I use these writing tools because they don’t have much “noise”
on apps that take your writing process from chaotic to simplicity
I’m almost certain I’ve written about this before, but who knows where it ended up—probably hiding in some dusty folder on my phone, or maybe it’s buried in an old Instagram post no one’s scrolled down to. Or I just didn’t put much effort into finding it. But I think that’s a good thing because this is something that is in constant change and what I said a month ago might not be true today. Writing is a living, breathing process, constantly evolving, just like our tools. We have to embrace that fact. Not just about this, but also about everything in our lives. But let’s not get too philosophical here.
There’s something undeniably charming about pen and paper—the way it feels like you’re in some old café in Paris, scribbling down your next masterpiece. But charming doesn’t always mean practical, does it? Eventually, your hand cramps up–I don’t know about you, but my index finger gets a bumpy rash after a few hours of heavy scribbling—, you can lose that notebook with all your brilliant ideas, or you just can’t keep up with your thoughts organized. That’s when digital tools come in to save the day, taking what’s romantic about writing and adding a little extra power to it.
We need tools that don’t just make writing easier—they need to make it better, sharper, and faster. In a rough bulleted summary, I use these apps in my daily writing routine:
Bear App and Apple Notes for taking notes
IA Writer for actually writing
ChatGPT for brainstorming, editing, and language improvement
Bear and Notes aren’t just fancy notebooks; they’re your portable vault for ideas. With Bear, I can tag, organize, and link thoughts together in ways no leather-bound journal could ever dream of. Apple Notes is my trusty sidekick for those fleeting ideas that hit me while I’m standing in line for coffee or just walking around. No more flipping through pages or searching for that one napkin where I scribbled down. These apps keep everything in one place, neat and searchable, letting your creativity roam free without getting lost.
Side note: I tried Obsidian and Notion for that purpose and I stuck with Bear and Notes. Sometimes, less noise equals more creativity. Bear is just like Obsidian but less noisy (yes, it’s all about noise), and Notion for me is a powerful database app with an unfriendly mobile interface and experience, so I kept it for databases like my library catalog. I thought Apple would revamp Notes with new powerful tools, but it’s still Notes. Good but not perfect.
Alright now, then there’s IA Writer. Remember how writing with a typewriter or even those old-school word processors used to sound impressive but always came with too much noise? IA Writer is the exact opposite. It’s writing distilled down to its purest form: just you and the words. Minimalist and clean, with just enough features to keep you on track but none of the clutter or distractions—although the exporting tools and markdown can give you something more powerful than you thought it was possible. Anyway, no more messy formatting or endless font options—just you, your thoughts, and a blank page ready to be filled in a txt file that you can transform later. It’s perfect for those of us who need space to think without the software doing all the talking for us.
Side note: I used Ulysses for many years. I don’t know exactly why I stopped using it, but IA Writer reminds me of Ulysses when I loved using it. But talking about noise, MS Word, Apple Pages, Google Docs, and Scrivener are just not the type of app that makes me wanna write a novel in it. Either they’re too limited or they’re too full of features that overwhelm you–or encourage you to procrastinate with formatting and setups.
And then we get to ChatGPT, my not-so-secret weapon. This isn’t just some editing tool; it’s the friend who always has time to help you brainstorm, the mentor who gives you feedback at 3 a.m., and the editor who isn’t afraid to call out your clichés. When I’m stuck in a plot hole or an outline for a post, need a sentence to flow better, or just want a second opinion, ChatGPT is there, making sure I don’t drown in my own creative chaos. It’s like having a writing buddy who never tires, never complains, and always pushes you to do better.
Side note: I’ve tested Claude, Gemini, and CoPilot. ChatGPT is the most creative one. All AI tools today have their biases, limitations, and hallucinations, but ChatGPT helps me SO MUCH with my daily stuff, creativity, and knowledge improvement that I can’t just ignore the fact that it helps me a lot with my writing as well.
So, here’s the deal: these tools don’t replace me as a writer or my creative process—they fuel it. Bear and Notes organize my scattered ideas, IA Writer gives me the quiet space to let my words breathe, and ChatGPT is the collaborator and second brain I didn’t know I could have. Together, they make writing not just easier, but more fluid and effective.
If you’re not already using some form of digital assistance and you feel like you’re writing is not flowing the way you wanted, now’s the time to rethink your process and embrace the digital world. You don’t have to download millions of apps for that, I think we should stick to minimalism to make this thing work. But, from my experience, I’d recommend having at least two or three apps at hand: a notes app, a word processing app, and some app that will help you proofread your text and improve your use of words and language. It doesn’t have to be AI if you’re not into “these evil tools this generation has created,” if that’s how you feel about AI.
Overall, at the end of the day, writing is still about creativity, but now we have the tools to channel that creativity into something even more powerful. Don’t be afraid to lean on the apps that help you think faster, write clearer, and produce work that feels more polished.
So, what apps are helping your creativity these days? And how do they fit into your writing process?
Also, would you like me to dive deeper into any of those apps in a future post? Let me know in the comments.