Creativity can sometimes be hard to come by: a loss for words, vanishing ideas, or even diminishing plots. Add that to the pressures of writing: planning plot points, character definitions and motivations, or describing locations can really take a toll on your inspiration. However, technology can help writers rise from these challenges, thanks to smartphones, tablets, and applications. With these gadgets utilizing high-speed mobile connections, creativity now has no boundaries.

Kobo Books (Kobo Inc.)

Reading is an important skill a writer needs to learn, and to be a good writer, you have to learn how to read first. With almost 3.2 million e-books available in the market today, Kobo Books helps you get your favorite titles while you’re on the go. These titles include best-sellers, classics, award-winners, and new releases which syncs right to the application. Kobo allows you to customize your reading experience by letting you pick up right where you left off. Sync bookmarks, highlights, notes, and read books from other devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note II from O2. Through the Kobo Community, you can discuss about the books you read and share your ideas with them. It’s the best place to get inspiration, fresh ideas, and meet other writers like you.

BookAuthor (AgileBoard.com)

Write your book, convert it to different formats: HTML, PDF, MOBI, EPUB, upload it on iBooks or Amazon (Kindle, and share it with your friends. Basically, BookAuthor is a good app to jumpstart your creative juices. Customize the fonts, colors, and add images to your book as you please. When writing, it also gives you the option to write your book in Landscape or Portrait mode. BookAuthor also allows you to share your book via Twitter or Facebook. This gives non-iPhone or iPad users to read your book in any browser or device. With AgileBoard’s Bookstore, publish your book for free and let everyone read your latest masterpiece.

WriteRoom (Hog Bay Software)

Writers are basically creatures of habit and we need a quiet place think, organize, and pour our thoughts on paper. With writing applications like WriteRoom, it gives you a distraction-free writing environment. It’s plain, simple, and intuitive which helps you focus on what you’re writing. No fancy sidebar menus or other icons—it’s very clean and minimalistic. Combined with Dropbox, you can now easily sync your files and store them in the cloud. Clear your mind, focus on the words, and let your ideas intertwine without the distractions.

Writer's Muse (2009 Positive Alliance, LLC)

When we hit “The Wall”, we tend to hit it hard, and calling out to the “Muses of Creativity” might just do the trick. Well, Writer’s Muse can definitely help you come up with another good idea. It features a predesigned Plot, Resolution, and Character details for you to use. Spin each category and find the best matches possible. Now, if you have your own ideas, you can edit and personalize each category to fill your creative needs. Let the Muses lend a helping hand and smash “The Wall” with the Writer’s Muse app.

Chambers Dictionary (WordWeb Software)

Words can be hard to come by at times and it can make or break your story. Thanks to reference bphrases, words, and even derived forms. Combine it with the Chambooks like Chambers Dictionary, it helps you find those elusive words. Some of its features include filtering search results by adjective, adverbs, verbs, and nouns, alphabetical listings, spelling suggestions, and customized search options like case, derived forms, etc. Chambers has a rich stock of over 260,000 unique compounds, Thesaurus app; you will always have the right words at the right time.

Learning new things about is the best way to improve our writing skills. As we improve our craft, we start to cut down distractions and eventually beat procrastination. Take advantage of the latest devices and applications to sharpen your skills. Connect, make friends, and be inspired by the world—let creativity come to you.

All images posted with this article are used under the Share-alike Creative Commons

About the Author:

Charlie Schofield is a tech blogger and educator from London. After backpacking across Southeast Asia, he works for ed-tech organizations which support education campaigns from tech companies such as Microsoft and Verizon. He writes for Techie Doodlers, an upstart blog with his geeky friends. He is an expert yo-yo performer and Python coder.

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Five Apps for the Creative Writer