Smart Writing on Your Smartphone

Smart writing on your smartphone is a deadline rescue kit: synced notes, dictation, experimental keyboards, and ruthless proofreading. Mute notifications so the draft can finish.

• Why it matters: Client due dates do not wait until you are back at a desk.
• How it works: Capture outline notes on the phone, then polish later on a full keyboard.
• Zoom in: Dictation beats thumb-typing hundreds of words on a tiny screen.
• Reality check: Small screens hide spacing errors, so reread before you send.
• The bottom line: Phone drafts are valid when sync, focus, and proofreading are deliberate.

As a writer, deadlines are a big part of everyday life. If you are like me, most of the time you are diligent about making sure you have everything turned in on time—especially if you are heading away from your office, home or workspace for the day. However, every now and then a deadline springs up and surprises you. When you check your orders or get a client email reminding you of an approaching deadline, panic can set in and cause worry. Ideally you are able to get to your computer and complete the assignment; but this is not always the case. Occasionally we all find ourselves in the position of needing to complete an assignment with just our smartphone as a tool. If you find yourself in this position, these tips can help you push through the project while still producing your best work.

• Take Notes – If you are just running on a tight schedule, but will have a little time in front of the computer screen, consider using your smartphone to take notes ahead of time and start putting your piece together. Most phones will let you sync your notepad with a computer at home—if not, there are apps available like Evernote that allow you to do just that.
• Dictate – If it does not come with your phone automatically, consider purchasing a dictation app. This allows you to write by speaking and gets you past the difficulty of typing 500 words using a tiny little keyboard. While there will be errors in your dictation, it’s easier to go back and fix those rather than trying to type the entire thing by hand.
• Experiment – There are a number of different options when it comes to typing on your smartphone. If you have a touchscreen, the keyboard that comes with your phone is not something you’re stuck using. Swype is a keyboard style that allows you to type without lifting your fingers.

If you're out and about—maybe in a waiting room or on a noisy train—you'll likely notice how differently your brain works when you're writing on a phone. Ideas come in bursts, almost like you're texting a friend instead of drafting an assignment. I've found that jotting down rough thoughts in the moment actually leads to a fresher, less filtered approach (sometimes typos, sometimes a surprisingly good turn of phrase). You might even feel a bit less pressure since you’re clearly improvising rather than sitting behind a desk in “writer mode.” In a weird way, this can actually help when you go back to polish things up later—your draft won't feel stiff.

• Proofread – Even more so than when you work on a computer, when you use your smartphone, proofreading is very important. Read and re-read your article before you submit it. Take special care to make certain the spacing is correct; it is easy to miss extra or omitted spaces on a tiny smartphone screen.

The biggest challenge (at least for me) is the distraction factor. Notifications, incoming texts, and the lure of social media are much harder to ignore when you’re typing the actual assignment next to all those apps. Sometimes you just need to switch your phone to “Do Not Disturb,” or even grab an app that temporarily blocks disruptions so you can keep your focus where it belongs. It’s kind of ridiculous, really—you have the whole world in your pocket and you’re just trying to write 500 decent words. But it’s doable, and honestly, it’s satisfying to hit ‘send’ knowing you figured it out on the fly.

While you may never use your smartphone for the bulk of your writing, it is nice to have an option for working on the go. If you take advantage of all the available apps, you will have no problem writing content even when you are stuck away from your computer!