The 10 Best iPhone Apps for Writers

Buying an iPhone is not quite the investment it used to be, and applications are getting better and more useful all the time. The sexiest thing about the iPhone is that it is so customizable, with thousands upon thousands of available apps. But who wants to take the time to sort through the thousands of apps, when (let's face it) some of them turn out to be crap? Listed below are ten of the best iPhone apps for writers, based on published reviews and my own personal usage.

IdeaGenerator: Developed by The Directors Bureau Special Projects, IdeaGenerator is basically a slot machine for ideas. At a mere 99 cents why wouldn't you add this fun and productive app to your phone? By stroking or shaking the screen, three random words appear, taken from lengthy word lists. These random words are designed to spark creative connections in your brain thereby leading to story ideas.

WordTwiddle: Designed by Double Dog Studios, Word Twiddle is another three-slot word generator but the words in this app are more customizable. By choosing your own word lists (Emotions, Lyrics, Puke, Greek Characters, Advertising, Perceptions, to name just a fraction of them), WordTwiddle helps create brain connections that help with all aspects of creative life including blogging, marketing, plot formation for storytelling, problem solving, children's games, etc. At 99 cents, this app is a steal.

iBlueSky: Anyone familiar with mind-mapping will appreciate this application. Developed by Tenero Software Limited, iBlueSky is a rather pricey app at $9.99 but those serious enough to make the most of it won't mind the price. Not only useful for storytelling, iBlueSky is a necessity in task breakdown, screenwriting, problem solving among many other creative tasks.

WritePad: This free application by Stan Miasnikov makes full use of the touch screen on the iPhone. Now, you can take notes and write emails just by writing with your finger on the screen. WritePad contains a handwriting recognition engine that will recognize all sorts of handwriting styles including printed, cursive and a mix between the two. If you're unable to make use of the audio recorder to make notes due to the environment (meeting, library, or you simply don't wish to verbalize your thoughts), WritePad is the perfect alternative. And fun, too!

EverNote: This application designed by Evernote is marketed as "turning your iPhone into an extension of your brain." For a writer, inspiration may strike at any moment. Now with EverNote, it is super easy to catalogue that moment with everything from images, audio notes and the geography that may go along with it. All notes are searchable and this free application is used by over a million people.

NameShake: This application by NameSake LLC costs $2.99 and is generally marketed toward the new-parent crowd. However, what writer hasn't struggled with creating the perfect name for their character? With NameShake you can choose from male or female, ethnicity, as well as first letter of the name. Or, if you prefer, browse through a comprehensive list. There is even a feature where you can store the names you've made up, if you go that route. A must have for any writer!

VocabDaily: Did you know that words are added to the English dictionary nearly every day? Keep your creative "well of words" updated with VocabDaily, a free (and upgradable to the $1.99 version) app by Taptation. Definitions (of course) and examples of every day use are also included.

WikiMobile: Fully harvest the power of the internet on your phone by downloading the WikiMobile application. This app by Comoki Software costs $1.99 and may prove invaluable for the writer. For anyone already familiar with Wikipedia, this app offers virtually the same functionality and outstanding reference-gaining abilities as its desktop counterpart.

Dictionary!: Created by Hampton Catlin, is just one of many free dictionary applications available for the iPhone. However, Dictionary! boasts over 2 million users and features over 200,00 definitions, with more available to wifi connectors using Wiktionary!

The last application is one that comes with the iPhone. The recent voice-recorder upgrade makes many of the recording apps now redundant. Sometimes ideas come to us like lightning from the sky, and so having the ability to speak into the iPhone to log an idea (or dream which can then be harvested for plot/story ideas) is a great and useful update for the iPhone.