The Top 5 iPad Apps for Writers on the Go

The iPad won’t be replacing laptops and computers anytime soon, but there is a lot that it can do that makes it a tool for writers that travel. They are small enough to be used on a plane, bus or car without taking up space or requiring a surface to rest on. The App Store has a variety of apps available that are targeted at professional writers. The problem is that there are so many apps on the market, that it may be overwhelming to find out which ones have features you can utilize and which ones are duds. The following apps can be useful to professional writers, depending on the features you are looking for.

The iA Writer app was developed for those that have issues focusing while writing. The program to write your

documents is very basic when compared to more advanced writing apps, but this was done intentionally so that the user can just focus on what their writing more than anything else. There is also a “Focus Mode” that fades out everything but the sentence you’re working on so that you can take your work sentence by sentence. All work can be saved on the iCloud for safe keeping. Since this app has a very specific audience in mind it lacks the helpful writing and editing features that many other writing apps have. What this app lacks in practicality, it makes up for it in uniqueness.

Those that tend to lean towards Apple products, may be more interested in Apple’s Pages app. This app is only compatible with Apple devices, and is used for creating professional documents and graphic design. Your work can be saved and shared through the iCloud, which also allows you to take something you are working on from your Mac and continue working on it when you only have your iPad on hand. Microsoft Word documents can be imported and exported through this app, but at times there can be bugs and issues that occur in the conversion.

The Microsoft Word app can be useful for those who are experienced with Microsoft Office programs on their

computer. The app can do much of what the computer program does, so there isn’t a big learning curve for those that are already familiar with the product. Although it is like it’s computer counterpart in many ways, it doesn’t have all of the features that you would have access to on a computer. If you’re looking to create new documents or edit existing documents than this app may be what you’re looking for.

This app is one of the biggest competitors to the Microsoft Office programs. It is very similar in it’s look and

feel, and it can also view and edit Microsoft Word documents. If you need to upload your work you can synch

whatever you write to Google Drive, One Drive or Dropbox from the Polaris Office app. When your piece calls

for charts and pictures, you can create and edit them through this software. The $20 price tag on the app prevents it for being ideal for writers on a budget, when there are cheaper apps to choose from.

This app is for the creative writers of the world. Werdsmith can be used to create short stories, novels, poems and screenplays. The times this app is most useful is when you come up with a story idea while away from your computer; with this app you can get started right away from your portable device. The drawback is that Werdsmith really only works for creative writing purposes and has no conversion for Microsoft Word documents. If you work in the creative writing field, this app may be worth looking into if you aren’t great at remembering your story ideas while your computer is out of site.