In happier, less poverty stricken days I was a Scrivener user. I bought the Scrivener version for Windows, and when I bought a second-hand Mac, I bought the Mac version as well. I liked it, though I also liked the ‘YWriter’ I had used before I got Scrivener.
Then came last fall. My internet service for my computer was through Dishnet, and I didn’t have the money to pay the bill, so they cut me off, so I really couldn’t pay the bill because I paid online.
My Scrivener could not back up to Dropbox, so everything I wrote was subject to being lost forever in the event of computer death.
My only internet access was through the limited amount of data I had monthly on my cell phone.
I had downloaded Evernote to my computer and cell phone before. There were things I didn’t like about Evernote. I once composed a blog post on Evernote, and in the process of cutting and pasting it to WordPress there was a glitch and the whole blog post was lost. I had to write it again from memory.
But in this new age of universal censorship, I wasn’t happy about trusting my writing to WordPress alone. I wanted a backup copy. So, Evernote for cell phone.
The nice thing about Evernote is that there are versions for different devices, plus an online version that you can use on any computer as long as you remember your log in information.
Also, I can write into Evernote on my cell phone even when data is turned off. I presume it will just sync with the other versions when I get connected.
I created notebooks for blogging and writing, and I make tags so that each blog post or story part can be found.
It’s hard to type into a cell phone when you are used to using a keyboard, so I spent 12 dollars on a keyboard that links to my cell phone. I am typing with that keyboard right now. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it works.
The monthly data on my cell plan is a limit. I want to go to the next most expensive cell plan which has unlimited data, but I couldn’t find out how to do that on my cell phone. I may have to use computers at the public library to do that— if they don’t discriminate against unmasked people.
For writing, I’m planning to post short stories on Wattpad. Wattpad is not a great community— I’ve been told that ‘Christian fiction’ is biased because it excludes Muslims— but I know some real writers there like Karina Fabian.
I can also use Canva from my cell phone, so my Wattpad stories will have covers, although those covers will suck.
Evernote is not as good a writing tool as Scrivener. Scrivener can even compile your work into an ebook file that Smashwords and Kindle will accept. But Evernote is what I have to work with right now.
The hard part is transcribing things from my Scrivener files to Evernote. I have to type these things into Evernote word for word. I keep thinking of ways to get my internet reactivated to spare me this chore. But I have to tough it out and type, type, type.
What about you? Have you used Evernote? What did you think of it? Have you had to make any adjustments to your writing practice because of lack of money? How have you powered on with your writing in spite of troubles?
My Antimatter Life 