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9 Incredibly useful productivity apps for writers

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you, apps in the palm of hand6 Tips for finding writing time. Yet, even if you find the time to write, how can you be sure to be productive and actually get words down on your page? The nine apps below will help you not only get words down on the page, but also keep your writing projects organized, track how long and how much writing you accomplished, and overall help you be a more productive writer.

In no particular order, here are nine incredibly useful productivity apps for writers:

  1. EverNote
    This app is the perfect place to store and organize thoughts, information, and media (including pictures and audio recordings). One of the best features about EverNote is that it can be synced across all devices. That means you can access your notes anywhere and anytime you have your phone, computer, or tablet next to you.
  2. Zotero
    With this app you can save any articles you are looking at on the web to a personal and searchable library with a single click. According to their website, “Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources.”
  3. Dragon Dictation
    Do you use Dragon Naturally Speaking? Now you can use a mobile version! If you haven’t heard of either of these than you’re missing out. Since most of us think faster than we can type or write, this app is ideal. Simply hit record, speak what’s on your mind, and watch as Dragon Dictation transforms your words into text. You can then copy and paste that text into any word processing program you choose.
  4. EndNote
    Similar to EverNote, but with a few more options ideal for academic writers. With EndNote you can collect full-text articles and auto-complete your references, organize and mark up your research files, find journal suggests for best potential journals to publish in, share your work, and more. Just like EverNote, this app can by synced across all of your platforms to use anywhere, anytime.
  5. Writing Journal
    Do you track when you wrote, time spent writing, and/or what you wrote? Are you tracking all of that in a spreadsheet or a handwritten journal? If so, you desperately need this app! You can easily see how many words you’ve written on any given day and the time you spent writing. With its newest version, Writing Journal has included graphs—a bonus for anyone that prefers visual data.
  6. Pomodoro Timer
    The “Pomodoro Technique” is said to be one of the most effective methods for time management and productivity. The concept is rather simple to follow and with the help of this app you’ll find it even simpler. You can set your target number of pomodori per day, length of pomodori, and even customize your short and long break lengths.
  7. Anti-Social
    If you find yourself checking email, Facebook, or any other distracting websites instead of getting your writing done, than you need this app. This is how it works: say you want to write for one hour, simply turn on Anti-Social, schedule it for one hour, and you’ll be blocked from those distracting sites like Facebook and Twitter and any others that you’ve pre-set.
  8. Coffitivity
    Research suggests that it may be more difficult to be productive when you’re in a completely noiseless space. Ever notice you get more writing done at your local coffee shop than at home with no noise? This app offers soothing background noise to help you be more productive without the hassle of leaving your house. Sounds range from “University Undertones” to “Morning Murmur”.
  9. Write or Die 2
    Okay, you won’t actually die, but you will receive varied levels of punishment if you stop writing or don’t meet your word count. You set how much pain you want to endure from gentle—a pop-up reminder to get writing, normal—an annoying sound, or kamikaze—your writing starts to disappear. Better start writing!