Writing apps are dime a dozen, and there are new ones coming out every single day. I usually go through the recommendations that come from David Sparks, MacStories and a few other Mac bloggers out there.
But no matter what I do, no matter my application promiscuity, I always come back to Byword.
I’ve tried Evernote
I’ve tried writing in Evernote, but it didn’t have a clean UI like Byword does, also doesn’t have Text Expander, and lacks the ability to publish on every platform.
In Evernote I may start my work, but the majority of actual writing and publishing will happen in Byword.
I’ve tried Ulysses
I’ve really tried Ulysses, which had a clean UI, as well as some cool writing features (that I wouldn’t usually use). But it missed two critical componenets, that added features can’t replace, and that is yet again Text Expander integration, as well as the lack of blog publishing features.
Back to practical, instead of shiny
This has led me back to Byword over and pver again. It’s simplicity is what is so powerful. Having Markdown integration, Wordprees and Evernote publishing capabilities, coupled with all my Text Expander snippets is what makes all the difference in the world.
Simple Tools Get The Job Done
Writing doesn’t need to be complicated. When you are writing, all distractions need to disappear. They are the bane of existence. But writing also needs to give you real flexibility. My Text Expander shortcuts are granting me the power to execute my content at dramatically more efficient capacity. I’ve gotten them to a level of muscle memory, and they are enabling me in succeeding in content production that I’ve never thought of before.
Writing is probably one of the biggest money making skills you can posses as an entrepreneur, and being able to dish out thoughts and ideas quickly as a way of connecting with your wider audience and customers is becoming essential.
When you are building a startup you will want to be able to get commmunication out, and quickly. Having a writer on stuff and a peculiar process, may add a big level of bureaucracy that you cannot afford. Being able to hash it by yourself quickly is sometimes mandatory.
You will want a writing machine that can accomplish four things in one place:
- Write – and enjoy while doing it
- Publish and push to platforms such as your blog
- Integration with markdown
- Integration with Text Expander
These are the basic necessities of a powerful machine that can let you easily connect with the world at the push of a button.
Two things that Byword is missing
My only sadness is that Byword isn’t that great at organizing your files and it cannot incorporate actual photos into the publishing process. (If it can, kindly let me know.)
If file organization was better, I probably wouldn’t use Evernote for storage of the ideas, and I would go all in on Byword. But I can conclude that I am currently happy with my writing workflow. I am happy that I am constantly doing it. And I am glad that it doesn’t cause friction when I decide to share my thoughts with you.
If you ever wonder how I get so much writing done, beside all the other things that I am doing, explanation in this article is the reason why. And I can confess that as time goes I am getting better at it.
