Writing App Woes & Non-Fiction Book Joys

Hi all! 

This is your friendly neighborhood romance writer coming to you again with a writing-related grievance as I plod along the fields of idioms, nom de plumes, and other tasty tidbits of the English lexicon. 

 

 

I’m searching for alternatives to Scrivener to avoid paying the $24 for the mobile version rife with rumored Dropbox-syncing issues. As a working mom and self-appointed resident pixie fairy, I often write when I’m on the move: in the grocery store, in the bathroom while the shower heats up, and while waiting for my coffee to brew. That means I’m only sometimes right in front of a computer when the inspiration strikes. And that means I need a writing app that syncs flawlessly across my many, many devices. (Yes, I’m a tech junkie.)

 

I have worked with Scrivener since 2013, after I completed my first NaNoWriMo challenge. I fell in love with the program because it is designed for and by authors and writers. It had everything I needed to manage multiple project drafts across various fictional universes. But the one con was that it did not have cross-platform capabilities. So I’ve been skulking around the interwebs to see what other options were out there and landed on testing the Ulysses app for a trial

 

I have not been impressed so far. One of the prerequisites for any app or piece of tech that I use is that it has to work seamlessly right out of the box. My schedule is too packed, and my attention span is too limited to deal with anything else! And while Ulysses was relatively easy to find, install, and set up, the one feature I need (syncing) needs to be fixed. 

 

I’ve contacted customer support, and so far, their suggestions are not solving the issue, which leaves me afraid that I’ll need to find another Scrivener alternative or put up with the $24 mobile version and hope for the best. Minor problems in the grand scheme of things, to be sure, but still very annoying. 

 

In other news, I’m currently working on two works-in-progress: Taming the Succubus and a new untitled romance that we can call “In Waiting” for now. ‘In Waiting’ has the heat level of ten jalapeños, and I haven’t even written a racy scene yet! The tension between the two characters has been enough to fan myself. Ahhh, the joys of having an overactive imagination! I plan to send excerpts each month to my readers, so be sure to sign up for my newsletter and come along with the journey. 

 

I miss my friends from The Two Worlds crew, but I promised myself I would finish Taming the Succubus before jumping back in with them. I want to continue the Jackson Shifters world, and I think you all will enjoy it once released. Please send caffeinated vibes my way! 

 

If anyone wants to take a break from fiction and pick up a good non-fiction read, I’m working through The Tao of Physics. It’s super interesting so far! It does an excellent job of taking us along the journey of discovering ancient physics and how that ties into our modern scientific approach through Eastern and Western religious ideology. The geek in me is very pleased with each page turn. 

 

Till next time!