7 Best Writing Apps and Software for Android

Hello everyone! I'm so happy to see that you've stayed on my blog long enough to read this post! :)

Here I've put together a list of apps and programs to assist you with writing. (I'm not sure if any of these apps are available for iOS, by the way, so you Apple users might need to look elsewhere.)

I've searched the Google Play Store and probably tried out every writing app above 3 stars that there ever was. The problem is, my Android phone's system is a 4.2 or so, which isn't very high. (It's an S3.) Some of the best writing apps are for 5.0, but I'm not planning on buying another phone until next year, so I have to make do with what I've got for now. For all of you Android 4.0 users, don't fret: there's a writing app for you!

Many times I've been in one of those moods where I just want to type something, but I want a nice clean interface or a certain color scheme--and a word processor just isn't cutting it. Other times I want a tidy template to help me organize all of my characters and other loose ends. Writing apps help drastically with these things along with many more, so if you're looking for the best writing apps, be sure to check out this list.

Scrivener

Novelist

Character Story Planner 2

Wavemaker

WriteOwl Story Planner

RPG Backpack

The Most Dangerous Writing App

1. Scrivener

Scrivener is by far the very best writing software you can get. I'm pretty sure it's available on the Appstore, and you can also get it on Windows and Mac from the website literatureandlatte.com. I downloaded the free 30 day trial for my Windows 7 laptop, and the best part? It only counts each day if you open the program! I've had my trial for well over 2 months but haven't used it every day, so I still have a little over a week left. This is actually an exception to the list: Apple users can get it while Android users can't. However, you can get it for Windows and Mac, like I said.

A license costs $45 for Windows and $40 for Mac, which actually isn't too bad of a price for such an incredible program. Anything that you want to do with your writing, you can do with Scrivener.

There's a very wide variety of fonts you can choose from, about as many (if not more) that you find on your typical word processor. You can change the background color or image and enter full-screen mode when you want to write free of distractions. You can add as many folders, sections, scenes, and chapters as you want in one project. There's a place where you can create your own templates for characters, places, etc., as well.

It also comes with a built-in thesaurus, dictionary, spell-checker, and name generator! You can even set word count targets for the entire document, or just for the current session.

One of the cool things about Scrivener is the corkboard. It's basically an area where you can arrange all of these little index cards that have little bits of information on them, like the names of your scenes, characters, places, and whatever else you need to make a note about.

You also have the option to add labels, keywords, and metadata to each page.

Since there sure is a lot to it, did I mention that Scrivener comes with a very long and detailed tutorial? That's right. It's totally amazing (and it doesn't require Internet).

Pros:

There are tons of features on Scrivener.

You can make all kinds of folders to store your information.

The trial is free and only counts each day if you open the program.

You can create your own templates.

It comes with a built-in dictionary, thesaurus, and name generator.

It includes a detailed tutorial.

The license will never expire.

Cons:

It costs between $40-45 to purchase a license ($20 for Scrivener on the Appstore).

It's a bit difficult to use.

2. Novelist

Novelist is an incredible app for planning and writing your next novel; it has everything you need, and it's free. If you can't get Scrivener, this app will work pretty well for you.

You can create separate categories for your characters, places, ideas, and such. From there you can add as many items to each category as you wish, and you can give them labels like "Draft", "To-Do", "Revised", etc.

When you're ready to write, you can add each scene and give them labels linked to certain characters and places. Cool, right? There's a word count for each scene, too. You'll also be able to organize your scenes into chapters and see a combined word count for each chapter.

One of my favorite things about the app is how you can set a goal: how many words you want to reach by a certain date. Then once you save that, you can see how many days are remaining for you to reach that goal. It really gets you motivated!

The interface is nice and clean--blue and white--and there's also an option for night mode.

Pros:

It's free!

You can easily organize your scenes.

You can easily organize characters and places.

You can set goals with a word count you want to reach by a specific date, and you can see how many days are remaining for you to finish that goal.

You can add labels that link a scene to specific characters and places.

Cons:

You don't have the option to share a project, chapter, or scene via email.

You can't change the font or font color.

This app is mainly for writing your novel (hence the name!), so there isn't too much room to plot it.

3. Character Story Planner 2

The name is weird, and it isn't exactly the top writing app or anything, but this app is incredible. It's mainly for planning a novel, not really for the writing part. If you used this app with Novelist, which is pretty much made for the writing process, I think you'd get a lot more writing done. :)

The coolest feature of this app, in my opinion, is that it lets you create your own templates for creating characters, creatures, places, items, and much more. That's right! You can have up to 80 questions on one template (sort of like a character questionnaire). If you don't want to fool with creating your own templates, you can use the basic ones (which are already amazingly detailed), or you can download one from the community. You can even upload templates that you create to the community.

There are built-in templates for all sorts of things, so this app is incredible for world-building, even if you aren't a writer. I spent a few hours one day just creating a fantasy world from some custom templates I made, simply because it was so easy with this app!

Another cool feature on the app is that there's a built-in timeline. Basically whenever you record a character's birth, or jot down the date when your king's reign began, or record the date when the first Imaginosauruses appeared in your world, it'll appear on the timeline. Cool, right?




Pros:

It's free!

You can create, upload, and download custom templates.

There are tons of worldbuilding features on this app.

There's a built-in timeline for all the important dates in your story.




Cons:

There are very limited features for actually writing the story.

You can't download templates to your phone's storage, so sharing them outside of the app is very difficult.




4. Wavemaker Writing Software

The reviews aren't perfect on this app, but I think it's very powerful for planning a novel. Wavemaker makes it easy to just start writing; there's a balanced combination of planning features and features that help you start writing that novel. There are also features like metadata and research that make the writing process so much easier. 

This app helps you get started on writing, but it still lets you see all of your ideas and side notes while doing so.

Another thing I like about the app is the challenges it offers. You can set a word count and a time limit, then try to reach that word count before your time runs out. You would think that the pressure would stress you out, but it actually really helps with writer's block!

Wavemaker is a lot like Scrivener, except it saves all of your data to your local browser--which saves your phone a lot of storage. The only problem with this is that you need Internet to access the app and use most of the features.




Pros:

It's free!

There are plenty of features similar to Scrivener.

You can add metadata to your scenes and chapters, which makes it easy to view all of your ideas while writing.

Wavemaker offers challenges you can start when you're stuck.




Cons:

You need Internet to use the app.

It's a little difficult to use.

5. WriteOwl Story Planner

This was the first writing app I ever downloaded. I installed it on my Kindle Fire, paired it with a Bluetooth keyboard, and was typing away in no time. This app is a bit basic, but it's still pretty decent for getting your story written.The built-in templates are a little vague; however, they're all right for fleshing your characters out. There are templates for characters, locations, items, notes, and scenes (I like the scene templates best), and they work well if you want something basic and to-the-point. 

You can create chapters and then create individual scenes for each chapter (by allowing you to break your chapters down, it makes the writing process a lot easier). The coolest feature on this app is how, once you finish writing your manuscript on WriteOwl, you can compile the entire manuscript with a touch of one button. Convenient, right? It gets better: the app compiles your writing into a readable file and saves it to your phone's storage, where it's easy to find.




Pros:

It's free!

WriteOwl includes built-in templates, which is good for quickly creating characters.

You can compile all scenes and chapters into a readable file with the touch of one button.

Even if you don't compile the manuscript, you can find each project in your local storage, which makes it easy to share files outside of the app.




Cons:
The templates are simple and a little vague.

WriteOwl doesn't include some of the features like metadata that other writing apps do.




6. RPG Backpack

This app is more for D&D, but it can also be used for creating characters. RPG Backpack is a tiny app that lets you create characters and equip them with weapons, armor, etc. It's that simple.

The reason I like using it for my characters is because it helps me visualize the weapons and other possessions that they carry with them. I guess it kind of gives my characters a little more color. There's a wide selection of weapons and such, but if you can't find the one you're looking for, you can add your own item with a custom image!

It's a pretty nifty little app, and it barely takes up any space on your phone. ;)




Pros:

It's free!

RPG Backpack helps give your characters a little more color.

If the weapon or accessory you're looking for isn't there, you can add it yourself.

The app is very small.




Cons:

Um. . . I really can't think of any!




7. The Most Dangerous Writing App

Ah, yes. This app infuriates me, but since it's so good at killing writer's block, I figured that I'd add it to the list. The Most Dangerous Writing App (MDWA for short, since it's such a mouthful) is very simple: it lets you set a goal--say, 100 words in 2 minutes--and then you start writing. 

"Um, that's it? So why is it so dangerous?"

No, of course not; there's a catch. If you stop writing for 5 seconds or more, it erases EVERYTHING. As you can imagine, it's very irritating when that happens, so I do not recommend writing a chapter for your novel or something on this app. :P 

However, if you reach your goal, it creates a checkpoint and saves what you wrote.You would think that MDWA would totally hender your progress and give you writer's block, but it actually helps with it!




Pros:

MDWA helps with writer's block (and might even teach you some patience!).

The app encourages you to write quickly without focusing too much on the words.




Cons:

It can be extremely frustrating, believe me!!

That's all I've got so far. :) If you have any suggestions or recommendations, I'd love to hear them! I'll try to make a few more posts this week if life isn't too hectic, so definitely keep an eye out for those. Until then, peace out.