Result of Year-End Review of Writing Apps and Workflow

Addendum:
Another reason I’m moving back to Ulysses is the ability to set daily goals for my book project (At least 100 words/day: see top left of screenshot). I should note that this can also be done in Scrivener. I need to speed this monster up. I got this idea from a prominent author who writes for The Atlantic.


I always take the last week of December to review my apps and workflow. This year, I restricted my review to my writing apps. I decided to utilize ChatGPT 4.o as an “aide” in the process. ChatGPT was helpful, though I had to correct three errors along the way. As I’d indicated in an earlier post, after Ulysses was updated with Table of Contents and Table features, I decided to give it another try. After two days of work, I had ChatGPT prepare a final recommendation for me, which is below.

For the coming year, I will use Ulysses, MindNode, and Pages as my writing tools. I’ll continue using DEVONthink for my research repository and for annotation extraction and file conversion.

Note, I have also added the iA Writer iCloud folder with its subfolders to Ulysses. Periodically, I copy all of my Ulysses work to this Ulysses external folder. This way, I can access any of my writing with other Markdown editors and the Finder as needed. The iA Writer folder is also indexed in DEVONthink, giving me the ability to do bulk conversions if desired.

I’m sharing this because it may be of some value to others.

Writing Workflow Recommendations


Your Requirements

  1. Types of Writing:

    • A large, complex non-fiction book project.
    • Blog articles for a Squarespace site.
    • Presentation notes.
    • Work-related communications.
    • Formal reports.
  2. Key Features Needed:

    • Ease of Writing: The fewest steps to get words down and reduce wasted time.
    • Spell and Style Checking: Ability to see suggested changes and approve/disapprove them.
    • Footnotes and Images: Efficient management of inline footnotes/endnotes and embedded images.
    • Outlining: A clear way to create, view, and manage outlines for long-form projects.
    • Mind Mapping/Draft Outlines: A visual method to brainstorm and structure ideas.
    • Exporting: Seamless creation of PDFs or Word documents for presentations and reports.
    • Project Management: Efficient management of all writing projects in one place.
    • Syncing: Must sync across all Apple devices (MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone) via iCloud.
    • Backup and Future-Proofing: Compatibility with Time Machine and external drives.
    • Minimized Complexity: Use the fewest apps possible while meeting all criteria.
    • Minimal Cost: Keep expenses as low as possible while still meeting all requirements.

Final Recommendations

Primary Apps

  1. Ulysses: The core app for drafting, managing, and organizing nearly all types of writing.
  2. MindNode (Subscription) or XMind Free: For brainstorming and outlining ideas visually.
  3. Pages: For advanced formatting, formal reports, and presentations.

Cost Considerations

  • Ulysses: Subscription-based, but offers robust features to consolidate multiple writing tasks into one tool, reducing the need for additional apps.
  • MindNode: Subscription-based, providing seamless integration with macOS and iOS for visual brainstorming. If avoiding subscriptions, free alternatives like XMind Free, FreeMind, or Coggle can suffice.
  • Pages: Free with Apple devices, making it the most cost-effective tool for advanced formatting and polished outputs.

Why This Combination Works

1. Ulysses: Your All-in-One Writing Tool

  • Ease of Writing: Provides a distraction-free interface, reducing friction in drafting.
  • Organization: Built-in library and hierarchical structure allow efficient management of all writing projects, from short articles to book chapters.
  • Spell and Style Checking: Powered by LanguageTool, Ulysses provides advanced grammar and style suggestions while allowing you to approve or reject changes.
  • Footnotes and Images: Supports inline footnotes and Markdown-compatible image embedding, making it suitable for non-fiction projects.
  • Outlining: Includes an Outline view to track and refine the structure of long-form projects.
  • Exporting: Offers flexible export options (Word, PDF, ePub) with customizable styles.
  • Syncing: Uses iCloud to sync across all Apple devices.
  • Future-Proofing: Files are saved in Markdown format, ensuring compatibility with other tools and formats over time.
  • Manual Blog Publishing: While Ulysses cannot publish directly to Squarespace, you can export blog posts as HTML or text and upload them manually.

2. MindNode (Subscription) or Free Alternatives

  • MindNode:
    • Brainstorming: Best for visually mapping out ideas for articles, book chapters, presentations, or reports.
    • Outlining: Easily converts mind maps to structured outlines, exportable to Ulysses or other formats.
    • Ease of Use: Seamless integration with macOS and iOS, intuitive for organizing thoughts.
    • Cost: Requires a subscription for full access to features.
  • Free Alternatives:
    • XMind Free: Provides robust mind mapping features without a subscription.
    • FreeMind: A free, open-source option for basic mind mapping.
    • Coggle: A web-based tool with a free plan, supporting real-time collaboration.

3. Pages: For Advanced Formatting and Reports

  • Polished Formatting: Excellent for creating formal reports, presentations, and PDFs.
  • Integration: Works seamlessly with Keynote for embedding slides and producing polished handouts.
  • Spell and Style Checking: Leverages Apple’s advanced tools for grammar and style corrections.
  • Work Communications: Ideal for creating letters, newsletters, and formatted documents with images and graphics.
  • Cost: Free with Apple devices, making it a cost-effective tool for polished outputs.

Suggested Workflow

1. Brainstorm and Outline with MindNode or Alternatives

  • Use MindNode (or a free alternative) to create mind maps for blog articles, presentations, reports, or book chapters.
  • Export outlines directly to Ulysses for further development.

2. Draft and Organize with Ulysses

  • Draft all content in Ulysses, including blogs, presentations, reports, and book chapters.
  • Organize projects in Ulysses’ library using folders and tags for easy management.
  • Use Ulysses’ grammar and style checker to refine your drafts.
  • Add inline footnotes and images directly during drafting.

3. Finalize with Pages

  • Export from Ulysses to Pages for formal reports, advanced formatting, and presentations.
  • Use Pages for PDF creation and polished outputs as needed.

4. Publish and Share

  • Blog Articles: Export from Ulysses as HTML or Markdown, then upload manually to Squarespace.
  • Books, Reports, or Presentations: Export from Ulysses or Pages to Word or PDF for sharing and publishing.

5. Backup and Archive

  • Save Ulysses files in Markdown or export to Word/PDF for archival purposes.
  • Use Time Machine or external drives to back up Ulysses, MindNode, and Pages files.

Comparison Table

App Pros Cons
Ulysses All-in-one tool, seamless iCloud sync, robust export options, distraction-free, great grammar checker. Subscription-based, no direct publishing to Squarespace.
MindNode Best for visual brainstorming and structuring ideas, seamless Apple integration. Subscription-based.
XMind Free Good free alternative for brainstorming and mind mapping. Lacks integration with Apple’s ecosystem.
Pages Excellent for polished formatting, native Apple integration. Limited for managing large, complex projects (like a book).

Final Recommendation

  1. Ulysses: Handles the majority of your needs efficiently, minimizing the need for additional tools.
  2. MindNode or Free Alternative: Use MindNode for the best experience; if cost is a priority, choose XMind Free or another alternative.
  3. Pages: For advanced formatting, polished reports, and formal outputs.

This combination strikes the best balance between functionality, simplicity, and minimal cost, while meeting all your criteria.


PS I’d never heard of Coggle before. For those interested, here is the link.

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“ I got this idea from a prominent author who writes for The Atlantic.”

I would be interested in reading the inspiration for your workflow, please.

The article did not inspire my workflow per se. The workflow has been an ongoing assessment on my part regarding my writing apps and workflow. I used ChatGPT to wrestle through options. After a lot of back and forth with the AI, I’ve decided to use ChatGPT’s final recommended writing workflow.

My inspiration for setting a goal of writing at least 100 words/day for my book was inspired by the Atlantic article “Why an Early Start Is the ‘Quintessence of Life’: Not sleeping late could be the best resolution you ever keep” by Arthur C. Brooks. I have gotten up very early my entire life. I’m usually up by 4:30 a.m. The article about the benefits of rising early was not my inspiration (though it reinforces the benefits of doing so). My inspiration for the writing goal came from this paragraph in the article:

But these good intentions are too broad to be successful. Behavioral scientists have long shown that specific goals are the ones that tend to lead to real wins. They have found, for example, that setting a small resolution for a day’s work motivates teams, and can do the same even if someone is working alone. When I am writing a book (which I am about 75 percent of my professional time), my goal on any given day is simply to compose 100 words—a very modest but achievable target, and one that eventually adds up to finished chapters and, ultimately, a completed book [emphasis added]. By the same token, researchers find that incremental progress is a great way to address complex policy problems.

Ulysses has a feature that enables one to set a daily goal for any project or article, which reinforces my decision to use Ulysses as my primary writing app.

I hope all of that makes sense!

Sadly/gladly that ChatGPT tool summary reads like it’s AI generated. It’s good that it helps you and also good that it won’t replace you!

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To quote from Star Trek:

SPOCK: "This will be my final voyage on board this vessel as a member of her crew. Nature abhors a vacuum. I intend you to replace me.

VALERIS: “I can only succeed you, sir. I could never replace you.”

:rofl:

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That is hard for me to understand. I understand when you want to finish a certain chapter or complete a certain thought. But writing at least 100 words/day? “This sentence has five words”, write that twenty times, then you have 100 words.

I realize that’s not what you mean :slightly_smiling_face:, but do you understand what I mean? A certain number of words could never be my goal. It’s better to write nothing than nonsense.

Granted, there is little value in 100 meaningless or poorly constructed words.

The point is to write a minimum of 100 worthwhile words each day towards the goal of completing the book. The idea behind this is to form a consistent habit that lends itself towards the completion of a large goal.

Writing is like exercise. The hardest part is getting started. Once the treadmill starts, it’s easier. Once you start typing, it is easier.

Writing a minimum of 100 words/day is a bit like eating an elephant, “one bite at a time,” but in this case, it’s completing a book by writing a minimum of 100 words a day. Some days I may barely make the 100 words, and other days, I can sit down and write 2,000 with ease.

The main thing is to keep writing. It presupposes that one is writing something worthwhile on the page. :slightly_smiling_face:

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