I am trying to improve my writing volume by increasing my ability to “write anywhere, anytime.” One component of this is to write more frequently using Ulysses software (my rough draft word processing app software of choice) on my iPhone since my iPhone is the one tool I have with me 24/7.
So far it’s going reasonably well. I have a 6.7” iPhone 13 Pro Max which, when held horizontally, presents a nice writing space. I am beginning to use the word prediction element of the software more fluidly, and the dictation element is excellent for short pieces. In fact, it’s not uncommon for me to write a short blog post in several minutes while I am waiting in the car for my wife.
I’ve also used my iPhone/Ulysses combination to add content to chapters in my non-fiction work, and nearly all of my haiku poetry has been written with it as well.
Oddly though, I can’t seem to write fiction easily on my iPhone. Perhaps the reason is technical? For example, the heavy use of quotes in dialog may make the typing more disconnected. Or perhaps it’s cognitive? Writing a scene, for me, feels more like painting a picture, and for that, a bigger canvas, such as I have on my iMac or my iPad, seems to work better.
Regardless, I will continue to work on my iPhone long-form fiction writing skillset. I suspect if I can master it, then it will offer me an easy additional 2000 words a day while it unchains me from my desk—and who doesn’t want to write their next (or in my case, first!) novel outside?