In high school and early college, I used to fill notebook upon notebook with my writing, but it has been a long, long time since I wrote a book longhand. But since I have plans to self-publish in February, I have to get the last little bit of this book done and off to my editor. I can’t type with my cast, so needs must. Longhand it is! It feels both alien and nostalgic.
Only now, instead of notebooks, I’m hoping to save myself a step by writing on my iPad. I found this Notes Plus app that turns my nearly illegible scribbles into text.
It’s not perfect. I’ll have to clean it up before I dump it into Scrivener. But, so far, it’s working better than expected and I’d recommend it for any writer who finds themself in a cast while on deadline.
Next thing to try: dictation. I’ve dabbled with it in the past and haven’t had much success, but, to be fair, I haven’t given it a serious try either. Typing was always easier. I’m hoping my current need for an alternative will prod me to work at it. We’ll see how it goes. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: I discovered yesterday I don’t even need the Notes Plus app. I can scribble directly in Scrivener iOS with the Apple pencil and it converts to text! Even after using it for nearly 10 years, Scrivener is always finding ways to surprise me.
