Top 11 Story Writing Apps in 2024

Why use the best story-writing apps?

Writing is a continuous process that gets better with time. Moreover, editing is imperative to create the final draft. And the best story-writing apps aid writers in shaping their ideas with minimal influence. There are different apps for various platforms and distinct audiences. The writers can tweak the technical glitches and slags in the projects and deliver the expected outcome. 

With the advent of the recent trends in the industry, a simple editor like Microsoft Word is not enough. Also, writing is not limited to prose and poetry; upcoming genres like scriptwriting are in trend. So, writing apps embellish your writing, devoid of the scarcity of time and resources. 

“To err is human; to edit is divine.”

Top 11 Best Story Writing Apps

1. Scrivener

About the App

Scrivener is one of the best story-writing apps available, owing to its versatility. Moreover, it is a multi-purpose tool for writing nonfiction, novels, and other genres. Hence, it is a go-to app for screenwriters, novelists, fiction writers, translators, journalists, and even lawyers. However, the app does not tell you how to write but provides everything needed for writing.

So, the app is perfect for dealing with writer’s block – one thing every writer deals with at some stage.

Features of the App

• Scrivener has a useful drag-and-drop feature. Therefore, the writers can restructure their draft with a simple drag-and-drop.
• Whereas the customized templates come in handy when in a dilemma. Choose a template according to your genre.
• Besides the usual features, Scrivener also helps to tackle page fright. If you aren’t sure where the text fits with the app, write it first and organize it later.
• Additionally, you can structure your draft by viewing the forests and the trees. 
• In addition, it has numerous other features like full-screen mode and editing tools.

Disadvantages of the app

• Though the app has a lot of benefits, it still doesn’t have an android version.
• Besides, the app doesn’t collaborate well with other apps.

Platform

Desktop app for Mac, Windows, iOS

Price

30 days free trial, $45 for a subscription

Best-suited for

Long-form writers like novelists, fiction writers, journalists

2. ProWritingAid

About the App

ProWritingAid is one of the best story-writing apps available in the market. Though it draws a comparison with Grammarly in many aspects, the dynamics of both apps are different. On the one hand, Grammarly points out grammatical mistakes, commas, and primary language technicalities. While, ProWritingAid emphasizes enhancing the flow of prose, and decreasing the use of passive voice and filler words. Given these points, it is a good alternative to Grammarly.

Features of the App

• Firstly, the app points out the spelling mistakes in red.
• Then, the app also provides real-time suggestions for grammatical errors in blue.
• Also, it suggests eliminating the sticky and crutch words in yellow.
• Besides, the app points out the usage of passive voice in purple. 
• ProWritingAid shows in-app explanations rather than just providing suggestions to the users.
• Further, the app also helps to gauge the plagiarism of the content.
• Besides the above features, the premium membership of the app also includes detailed reports to improve writing. 

Disadvantages of the App

• Despite the many features listed, the app is slow and unreliable with large files.
• The app also demands a good internet connection.

Platform

For both web and desktop (Web, Mac, and Windows)

Price

Free trial version, $70/year subscription

Best-suited for

Long-form Writers

3. Grammarly

About the app

Whether an aspiring writer or an experienced one, you might be acquainted with the power of Grammarly. Indeed, it is the best story writing app in every writer’s life. Hence, Grammarly is a good aid for bloggers and short content. With over 10 million users, it is a popular tool for writers, given its features and usability. Furthermore, Grammarly is a writing assistant with many features like artificial intelligence, basic grammar and spell check, plagiarism check, check for punctuation and language errors, and spotting of redundant words.

Features of the App

• Like any other language writing tool, Grammarly, in the first place, provides grammar and spelling.
• Another key feature of the app is a plagiarism check that points out the plagiarised content in your writing projects.
• Besides the primary language checks with the tool, you can also set a determined tone and style of writing for a fixed audience.
• Moreover, the tool helps to deal with readability issues like word count, character count, reading time, and speaking time.
• Further, the app includes reports on various metrics and information.

Disadvantages of the App

• However, the premium version available at $30 per month is expensive for writers.
• The app chiefly provides support in English. So, providing support to other languages beyond English would improve the app. 

Platform

Windows, Mac, iPhone

Price

Free version with limited features, $144 for a yearly subscription

Best-suited for

Bloggers, content marketers, authors, students, freelance writers,

4. Ulysses

About the app

Ulysses is one of the best story writing apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, similar to Scrivener. Moreover, it is a beautiful app for Mac users that makes the lives of writers easy. Another key feature of the app is its ‘markdown’ approach. Unlike other editors that use a block approach in their editors, Ulysses renders a classy experience to its users with markdown support. Given these points, in Ulysses, you can change the markdown shortcut into whatever you wish.

Features of the App

• Firstly, with the apps, you can organize the keyword labels.
• Like any other language tool, the app includes grammar and spell check.
• In addition, the app has an intuitive sidebar that displays the projects.
• Also, the app shows the progress of the project.
• Further, the app provides a distraction-free environment to its users. The app is also available offline; you can sync with iCloud when connected to the Internet. 
• The app has a lot of customized fonts and themes.
• Besides, the app also has export options for HTML, Docx, and PDF.

Disadvantages of the App

• Though there are numerous benefits, the app is expensive over time.
• Unlike other apps, Ulysses is for Mac users.

Platform 

Mac, iPad, iPhone

Price

$39.99 for an annual subscription

Best-suited for

Blogs, posts, and articles

5. IAWriter

About the app

iA Writer is a minimalistic app created in 2011 in Tokyo, and it focuses on writing rather than extra features. So, the tool is for the not-so-technically sound who prefer to focus on writing. With a minimalist design, it suggests plain writing rather than other formatting features. Like Ulysses, iA Writer uses markdown support and is comparatively easy to use. Also, the app has an upper toolbar that highlights parts of speech like nouns, adverbs, and adjectives.

Features of the App

• The app is minimalistic, as it focuses on writing. However, this feature aids in maintaining a distraction-free environment.
• So, the app has a basic pleasing interface.
• Besides the look and feel, the app has three custom fonts: Nitti, IA Writer Duo, and iA Writer Quattro. 
• Moreover, the black-and-white contrast adds to the splendor.

Disadvantages of the App

• The minimalistic highlight of the app also turns out to be its downside, as it limits editing features.
• Another key issue of the app is its document library. Therefore it is difficult to manage the chapters and articles in long-form writing.

Platform 

Compatible with Apple products, Mac, Windows Android devices

Price

14-day free trial, Available for $29.99 for Windows and Android and $49.99 for the Apple platforms.

Best-suited for

Short articles, blog posts, essays

6. Reedsy Book Editor

About the Book

As we know, Reedsy is a well-known publishing house that makes self-publishing hassle-free. Reedsy also provides an editing tool for authors to make the last changes in their books. So, this saves the time and money required to hire an editor. Reedsy renders a high-quality experience to its users with a stylish interface and vast features. Overall, it is one of the best story-writing apps that helps to create compelling stories.

Features of the Book

• Reedsy is a powerful editing tool. So, it has a rich interface with vast formatting features.
• Further, the editor has advanced typesetting that makes editing a smooth ride.
• Given these points, Reedsy saves time and money for novice authors.
• Moreover, the users can export files to any ebook retailer.
• Another key feature is advanced typesetting which saves a lot of time on formatting.

Price

Free

Best-suited for

Novice authors and  Fiction writers who desire to self-publish their book

7. Hemingway

About the App

Hemmingway is one of the popular tools for writers to forge a masterpiece. It is one of the best story-writing apps. However, the app doesn’t highlight grammar and language errors like Grammarly. Rather it focuses on how to make your writing technically sound and lucid. Moreover, the app shows how to write and ways to improve your work. Furthermore, the app incorporates a readability score based on a few factors.

Features of the App

• The app is easy to use as all the writers have to do is copy and paste their text.
• Another significant feature of the excellent app is that it highlights the weak verbs – adverbs in blue and red color for difficult-to-read sentences.
• Also, the app shows the usage of passive voice in green and purple for complex sentences.
• Writing is an art. And Hemmingway makes the journey smoother by chiseling your skills.

Disadvantages of the App

• The app fails to evaluate the style and tone of the writer’s voice.
• Though the app highlights the use of adverbs, zero tolerance for adverbs might prove to be a drawback as well.
• So, the app is not apt for fiction writers.
• However, the app might turn the writing sound mechanical and boring.

Price

Free-online version and offline version costs $19.99

Platform

Web-based version and desktop version for Windows

Best-suited for

Bloggers and freelance writers

8. yWriter

About the App

yWriter is one of the best story-writing apps in recent times. In the first place, yWriter is perfect for writing novels, as it is simple to use and intuitive, as well. Moreover, the app is structured and helps to divide the book into chapters and sections. Therefore, the app includes a drag-and-drop feature to restructure your book. Also, the app supports Mobi and Epub export. So, the yWriter provides the writers with everything required for the first draft.

Features of the App

• The app is well structured in the first place, is easy to use, and the writers can restructure the chapters later.
• The writers can export parts of the book to RTF, proofread, spell-check them, and import them again.
• Further, the app supports the markdown feature, which saves a lot of time.
• Lastly, the app is affordable, given its numerous features.

Disadvantages of the App

• Besides, a disadvantage of yWriter is that it is not suitable for large projects.
• Another disadvantage is that yWriter only works on Mac.
• Also, the app doesn’t include pre-designed templates. 

Price

Free of cost

Platform

Mac

Best-suited for

Long-form writing, such as novels

9. Plotter

About the App

Plotter is one of the best story-writing apps chiefly used for planning plots in novels. However, the app is for nonfiction writers rather than non-fiction writing. It emphasizes outlining plots and characters. The app is highly customizable with pre-designed templates for plotting. 

Features of the App

• The significant feature of the app is that it helps to outline the plots for novels.
• Another key feature of the app is customized templates for all genres of writing, viz., adventure, romance, mystery, screenplay, etc. 
• Also, the app helps to build different characters in the plot with their traits and idiosyncrasy.
• Further, the writers can also adjust the timeline vertically and horizontally.
• The app also has filters and tags to find out characters or plots.

Disadvantages of the App

• However, the app doesn’t have a story-writing section. So, after plotting the characters, you need to export the plot to other editors like Scrivener, Word,  or Google Docs.
• Besides, the pricing structure is a bit confusing. The term ‘a year of updates’ does not define whether it means a yearly subscription or a one-time payment.

Price

$25 for a yearly subscription           

Platform

Mobile app and Desktop version for Windows, Mac 

Best-suited for

Novel writers

10. The Novel Factory

About the App

The Novel Factory is one of the best story-writing apps that helps to write novels. So, the app comes loaded with many plot templates, character builders, and writing guides. Also, it helps to detail scenes, plots, and the location of the stories.

Features of the App

• Firstly, the app is perfect for building a complete story.
• Moreover, the app incorporates customized templates for story-writing.
• Further, it also provides detailed statistics and the word count.
• The app supports a drag-and-drop feature to plan and edit the story.

Disadvantages of the App

• However, there is no mobile version of the app.
• Also, the writers can use the app for only writing fiction.

Price

Free-trial version, $6.25 / month

Platform

Web-based app and desktop version for Windows.

Best-suited for

Writing novels

11. Final Draft

About the App

Final Draft is one of the best story-writing apps for screenwriters. The app helps to create great screenplays. However, the rules of writing a script are different from novel writing. Further, it includes all the features required for a screenwriting app, such as line-byline formatting, content analysis, and execution of elements like dialogue, fade-ins and outs, and character names. 

Also, it is a real-time application, so the team of editors can work on the screenplay together. Further, the screenplay can be exported and shared outside the help.

Features of the App

• The app has all the elements of screenwriting in the first place, hence is perfect for screenwriters.
• It is a real-time application. Therefore, a team of editors can collaborate on the project.
• Another significant feature of the app is the beat board – which aids in planning and organizing ideas, plots, characters, locations, and even character arcs.
• Finally, the writers can transfer the beat boards to the outline editor and detail each beat.

Disadvantages of the App

• However, it is a bit expensive for new screenwriters stepping into the industry.

Platform

Windows, Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Price

Free 30-day trial, $249.99 license fee

Best-suited for

Screenwriters

Overview of Henry Harvin’s Creative Writing Course

About the Creative Writing Course

Writing is an art. While writing entails an ardent passion for the art, it is crucial to be adept with the principles and technicalities of writing. Henry Harvin’s Creative Writing Course ranks #1 by the Statesman in India. Moreover, the course incorporates literary elements and techniques, the literary devices in poetry, and hacks to overcome writer’s block. The course is an extensive course that explores all the types of creative writing, such as poetry, prose, fiction writing, script writing, and resume writing.

Features of the Course

• The creative writing course involves 24 hours of intensive live sessions.
• Moreover, the course acquaints the students with techniques and principles required for writing short stories, long-form writing, novels, poetries, and other genres of writing.
• Also, the experts have framed the course with GCAO pedagogy that provides 100% practical exposure to the students.
• Besides the curriculum, the institute offers one year of access to its E-learning portal with a gold membership.
• The gold membership includes live projects, internships, recorded videos of the sessions, interview skills, and placement services.
• Furthermore, on completion of the course, the participants earn the prestigious Certified Creative Writing Specialist (CCWS) Certification recognized by the Govt. of India, the Content Writing Association of India, and other esteemed international institutes.
• Moreover, the institute provides 24×7 support for addressing the grievances of its members.

Course Curriculum

• Introduction to Creative Writing
• Literary Elements and Techniques
• Story Writing
• Fiction Writing
• Script Writing
• Poetry Writing
• Resume Writing

Fees for the Course

The complete creative writing course costs Rs. 12,500.

Conclusion

In brief, story writing is an extensive process that demands time and effort. And, a story-writing app bridges the snags and glitches in your writing to forge a compelling story. Every story-writing app is unique and fabricated for a purpose. Also, you can use a combination of the best story-writing apps to create a masterpiece. To conclude, choose the perfect app taking into consideration your requirements and calibe,r and ace your writing journey.

Recommended Reads

• The Best-Note-Taking Apps for Writers
• Top 12 English-Speaking Apps
• A Guide to Effective Content Writing

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