In the latest in our regular series on the best apps and websites to inspire you at work (scroll to the bottom of the page for technology-based inspiration for increased creativity, more confidence, mindful meditation and sparkling presentations), we look at digital tools that can give your written communications the edge.
MindNode: Delightful Mind Mapping by IdeasOnCanvas GmbH (on iPhone, iPad and Mac)
Best for: Making sense of your ideas before you put pen to paper
The blank page can be a very scary prospect when you’re looking to fill it with a big or complex idea. Before you open that Word document and rise to the challenge of the blinking cursor, ensure that you’ve thoroughly explored what it is you want to communicate. This smartphone/tablet/Apple Mac download, featured under the best of the app store, makes that particular task an absolute pleasure. By starting with your core thought and then adding in new details as they occur to you, you’ll not only be rationalising your thoughts (thereby making them simpler to share with others), you’ll also be creating beautiful mind maps which you can extract for your presentations and documents. After all, sometimes a picture speaks a thousand words.
WordBook by Tran Creative (on iPhone, Android and tablets)
Best for: Improving your vocabulary and learning new words
Described by one user as “the best dictionary app available hands down”, this comprehensive app is a must for wordsmiths, etymology geeks or anyone who really wants to get into the nitty gritty of the English language. Alongside basic features like a spellcheck and thesaurus, you’ll find useful examples of words used in context, a professional pronunciation guide to every word in the dictionary and a ‘word of the day’ alert to help you grow your vocabulary.
Dragon Dictation by Nuance (on iPhone)
Best for: Recording what you want to communicate when you’re on the go
Sometimes the best words for communicating a thought or idea come to you when you’re away from your desk. If you’re on the go, or you are a better talker than you are a writer, this hands-free app helps you dictate your emails, documents and even Facebook posts and Tweets and sends them for you while you’re driving or taking a walk in the park. This piece of kit could also work well for anyone whose written communications veer towards the overly formal, helping you write emails that sound more like your authentic self.
iA Writer Pro by iA Labs (on iPhone and iPad)
Best for: Anyone serious about improving their writing or looking for feedback on their words
This comprehensive app has more features than most non-professional writers could ever need, but the one that stands out above all others, useful to anyone looking to improve their wordsmithery, is the Sentence Syntax Control. Think of it as the editor looking over your shoulder, pointing out where you’re confusing adjectives with adverbs, repeating words too often, or using incorrect prepositions and conjunctions. It’s a good way to identify any linguistic weaknesses you need to work on.
Write Or Die by Dr Wicked (on desktop, iPhone or iPad)
Best for: Anyone facing a blank page and a looming deadline
Be it the result of procrastination or good old-fashioned writer’s block, this app is a dream (or nightmare, depending on how you look at it) for anyone who just needs to get words down quickly. It forces you to avoid editing as you go or faffing over your syntax by, wait for it, deleting what you’ve written if you haven’t added a certain number of new words within a set amount of time. The British author David Nicholls (One Day) used the software in the run up to a meeting with the publisher of his 2015 novel Us, as do many a participant in National Novel Writing Month, where the goal is to complete 50,000 words of fiction during November. You’re allowed a (short) grace period and one “pause” button press per session, but if your fingers hover over those keys too long, your precious words will slowly but surely vanish, one by one, until there’s nothing left. Terrifying and effective in equal measures.
