Tech for writers: Writing a novel on an iPhone

Unbeknownst to me, my creative process as an author engenders a great deal of angst for my publisher. But, what I’ve learned after finishing the first of eight books in the gods on Trial™️ sci-fi series, is that it is really important for an author to continue to do what works for them – no matter what that process may be. Enter the iPhone… my tool of choice.
 
Back in 2021, when I submitted the first ten chapters of Book 1 to the management team at 1iR3 Publishers, they were intrigued by the storyline but didn’t care for the fact that I was writing all of the chapters in the notes app of my iPhone. I recall their concerns that my process lacked the guardrails and safety nets required to protect the work in its infancy. In what was a 'conditional offer' to publish my book, they cited that the creation of literature on an iPhone was precarious and way too risky of an investment for them. So, their offer to publish my book stipulated that certain steps would have to be in place to ensure that none of my work would ever get lost.  Facing the risk of not getting signed, I agreed to compromise, and sent them every completed chapter as I progressed, which they saved in multiple places for safe keeping.
 
'NOT FAIL-PROOF'
Then, one day just before I was close to completing the first book, my publisher’s biggest nightmare came true. Although, I had never done it before, I had accidentally hit the delete button on the app, erasing the entire book and the most recent chapter with it. Ugh!! Dreading the repercussions and the big 'I told you so' that was sure to come, I shared the bad news with my publisher while clenching my teeth.  And as I had expected, their biggest disappointment is that the most recent chapter, which had not yet been sent to them for safe keeping, was completely lost. Gone!
 
I must admit I still regret that day, because my publisher is right. I will never be able to recreate what was lost in exactly the way I first drafted that sequence. After that experience, I realized just how close to the edge my creative process is, with the threat of the app going down, being accidentally deleted, or something else unforeseen erasing work that has taken me weeks – if not months – to create.
 
And yet still, I must be true to my process. Remembering how much I struggled with finding a comfortable way to write for the better part of two decades, I recall feeling inept at my computer  because I have never been good at typing. I struggled in school during typing class, because my fingers were just so uncoordinated,  which didn’t change when I was an adult. It was as frustrating as it was distracting, making the process of writing arduous. Alternatively, attempting to write my manuscripts in longhand seemed daunting.
 
Then came the iPhone, and everything changed.  Everything! I took to it quickly, realizing the speed at which I was able to text, and realized I could start creating story outlines in the notes app of my phone. Before I knew it everything related to my writing resided in my notes app: my research, the names of characters, and multiple outlines for books I planned to write. It wasn’t long before summaries and outlines evolved into detailed chapters, and the first ten chapters of gods on Trial™️ Book 1 were formed. It wasn’t until I had completed Chapter 10 that I realized what had occurred. I had finally found a tool that made the process of writing much easier for me, kept all of my notes in once place, and didn’t remind me of how appalling my typing skills are. At that point I was assured that the iPhone was the only choice for me, and I submitted the first ten chapters of gods on Trial™️ to my publisher, fully confident that I had found a tool within which I could develop the rest of the story in a way that worked for me.
 
I’ve compromised with my publisher since losing the critically important chapter in Book 1, and I now take screenshots of chapters that I am currently drafting, so there is always a backup image, if needed, before a final version of the chapter can be sent to 1iR3. This way, I stay true to my writing process and my publishing team can sleep at night!
 
I am happy to report that there have been no hiccups in the drafting of Book 2, (knock on wood) and this instalment is releasing in the Spring of 2025.
 

The first book in Opëshum’s gods on Trial™️ series, Beyond the Father, is available now.

Interested in using tech creatively? Read how historical novelist Sinead Crawley used modern tech to research the past.

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