Story Writing Software Mac Os X

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Version 1.0.0 available for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux Storyboarder makes it easy to visualize a story as fast you can draw stick figures. Quickly draw to test if a story idea works.

The Mac is a great tool for writers, with a plethora of software available for any kind of writing. It doesn't matter if you're a student spending long nights on your big paper, a journalist writing up your latest scoop, or a novelist furiously typing away on your next opus — there's an app for you on the Mac.

Ulysses

Ulysses offers a full array of tools for writers of any kind. This app is easy to pick up and start using but offers a wide array of customization options for everything from writing to exporting. Choose to work in Markdown or create your own markup style. With Ulysses, you can also create your own writing environment with everything from background colors to fonts. When it comes time to publish, you can export your work in a variety of formats, including plain text, DOCX, and ePub. You can also publish your work to WordPress sites and Medium.

Your projects all sync with iCloud between Mac, iPhone, and iPad, with Dropbox support also available. The app also recently added support for Touch ID to keep your documents safe.

  • $44.99 - Download Now

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  • iPhone and iPad, $24.99 - Download Now

Byword

'Simple but effective' is the best way to describe Byword. With this Markdown-focused writing app, you start with a blank document and just write. It's a minimalist app with only a few settings to fuss with, and Byword really only cares about getting you writing. Your documents sync between Mac, iPhone, and iPad using iCloud Drive, though you can also store them in Dropbox.

When it comes to publishing, you've got options for PDF and HTML. You can also post what you've written to blogging services such as Medium, WordPress, Tumblr, and Blogger, or you could send your document to Evernote.

  • $11.99 - Download Now

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  • iPhone and iPad, $5.99 - Download Now

iA Writer

iA Writer's gone through quite a few changes over the years. Where the previous Pro app tried to break down your writing into a flow between notes and writing and editing, the modern iA Writer focuses on having your write in plain text, with full Markdown support. That's not to say that there aren't advanced features, however, as there are quite a few. Syntax Control breaks down your writing to show you the structure, highlighting adjectives, nouns, conjunctions, and more. Link to other documents in iA Writer to combine them into a single project, or link to images or spreadsheet files to see them in iA Writer's Preview screen in a number of different templates.

Like other apps on this list, iA Writer lets you publish to blogs, in this case, WordPress and Medium. You can also export your work in Markdown, PDF, HTML, and Microsoft Word.

  • $9.99 - Download Now

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  • iPhone and iPad, $3.99 - Download Now

Scrivener

Scrivener is nothing short of a full-featured suite of tools for writers. Novels, scripts, essays, research papers, it doesn't matter, because Scrivener supports all of them. Organize your ideas on digital notecards and lay them out on the corkboard to see how your work fits together. Import images, PDF and other media you've used as research to refer to it later. Keep your work segmented for easier organization and edition, while maintaining its structure with the Binder. And each part of the app can be customized to create the exact writing environment that you need. It's actually hard to encapsulate just how many options Scrivener gives you.

When you're done, compile your project into a single document, and export in formats like DOC, rich text, PDF, ePub, Kindle, and even export for other apps like Final Draft. Away from your Mac? You can also check out Scrivener for iPhone and iPad, which lets you work on your Scrivener projects no matter where you are.

  • $44.99 - Download Now

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  • iPhone and iPad, $19.99 - Download Now

Blogo

Blogo is a standout amongst our selections here because while many of these apps allow you to publish to the web, that's Blogo's explicit purpose. Open up Blogo and sign in to your WordPress, Blogger, or Medium account and start writing those hot takes. Manage everything from your post's title to its tags, preview your posts, and images. Write in Markdown or rich text, insert inline HTML and code blocks, and keep track of your writing goals. You can also perform some basic photo editing, cropping and resizing photos, and even adding effects and filters.

While Blogo is free up front, you can subscribe to Blogo Pro for $2.99 per month (or $24.99 for a year) to get access to more advanced features. You'll be able to add as many accounts as you want, get access to the Media Search feature to easily find videos, images, GIFs, and more, and on certain accounts, you can even moderate and reply to comments.

  • Free - Download Now

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  • iPhone and iPad, Free - Download Now

Bear

A relatively new app compared to the rest of the list, Bear might seem simple, but it offers a great deal of flexibility for handling text. It's true that Bear is good for both notes and todo checklists, but it's support for Markdown, a variety of themes, and simple organization makes it a great tool for many different kinds of writing. Add images, files, code blocks, and more to spice up your work and give it more context.

In terms of options, you've got few. Choose how to sort your documents, pick a theme, pick your font, and even control fine-grain details such as font size, line height and width, and paragraph spacing. Subscribe to Bear Pro for $1.49 per month in order to sync your documents between Bear for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

  • Free - Download Now

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  • iPhone and iPad, Free - Download Now

Pages

Apple's own writing app, Pages lets you create all sorts of documents. There are more than 60 templates in Pages, covering just about every kind of writing, from short essays to research papers. There are even templates for items like business cards and flyers. You can add images and shapes, layout your documents in different styles, and more. You can also secure documents with Touch ID if you have one of Apple's 2016 MacBook Pros with Touch Bar.

Pages also makes it easy to collaborate with other people. Multiple people, whether they're on macOS, iOS, or even Windows thanks to iCloud.com, can collaborate on a document at the same time. You can share collaborative documents publicly or with specific users, see who is in the document at any given time, and follow their cursors as they edit the project.

  • Free ($19.99 for pre-October 2014 Macs) - Download Now

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Software

Story Writing Software Mac Os X

  • iPhone and iPad, Free ($9.99 for pre-September 2014 iOS devices) - Download Now

Your favorites?

What is your writing app of choice on your Mac? Do you use one of these or something else? Let us know in the comments.

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What's the best novel writing software for Mac OS X?Story writing software mac os x 10 11

I'm slogging through a manuscript right now and I realize that I need something to help me organize this thing. I've got ADD and I'm trying to organize my whole life, but I really, really need it here -- I don't know that I could finish it without some structure. I need something to help me with outlines, character sketches, etc. Scribbling in my Moleskine just isn't working out.

Mac Os Software List

posted by sugarfish to Computers & Internet (9 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
I can sympathize, but I'll be the first one to say it. Software won't help. Having said that- here are some you can try.
Tinderbox has a strong literary credentials behind it.
Something called Z-write looks to do roughly what you want.
Good luck. Give yourself deadlines.
posted by jeremias at 7:19 PM on February 24, 2005

Thanks, y'all, for the suggestions. I am checking them out right now. Jeremias, I'm curious as to what you mean by saying software doesn't work. Can you expound on that a little? I mean to use such software as a kind of outboard brain, to keep my ideas organized.
posted by sugarfish at 7:57 PM on February 24, 2005

I suppose I should have said that software wouldn't work for me. I have similar issues with organization and I've found the best method is using old-fashioned outlines. Technology can sometimes be a diversion- thinking that all that is needed is the right tool and everything will fall into place.
posted by jeremias at 8:15 PM on February 24, 2005

Older Mac Os X Software

I use CopyWrite. I like the interface and the minimalist features. It's also been well supported and the developer listens to feedback. Good product.
posted by C.Batt at 8:40 PM on February 24, 2005

I haven't used it for a novel, but were I to sit down to work on that, the first tool I would pull out of my toolbox would be OmniOutliner. It and Notational Velocity are the OSX killer applications -- especially for 'outboard brain' tools -- as far as I'm concerned.
If you just want a plain old word processor in which to write a novel, I've heard terrific things about Nisus Writer, and have used (in non-novel applications) Mariner Write and liked it a lot.
posted by majick at 8:59 PM on February 24, 2005

There was an interesting post and discussion on Steven Berlin Johnson's weblog a little while back, centered on a program called DevonThink, that your question reminded me of; maybe you'll find it useful. (I've never used DevonThink so I can't vouch for it one way or the other.)
posted by furiousthought at 9:47 PM on February 24, 2005

There was a discussion of this very topic just last month; I posted an answer in that thread stating that just minutes before the question was posted I'd decided on CopyWrite for my own novel writing needs. I've now been using it for a little under two months, and I'm very happy with it -- in fact, its most recent update includes fullscreen mode, which is a frequently cited advantage to its main competitor, Ulysses.
I've also posted a brief overview of OS X software for writers on my weblog that you might find useful.
Furiousthought mentioned DevonThink; I've been demoing that for a while now and I think I'll probably buy it, along with its sister application, DevonAgent. If your subject matter involves a significant amount of research, I recommend trying them out.
posted by Acetylene at 10:57 PM on February 24, 2005

You might want to try SuperNotecard, which was called Miss Lonelynotes until last week. Based on your question, this sounds like exactly what you are looking for. I'm using it for non-fiction writing, but it's mainly directed at fiction writers, and it's really good. (Recently updated with new features, too.)
posted by litlnemo at 11:14 PM on February 24, 2005

Thanks, everyone! And Acetylene: thanks for the earlier link. I swear I googled :D
posted by sugarfish at 7:43 AM on February 25, 2005

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