Scrivener for IOS

I know, I know. I've been ignoring the blog. Let's see if one post can nudge me into blogging again. It's worth a shot, right?

I use Scrivener to write fiction. It's the best writing software out there and was available only to Mac users for quite a while. I hear there's a Windows version now, so anyone can use it. (Mind you, no one should be on Windows anymore. No one.)

But the thing that was always missing was an IOS version of Scrivener. It took years to develop and folks were beginning to doubt that it would ever be released. But it's done! I was so excited to download it when it came out on Wednesday, and I've been playing with it ever since.

First off, it's fabulous that my work is now mobile. I can carry all my intellectual property with me wherever I go. That's so reassuring. No more worries about my house burning down while I'm out for a walk and taking my work with it. The books (there are several) are now safe. That is so important.

Plus, the IOS version works well. One of the things about Scrivener on the desktop is how zippy it is. Nothing is slow, everything is instantaneous. I'm happy to report that the IOS version is just as zippy.

The true joy of this is that wherever I am, if I think of something that needs to be changed in a manuscript -- or if I think of a great new story idea -- I can pick up my iPad and input the changes or idea. It automatically synchs with the desktop version of Scrivener. No more lost thoughts! This is so nice.

Anyway, I'm a very happy guy. Now let's see if I can get back to blogging in the next few days and weeks.

Waiting (forever) for Scrivener for IOS

If you're waiting anxiously for the IOS version of Scrivener, as I am, you'll probably be interested in the newsflash I received from Scrivener this morning:

We're still working on it... I sincerely apologize to all our users who have been waiting so long for our iOS version. We really should have kept it under our hats for much longer, until it was nearly ready, rather than announcing it so long ago and making wild - and wildly inaccurate - guesses about when it would be ready. Right now it is undergoing finishing touches to the interface, before we implement the Dropbox syncing code and start putting it through its paces in a thorough bout of testing. We're still a few months away from release, furiously trying to ensure we make our putative 2014 release date, but it is getting there, even if from the outside progress understandably seems glacial.

Well, it doesn't seem glacial, exactly, but it's taking more time than we'd like. And by "we", I mean all the writers who rely on Scrivener. It truly is the best writing software in the world. For me, the best thing about Scrivener for IOS will be the ability to carry all my writing projects on my iPad, which goes everywhere with me. That sounds like heaven.

So maybe by Xmas? That would be a lovely gift.

Good news from Scrivener

I just received a "Yuletide" email from Scrivener, and it contained very good news indeed. The IOS version of Scrivener is almost here! Here's the relevant portion from the email:

At the end of 2011, I [i.e., Keith Blount, the guy who invented Scrivener] said that the big news for 2012 was that an iOS version of Scrivener was going into development. This time last year, I said that the iOS version would be coming out in 2013. And here we are at the end of 2013 and the iOS version has still not been released. I would like to offer my sincere apologies for the delays to the project, as I know that many users are eagerly awaiting it, and I’m as disappointed as anyone that we weren’t able to release it this year. As many of you may have already read, the project hit a major roadblock when our original developer had to step away owing to family health problems, and we lost several months of development during the process of making that painful decision and replacing her.

Earlier this year, we employed a new, very experienced developer, who has been taking the project forward ever since. We’re still a few months away from a release, but 2014 will be the year we (finally!) go mobile, with releases of Scrivener for both the iPhone and iPad. As I write this, we are currently reviewing icons for the keyboard accessory row and testing out the rich text editor. The corkboard, binder, outliner and inspector are already present and correct. There’s still lots to do, so we’re not going to talk too much about it until we are closer to release. But look out for news in 2014.

I cannot wait for this release. The reason I've been ferreting around for iPad apps to bolster my writing process is that Scrivener has no IOS version of its software. Now, it seems I'll only have to wait a few more months to get my hands on the IOS version. That is such good news for writers.

Write a book in Scrivener's desktop software, carry your iPad around with you -- and have the ability to make changes that are saved to the original. Heaven!