In a fascinating account of his writing process, published author Kevin Nguyen has revealed the unconventional workflow he used to complete his second novel. Nguyen, a features editor at The Verge, has shared his experience of using seven different writing apps to take his book from idea to publication, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each tool.

Nguyen's writing journey began with idea collection, where he used two separate notes apps, Bear and Apple Notes, to organize his thoughts. He preferred Bear for structured ideas, utilizing its lightweight tagging system, while Apple Notes served as a quick dumping ground for loose thoughts. This dual approach allowed him to have different environments to open on his phone, depending on the type of idea he needed to save.

For drafting, Nguyen turned to iA Writer, a minimal, zero-frills word processor that he has used consistently despite its $100 cost. He appreciated the app's default typeface and found it comfortable to use, even though he wrote most of his first draft on an iPad with a crummy keyboard attachment. Nguyen's writing process was chaotic, with no particular order, and he eventually moved his work into several Google Docs to separate out scenes and chapters.

When it came to revising, Nguyen faced an organizational challenge, using Google Docs to create an index linked to all his chapters. However, he soon found that Google Docs struggled with longer manuscripts, leading him to install Scrivener, a powerful writing app designed specifically for book writing. Although Nguyen found Scrivener's UI and features overwhelming, he appreciated its customizable metadata fields and visualization tools, which helped him nail down his book's sequence and structure.

Despite his positive experience with Scrivener, Nguyen ultimately moved his manuscript back to Google Docs for final revisions, before exporting it as a Word document for his editor. He acknowledged that Microsoft Word, although clumsy, is the industry standard for the publishing industry. Throughout the production process, Nguyen used Adobe Acrobat to review proofs, and later, Craft 3, a writing environment app, to manage his pre-publication commitments.

Nguyen's unorthodox approach to writing highlights the importance of finding the right tools to suit individual creative needs. By embracing the limitations and strengths of each app, he was able to produce a published novel. His experience serves as a reminder that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for writers, and that experimentation with different tools can lead to a more effective and efficient writing process.

The article has sparked a conversation about the role of technology in creative writing, with many authors and writers sharing their own experiences with various writing apps and tools. As the publishing industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how writers adapt and innovate their workflows to produce high-quality content.