There’s plenty of software out there to help you write a full manuscript, from purpose-built platforms like Scrivener and the Reedsy Editor, to simple word processors like Microsoft Word and Pages. Planning a novel, however, is less focused on typing formatted text and more centered around new ideas and inspiration. Ultimately, your creativity shouldn’t be stifled by the apps you use during a brainstorming session.
As iPads become more popular as writers’ primary computers — especially thanks to the unbeatable Apple Pencil for handwriting digitally, and the recent introduction of this year’s new iPad Pros — here are 3 fantastic iPad apps to help kickstart your next novel.
Freeform
Freeform is a built-in iPad app created by Apple. It gives you an infinite whiteboard-style canvas to help you plan out your ideas however you see fit!
Not only can you type and hand-write ideas, but you can also add virtual sticky notes and import various kinds of media, such as photos, maps, videos, and PDF files. This focus on multimedia content is great for keeping inspiration and ideas easily accessible in one place.
Freeform becomes even more powerful if you also use an iPhone, since you can easily snap a photo using your mobile phone and then add it to your canvas no matter where you are. And if you want to share ideas or work with someone else, each canvas can notably be shared and worked on collaboratively with up to 100 people at once (though I would still recommend limiting your collaborators for clarity’s sake).
For novel planning, you could try using Freeform to develop expansive mind maps for character development, and plot connections to make sure that all the seeds planted throughout your story culminate in a satisfying ending. It may be particularly useful if you, like me, worry about forgetting small threads while writing! You can also make use of the sticky note feature to remind you to revisit ideas or even, for example, add backstory details about an important object.
Overall, Freeform is a reliable, flexible, and fun iPad app for all you writers out there — and if that weren’t already enough, don’t forget that it’s completely free!
Story Planner for writers
Story Planner is an easy-to-use iPad app that’s based on a much more structured system compared to Freeform. If you’re a writer who prefers a clear-cut organizational hierarchy, this app may be the perfect one for you.
You can notably divide ideas into separate sections for projects, chapters, characters, locations, and scenes. This will help keep your information organized and also easily available. You can even add images, research, and notes for characters and locations to help you visualize all your story elements.
Although Story Planner is not as free flowing as an app like Freeform, many writers still prefer the more organized approach it offers when it comes to novel planning. Of course, this approach is not necessarily better or worse than a more “flexible” approach. It depends entirely on your preference as a writer.
You should know that in this app, there aren’t any “blank pages” where you can write whatever you want. Rather, Story Planner is intended to help you note down all your ideas and develop them in a meaningful way. That way, once you’ve fed everything you have into Story Planner, you’re ready to start drafting in your word processor of choice.
At the time of writing, Story Planner is available for a $12.99 one-off price, which is arguably much better for one’s wallet than subscription-based apps. Story Planner is available on iPhones too, which would prove useful for making quick changes if inspiration strikes while you’re out and about (and is similar to Freeform in this way).
MindNode
MindNode is an iPad app that’s perfect for capturing your thoughts and ideas all in one place through a visually organized mind map-style page.
You can move ideas around as your plan changes and tag different parts with distinct colors to help you easily keep track of characters, plot points, scenes, ideas, and everything else needed to plan your book! Tags can even be linked to different sections to visually show whether they’re completed, in progress, or need to be prioritized, so you know exactly how to allocate your time and effort.
Beyond the brainstorming features, you can also add tasks to complete within branched sections. Not only is it incredibly rewarding to see your progress throughout the planning phase, but this should also keep you on track to reach your writing goals.
Overall, MindNode is ideal for the start of the planning process, just when you’re trying to get your different ideas organized and also see how they all link together. You could create main branches for elements like locations, characters, and plot points, then have branching lines detailing each character, their relationships to one another, and the story as a whole.
Keep in mind that MindNode has a monthly subscription charge. At the time of writing, it’s $2.99. Although not everyone is a fan of the subscription pricing model, this is a pretty reasonable price if you find the app valuable during the planning process.
If you use an iPad as your main computer, then hopefully these apps will prove helpful in planning your next novel. While they’ve all got different interfaces and features, they’d all be great at bringing your ideas, inspiration, and various media (like images and PDFs) without the need for you to carry around a filing cabinet’s worth of paper resources.
The best way to decide on your app of choice is to look at their App Store listings, try each one, and then decide which works best for you, perhaps over multiple days, in case there are certain lags or errors which only appear after prolonged use. It might feel annoying to spend the time downloading and testing each app, but it’ll be a worthwhile investment for many years if you manage to find the app that you love.
Good luck, and happy planning!
About Tristan Stocker
Tristan Stocker is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace and blog that helps authors with everything from which writing app to choose to hiring professionals like writing coaches to help plan and write their books. He lives in London and has extensive experience using an iPad for work.
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Love this list! So many handy apps.