Are tablets a good tool for writers?

This is a question I get asked the most from fellow writers when I mention that I have an iPad mini. My answer to them is always a humongous yes. I’m actually writing this post on my mini without the use of my Bluetooth keyboard, though I’m sure everyone figured that out. What they really want to know is if an entire story can be composed on one, from inception to revisions. That’s where the answer gets a bit tricky.

Because yes, it can be done, though I wouldn’t recommend trying to do an entire novel ( or even a novella) with the on-screen keyboard. If you wanted to attempt that, I would definitely recommend using a Bluetooth keyboard. My wonderful partner got me one for my birthday and it is really convenient to have, especially when I travel. The combination of iPad mini and keyboard still takes up less space than my laptop, and even if I don’t feel like using the keyboard, I can still bust out the mini and open up Google Drive, which stores my current work and allows me to make revisions. So even while waiting for my plane I can actually be extremely productive; well unless Injustice has a new challenge, then all bets are off.

There are also plenty of apps such as Textilus that provide many of the functions you will find on most word processors, and can be linked up to apps like Dropbox. Of course you will have to pay to get those features, but even the free versions are worth checking out.

I doubt I’ll ever replace my laptop completely (though it seems like it is getting to that point sometimes), however it appears that my tablet has grown into a very important tool in my life; one that I use for more than just changing a word here and there.