Agile Tools for Modern Creative Writers
Agile Tools for Modern Creative Writers
Update fixed bugs from ambitious last release, improved stability, and added “Force Exact Time” reminder feature. Other improvements include task lists, new “Home” tab, better editor, and fixes for app crashes and functionality issues.
https://dayoneapp.com/releases/exact-time-reminders-stability-updates/
Bear updates: new Read-Only Mode for focused reading, plus 4 new themes (Shibuya Jazz, Shibuya Lo-fi, Everforest Light, Everforest Dark). Bug fixes and improvements across macOS and iOS. Update now!
https://blog.bear.app/2025/02/bear-2-3-11-update-read-only-mode-new-themes-and-more/
Annual report reveals AI's impact on workplace productivity, highlighting a disconnect between activity and meaningful results. Emergence of AI power users, who save 80% more time, suggests strategies for broader workforce empowerment. Leaders must address AI adoption barriers and foster collaboration between people and AI for enhanced impact. Report provides insights on trends and actionable steps for transformation.
https://www.grammarly.com/business/learn/introducing-the-productivity-shift/
Scrivener aids writing books with multiple timelines, allowing authors to manage complex narratives, like those in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and A Song of Ice and Fire. Key techniques include using separate folders for each timeline, marking files in the Binder for easy navigation, and creating Collections to group timelines. Additional features like custom metadata and visual organization tools enhance writing efficiency, making Scrivener optimal for projects involving intricate timelines.
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/how-to-work-with-multiple-timelines-in-scrivener-projects
Scrivener aids writing books with multiple timelines, common in novels and memoirs like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and A Song of Ice and Fire. It helps manage different timelines using features like separate folders, color-coded labels in the Binder, and Collections for grouping files. It allows for easy navigation, viewing, and rearranging of scenes, making it a versatile tool for complex narratives.
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/how-to-work-with-multiple-timelines-in-scrivener-projects
AI writing can excel with the right guidance. Bad output isn't the tool but how it's used—know your beliefs and style first. Claude, a superior alternative to ChatGPT, can streamline writing when properly set up. Create dedicated projects, upload your writing preferences, and provide clear prompts. Regularly review and refine to improve output quality. Use both Claude and ChatGPT for different tasks to find what fits best. Leverage AI to amplify your writing and impact.
iA Writer for Windows 2.0 now released post-beta, featuring code overhaul, UI redesign for Windows 11, faster startup, full-width preview, smarter snippets, and improved stats/tools. Free update for current users.
https://ia.net/topics/ia-writer-for-windows-2-0-released-into-the-wild
iA sponsors NYC Midnight's 2025 Screenwriting Challenge, offering prizes like iA Writer and iA Notebook. The competition involves three rounds of screenplay writing with feedback and retains participant rights. It's designed to build a writing habit and connect writers. Registration ends February 20, 2025, with the challenge running from February 21 to August 6. Notably, AI use is banned in submissions.
https://ia.net/topics/nyc-midnight-screenwriting-challenge-2025
Grammarly's team addressed performance issues in their browser extension that caused user input lag, especially for power users with large documents. They established metrics to measure input latency and performed lab-based benchmarking to identify bottlenecks. Solving these issues involved redesigning user experience (e.g., delaying checks), optimizing highlight updates, and making suggestion processing asynchronous, resulting in a 91% reduction in input lag. Additionally, user experience improved, leading to a 9% decrease in users disabling the extension. Ongoing efforts focus on further performance improvements, including memory and CPU usage management.
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/engineering/reducing-text-input-lag/
Blogging may seem pointless if no one reads it, but it offers hidden value: clarity of thought, self-reflection, and the act of creation itself. The true audience includes future selves, maybe one right person, and the work itself. Writing is an essential process, akin to street photography, done for personal fulfillment rather than validation. The key takeaway: the work matters, regardless of readership.
