It is not a rare occurrence. Halfway through the what is surely the next bestselling novel, flowing straight from your fingers or pen, you crash head-on into a bout of the dreaded Writer’s Block. Like a sickness, Writer’s Block strikes at the most inopportune moments. Suddenly the writer is smacked by a lack of motivation, inspiration, or what have you. In short, it seems there is nothing left to say.
Most writers’ solution is not to turn to their iPhone — in fact, traditionalists usually recommend a different tactic. But the creators of apps have recognized that among this generation of technophiles, writers want inspiration to be available at their fingertips. And what better place to offer solutions that address the problem of Writer’s Block than on a smartphone?
The 5 best apps for writers in a jam
1. Inspiro
Inspiro has three modes: The Muse, Scenarios, and the DayDream Machine. The Muse is the simplest. It provides a few randomly ordered words and phrases to help boost inspiration when you have run out of verbiage. Scenarios describes just what it is: it serves up a few thought-provoking scenes, also randomly generated.
Perhaps the most interesting choice is the DayDream Machine. This mode begins with an initial thought on a dark screen, then randomly creates a few beautifully worded themes and deep revelations, perfect for when a character is in need of an epiphany, or a poem needs a little more flavor. The price for this app rings in at only $2.99, which seems like a heckuva deal for a little in-depth inspiration.
2. Fotopedia Heritage
Often, the best solution to Writer’s Block is travel. This free app is for world travelers who are on a limited budget. It contains beautiful photographs from all over the word, with themed stories, random image generation, and a “save to favorites” function. Daydreamers badly in need of a getaway will love this app.
3. Idea Generator
This app is similar to the Muse mode in Inspiro: it’s perfect for people who are itching to write and merely need an intriguing topic. The app generates three words or short phrases … ad infinitum. You can customize the language settings to really shake up your writing, or to improve the dialogue of your foreign or bilingual characters.
4. Method Cards
This app supplies an electronic pack of cards intended to spark creativity in designers and creative types alike. Filled with random ideas, new perspectives, and beautiful images, the cards are meant to offer the user a new look at old ideas, as well as a new look at new ones. The deck of cards can be upgraded for $4.99 to a 51-card deck.
5. Writing Prompts
The most famous solutions are often the simplest: sometimes all that’s necessary to get the creative juices flowing again is a decent writing prompt. Writing.com supplies you with a series of prompts that will get your juices flowing; it offers a free app for your phone that makes it easier to take your thoughts anywhere you might need to go to get writing again.
There were 5 tools that can help you in beating the writer’s block. Do you know of any other apps? Do let us know in comments.