There was a time when you set off to the cabin, typewriter in tow, nothing but conquering writer’s block on your mind.
Or at least, that’s how I envisioned the “good ‘ol days” of writing.
Today there are no typewriters, nor the time to venture off to the writer’s oasis in the mountains, in hopes to put a dent in that novel. No, if you’re a young parent like I am, you’d be lucky to score a solid twenty minutes worth of keyboard crushing.
Us millennials are eager to tease gen x’ers for their lack of content marketing efforts, and the fact that they still handwrite checks to pay for things. I sympathize, however. If we don’t have time to kill in our comfy gourmet coffee shops, how would a busy business owner carve out the time to sit down at the desk, and dust off that laptop week after week?
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Mobile blogging, and writing tools for a busy blogger on the move
I’ll admit, I’m new to writing blog posts on mobile.
See, I’ve always found writing, at least for my style, easier during off peak hours. Early in the morning, or later at night. On a Sunday night watching the latest HBO drama, or on a quiet Saturday afternoon. Especially after a jog.
Not on a 5.7” screen, sitting on a couch or in the doctor’s office.
I’ve also tried a TON of desktop apps before. From Evernote to Desk, and everything in between. Because I publish on WordPress, it’s not always a cake walk to send that app generated content over. Which, by the way, I find hilarious in the year 2016.
I roam a lot, as I’m sure you might do as well. Often, I’ll settle on Google docs as my medium, because I can access the content at any device, including my phone. Why not just draft it in WordPress? I don’t want to be distracted. Often, I’ll catch myself updating plugins, tweaking some pages or wandering around the visitors traffic screen. Everything but writing. I must write.
Mobile writing can open up new opportunity for me, it’s almost like stealing time back. I could stop and wait for that perfect cup of coffee to brew, or find my favorite seat at the co-working space, but my newborn son won’t allow that.
So when I score 15 or so minutes on couch, put him down for a nap, but need to be in arms length, with no laptop in sight — there’s my phone.
Writing on mobile makes you more effective
I’m only just testing this hypothesis, and it’s working. Here’s why:
I’m not gonna write an essay, but damn it would be cool if I could bang out a solid 800 – 1000 words right now.
I don’t really want to be writing and editing for a long time on this device, so quit the day dreaming and start writing.
A new kind of freedom.
And that’s just from a short test drive. I’m sure there’s some of you that have been drafting, editing and publishing on mobile for a while now. I’d love to get your thoughts below.
Note: Everything before this line, was drafted on my phone. Started at home, then at the dentist office.
Apps for the mobile blogger
Simplenote – Cross platform note taking/writing app
Simplenote, as the name implies, is a simple note taking app for your mobile device and desktop. Notes seamlessly sync across the Simplenote app without much trouble. There’s no serious formatting options for your content, but it works for someone seeking minimalism.
I don’t use the app for drafting posts, but maybe you want to? It will also help you manage your comments, and other WP maintenance you need to deal with.
I used Jotterpad to write the first-half of this post. It was the first time I ever tried it, and it worked great. Clean, no fuss, and stayed out of the way.
I’ve mentioned this before, but Wunderlist is the lifeline of everything I have going on. From personal to professional life it captures everything for, including potential blog topics. You could use it as a way to capture and archive research you’re doing for those longform articles as well. I never leave home without it.
Google Drive – File management
This one is a no-brainer, and chances are if you’ve found this website, you’ve interacted with Google Drive at one time or another. As I mentioned, I use Google Drive with my editor to share and collaborate on upcoming posts. Works like a charm, especially the in-line commenting.
Trello’s Kanban style approach to organizing lists with cards makes it the most versatile web app for brainstorming your most intricate blogging ideas. Share files, comments, and workflows with ease.
Buffer – Scheduled social media updates
I use buffer to schedule and promote blog posts while I’m on the move. I find it to be really effective, especially if you run multiple accounts across many networks.
What mobile apps do you use for your blogging efforts? Let us know in the comments.
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