used Scrivener--I was debating putting it on this poll at all.

In any case, it has a lot of really good features, primarily that it's a binder-style project writing application which lets you have all your different sections in different files, then compile them all together in whatever order you choose. You can keep all your notes and references within the same project file, and you can tag sections to keep track of what happens in what part, or what needs to be revised. It lets you do split-screen, so you can e.g., see your outline on one side and what you're writing on the other. It also lets you do version control for each document. It lets you export in many different formats (I personally write in Markdown and export as HTML for posting into AO3). You can also set daily word goals and things like that. Also has an iOS app but that's a separate purchase and I have no idea if it's any good.

It is not free--it is a one-time purchase. There are discounts for nanowrimo or if you have a .edu email. I have personally found it very worth the price, but you can judge that for yourself--it has a 30 day free trial, which is for 30 days of actual writing use, not 30 days from download. If the price tag is still too steep, try one of the write-in options in the next section.

Markdown Editors - easy export to HTML, simple layout, access to some formatting features I'm honestly very surprised that Markdown editors are so low. Markdown is basically plaintext+. It gives you the simplicity of plaintext but with the added bonus of things like italics, bold, underlines, hyperlinks, quotes, and some other things too, depending on the application. Since they're basically just .txt files but can be exported to other formats, they're just as lightweight as plaintext. Markdown editors generally let you export directly to HTML format, which you can then open in a plaintext editor and copy-paste directly into whatever website you post on.

I use Deepdwn (one time purchase) as my Markdown editor of choice for my shorter stories and for notes. Many Markdown applications are available for phone/tablet.

Notable write-in options: MarkText (free), Typora ($15), Obsidian (free)

Directly into the website you are going to post to - web accessible, rich text formatting, hubris I'm not going to say this is a good idea, because this one runs a decently high risk of having something close out/refresh without you wanting it to, and then losing some hundreds of words of progress. But for things like blog posts (like this one) or essays or other kinds of shorter writing, I will certainly write directly in Tumblr or Wordpress or whatever it is.

Writing directly into the website gives you the advantage of being able to access it from different devices, whether laptop or tablet or phone, and also gives you direct access to the formatting tools that you'll be using for that website, so you don't have to have weird copy-paste issues. Some people have reported doing their writing in Wattpad or Dreamwidth and then copying that over to the actual website where they're posting it, presumably because it's accessible from multiple devices and has built-in HTML tools. If you hate Google Docs and don't mind keeping your writing web-only, then using the drafts function is not a terrible solution. (Of course, some websites will purge drafts after a certain number of days. So watch out!)

Discord/other chat client - multiple device accessible, simple interface, collaboration Okay, I know this sounds insane, but hear me out. Some people do their writing in Discord (I have done some), and it helps reduce the pressure to get everything right and going back to make edits. It's also accessible from any device where Discord can be used, including phones, and many people already have Discord on their phone. I mostly use Discord when I want to do some writing someplace where using a laptop is really not feasible (e.g., the train or in a car), and then when I get home I can just copy-paste what I wrote in Discord into my main document.

Discord also lets you have different channels to organize what you write into different threads. And if you have friends who are interested in your writing, you can write directly with them and get live reactions, which is fun. People also do roleplay-type writing in Discord for what should be fairly obvious reasons. Of course, to publish, you'll have to copy stuff from Discord into an actual document, which can be tedious if you're not keeping up with it as you go, but it's surprisingly usable as a first draft. Downside, of course, is that you need internet for it to work.

A physical notebook/on physical paper - you know what paper is I don't need to tell you what a physical notebook is, but shoutouts to the people who said they did most of their writing in an Alphasmart or on a typewriter.

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Notable Write-Ins Okay, so those are the options I came up with, what are the options y'all came up with? Keep in mind that I have not used any of the below options and that my mentioning them here is not an endorsement, just that other people who have commented on this post use them.

Notes App I did actually consider putting this into the poll and I probably should have--I really underestimated how many people did their writing completely on their phones. So to all of you, sorry for not putting this as an option.

Pages Apparently this is like the Apple equivalent of Microsoft Word. I wouldn't know--I don't use Apple.

Wordpad A rich text editor which is kind of like a light version of Microsoft Word. Comes pre-installed with Windows.

Email Some people do their writing in their email. Sure. It's accessible via any web browser and a lot of them have apps you can use on your phone.

Obsidian I know I briefly mentioned this one in the Markdown section, but I think it's prominent enough that it deserves another mention. It's free, and technically a note-taking software instead of a word processor, but it's a Markdown editor with a lot of features and also has a free mobile app. There are a lot of plugins available if you want more features. Native syncing between apps is available for a subscription fee.

Miro/Trello/Notion Technically not writing apps, but project management/planning apps. Lets you use multiple pages to organize things. Free to use web-based apps.

Evernote Also technically not a writing app, but a free (with paid tiers) note-taking app with syncing capabilities. The free tier lets you sync between two devices.

OneNote Kind of like Evernote but Microsoft. Comes with Windows.

Zoho Writer Probably the most equivalent alternative to Google Docs, with collaborative features, online sync, and a mobile app. I have no idea how well it works.

CryptPad Also a Google Docs alternative, but this time it's open source. Accounts do not use an email. There are collaboration/sharing tools. Everything's encrypted to the extent where if you lose your username or password there's no way to recover or reset it, so make sure that doesn't happen.

yWriter A free word processor with similar binder format as Scrivener and automatic version control though less overall features.

Bibisco A novel-writing software with a lot of tools for story development and planning that also lets you write in scenes and chapters. Has a free version (which is sufficient to do plenty of writing and planning) and a premium version for a one-time purchase.

Campfire Write A writing software with a lot of different modules to help do worldbuilding and story planning. Has a mobile app. Free to try (has a word limit), then subscription service for unlimited access to the relevant features, or you can buy lifetime access.

PageFour A free (no longer updated) word processor also with pages/sections and outlining tools for novel writers.

Writemonkey A free, clean Markdown editor with a whole lot of features including bookmarks, writing statistics, typewriter mode, and document navigation. Extremely lightweight and can be used portable if you want to carry it and your writing files on a flash drive.

4thewords A gamified writing website where you write to fight monsters to encourage you to write more consistently. Free to try, then 4 dollars a month subscription (or less).

750 Words An online writing app that encourages you to write 3 pages (750 words) each day. Has progress tracking and some other features. Costs $5/month subscription after a 30 day trial.

Writer, the Internet Typewriter A web-based no-distraction typewriter app that also lets you work offline and export to multiple file types. Honestly reminds me a lot of Draft, which is what I used for a while before I transitioned to Scrivener and Deepdwn. (Draft recently shut down, unfortunately.)

CalmlyWriter A distraction-free no-frills word processor. Can be used in web app (no sync) or with a downloaded desktop app. Technically a paid app in the same way that WinRAR is a paid app--you can pay for it if you want or just not.

PureWriter A simple no-frills Markdown editor. Has a desktop and Android version.

FocusWriter A plaintext, basic RTF and ODT editor. Designed to be distraction-free, also supports custom themes and daily writing tracking/word count goals. Can be used portable, if you want to put both your writing program and your writing files on a flash drive.

Bear A Markdown editor with a desktop and mobile app. You can purchase a $1.49/month or $14.99/year subscription to use native syncing capabilities between all your devices.

Dabble A novel-writing application that can be used in web or as desktop app or on mobile, with syncing capabilities and many other features. Not a free app, requires a subscription fee or a (pretty expensive) lifetime purchase.

obviously there are many other applications, just peruse through the notes if you want more.

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What writing app should I use? Well, I can't really answer that for you. There's a lot of them available out there, and I just listed a bunch of options. Your needs as a writer will be different from other people's. For what it's worth, here's my take:

I need to be able to work on my project from multiple computers. Get Dropbox. Or some other syncing utility. But Dropbox is the one that I've used for the last 12+ years and it's never let me down. It's a syncing utility, not just cloud storage, so the files are still physically saved on your hard drive and you can use them all offline. That way, even if Dropbox explodes, you won't lose your files, and if your hard drive explodes, you can download them again from Dropbox. The free plan gives you 2GB storage (a huge amount if you're using it primarily for text files) and 3 devices. You can also download your files on any device via the website. Using a solid writing program that fits your needs (e.g., Scrivener) and a good syncing utility (e.g., Dropbox) will get you a lot farther than some web application that's kind of mediocre at both.

Dropbox also has a mobile app. I haven't really figured out how to use it so I can work on my files from my phone (I don't really use Dropbox on mobile, or do much writing on mobile), but it does have the ability to directly edit text files, so it's possible to do writing that way if you really want to.

You can get 500mb additional storage space by using a referral link (this will also give the referrer 500mb extra storage). You can use mine if you want to: https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/AADItjJTrvtT5SiAXfQy6yq104a3SMJtm5A

I need to be able to work on my project from multiple computers including ones that I don't own (e.g., school, library). You'll want a web app. Google Docs is the most popular one, obviously, but you can also try some alternatives listed above like CryptPad or Zoho. Writer is also a web-based app--I have not personally used it but its features seem similar to Draft (now defunct) which I previously used and quite liked. Things like Notion, Miro, and Trello are also web apps that seem pretty popular, even if they're not actually writing software. Microsoft has its own web-based suite, so that could possibly be an option. Dropbox appears to have a web-based writing app you can use, but I honestly don't know anything about it or if it's like. good.

Alternately, you can use a portable writing app like FocusWriter or WriteMonkey on a flash drive along with all your writing files and just plug that in wherever you want to do writing, just remember to back up your files every so often so you don't lose your flash drive and also all your work.

Alternately alternately, you can think outside the box more. Using emails or blog posts/drafts will net you access on any web-enabled device. Discord can also be used on any computer if you don't mind compiling and cleaning it up afterwards.

In any of these cases you should probably back up your work every so often on your local hard drive because you never really know when things can go down.

I want to write on my phone and have it sync up on desktop. The most straightforward option for this will be Google Docs, but I personally find the app really clunky and I don't like writing in Google Docs in general.

A decent number of note-taking apps like Evernote have syncing capability between a desktop and a tablet or mobile device. Some of them have subscription fees.

Many web apps have been designed to be user-friendly even in a mobile browser. Some of the solutions in the above section will also work for this section.

Some sync utilities can be used between mobile and desktop, so you would be able to edit Markdown files (or rich text, though that's less likely) on your computer and on your phone. If this sounds like a solution for you, you'll need to do your own research. I hear you can use Dropbox for this, but I don't know enough to say.

The way I do things, which is hardly the most efficient, is that I'll write directly in Discord, then copy stuff from Discord into the relevant document when I get home. If I don't have internet access, I use a Markdown editor on my phone to write a new document, then upload that .md file to my private Discord so I can copy it into the actual document.

I want to share my stories with my friends/beta readers/other people in general. If you just want to share files, most cloud storage services like Box, Google Drive, whatever Microsoft's is, and yes, Dropbox, have the ability to share files and sometimes to comment on them. You can also directly share files via Discord or email or post your writing on a private blog.

If you want actual collaborative features, Google Docs is again probably the most straightforward way to do it, but CryptPad does also offer collaborative features (Zoho does too, but it looks like actual collaboration requires all participants to have an account). If both you and your collaborator have a Dropbox account you can have shared folders where anyone can edit any of the contents of the folder (I used to use these for animation collaborations).

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Personally, I use Scrivener for my long stories that need notes and planning documents and outlines (and also my audio drama, since it has some helpful scriptwriting features), or Deepdwn for my shorter more straightforward stories. Dropbox syncs my files between my desktop and my laptop so I can write from either one, and I can work on my documents offline (I just have to make sure I close out of the program before I work on it on the other computer to avoid sync conflicts). For sharing, I use Google Drive or just send files through Discord. I don't really do collaborative writing so I don't really have any personal advice about that.

I like to reflect on the results of my polls when they close, so hopefully this summary and discussion has been helpful. I'm sure I missed plenty of stuff, but you can look through the notes if you want more suggestions, or reblog with your own input. My notes are already being destroyed by this post, it's not like it can really get worse.

writer survey question time:

inspired by seeing screencaps where the software is offering (terrible) style advice because I haven't used a software that has a grammar checker for my stories in like a decade

if you use multiple applications, pick the one you use most often.

[the-breloominati]

im gonna lose my fucking mind

so normally when I submit written work I scan it in using the brother iPrint and scan app (it's easier than spending like 10 minutes trying to get clear pictures with my phone, and if I did I might have to email them to myself)

well

first of all

as far as I can tell, the only thing i could use on this chromebook to scan my work is the camera app

which again, would probably be marginally easier, if at all, possibly even harder, than just taking pictures with my phone (didn't say this before but I have kinda shaky hands)

the only apps i can download are canvas and the microsoft office suite

(if any of y'all know if theres anything on office that you can scan pictures with or will automatically take a picture of paper you put in front of the camera, please let me know)

so here I am having an "oh shit oh fuck" moment cause I remember I cant easily scan my work on the chromebook

but I mean its fine, I can just scan it to my ipad and then email myself the images on my gmail

but oh

ooooooh no

it looks like they blocked gmail

and im like 99% sure I can't email stuff from my gmail to my school email

and cause my ipad is so old, im pretty sure it would take a while to sign in to my school email and send the images to myself

so I have to email myself the images on my gmail (in 2 emails I think cause I guess the size was too big)

then go onto my phone and download them, and then log into office, and re-email them to myself on there

then wait for me to receive the email, I probably couldve just copied the images I have no idea, but I dowloaded them (clicking through the pop-ups every time), and then I have to upload each one individually to canvas in its own answer box

edit: (after writing the tags btw)

so

basically whats going on is that my school account cant access gmail

I cant sign out and I can't add new accounts

so as far as I can tell I literally cannot access my gmail from the chromebook

its probably unintentional, cause last year id email myself stuff all the time on gmail for art id work on in digital design and they never once blocked the site so :/