Scrivener for iOS – First Impressions

Scrivener Write Anywhere

I’ve used Scrivener on my Mac since 2008, I think, and I love it. I’m not sure I could write a book without it at this point. I know it’s not for everyone, but it fits me and the way I approach and organize a story.

When I bought my first ipad (I waited until version 2) I was hoping that it would be useful enough that I could use it to replace lugging my laptop around when traveling. And when I saw that Literature and Latte had plans to release an iOS version of Scrivener, I firmly believed I was going to be all set. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen — then. Turns out there were more issues to be overcome than a simple port of the software, and to their credit, they refused to put out a product that would be less than what they wanted it to be.

So, I looked for other writing software for my ipad, and tried things like Pages and some plain text editors, among others. None of them integrated seamlessly with my writing process. Also, I really didn’t like the way the on screen keyboard worked with any of them. And it was too much trouble to pull out the bluetooth keyboard I’d bought specifically for the ipad when all I had to work with was hamstrung software. It was much easier to pull out the laptop. Frankly nothing was worth the bother of using the ipad for anything more than a fancy toy to play a few games (and even then, well…have you noticed how heavy the ipad becomes after you’ve been holding it for awhile?).

Somehow I missed the announcement last year (2016) of Scrivener for iOS. I just happened to be on the Literature and Latte website for something else yesterday and noticed, to my surprise, that it was available. I didn’t have to think twice — I pulled out my ipad and purchased it immediately.

Scrivener Write Anywhere

I used it for a couple of hours last night and I’m delighted to say that it was well worth waiting (years) for! Scrivener for iOS has all the features any desktop Scrivener user could want and, best of all, it feels effortless to use. I created a project and easily sync’d it with DropBox. The on screen keyboard works surprisingly well — I was able to type without frustration, something I’ve never been able to do before on the ipad — and I’m sure when I connect my bluetooth keyboard I’ll be even happier.  And, best of all, this morning the project opened perfectly in my desktop version of Scrivener. This really is “write anywhere” software.

Suddenly, my ipad has become more than just an expensive toy. Thank you, Literature and Latte!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Literature and Latte in any way, other than being a satisfied paying customer.