Ulysses & Goodnotes
I was thinking of doing a “Writer Wednesday” when I want to talk about something in the industry, writing, or gush about a writing app like Ulysses. I have been using Ulysses since October and there is so much I want to say about it. I keep finding features I didn't know I needed. LOL. Right now I’m editing part 1 of Bitter Secrets and posting the raw manuscript on Patreon. I usually edit by printing out a hard copy. There's something about seeing the story on a sheet that makes it easier to spot the flaws. I revise on paper and then input the notes/changes back into the manuscript. This can be a really long process if a scene is bothering me. I may print out the chapter multiple times, editing until I'm satisfied and finally move on. This can be wasteful and messy and I kind of accepted that there was no way around this until I realized that I could import PDFs into Goodnotes, an app I use on my iPad for my digital planner. Once I realized I could annotate in Goodnotes, my whole world opened up. The only thing that makes this even better is the fact that Ulysses seamlessly pairs with Goodnotes. Let me show you.
So this is what Ulysses looks like on my iPad. The binder/library is on the left, chapters/sheets are in the middle, and to the left is the actual chapter. So, I want to transfer chapter one into Goodnotes so I can edit it.
Hold down on the sheet/chapter you want to export and this menu will appear:
Ulysses offers a variety of styles for your PDF. I usually use "Papers" or "Manuscript" which is double spaced so I can make corrections and add notes. Once you choose a style, select "Open in Goodnotes."
And voilà! Let the revision begin!
By editing in Goodnotes, I can use different colored pens, highlights, etc and erase as much as I want to. It's also easy to refer back to this if I have a question later because it's all on in one place--on my iPad. It is so freaking easy to go back and forth between Goodnotes and Ulysses. Sometimes, if there's too many things to input or it's too much to write, I'll correct in Ulysses and then import the latest revision and continue editing, no problem. This makes everything so convenient! Now I can take my iPad when I get my car serviced and edit while I wait instead of taking my laptop or a stack of papers with me.
I absolutely love Ulysses and am still discovering so many convenient uses for it. I will be making more blogs about this writing app in future. I also love Goodnotes, so I may share about that as well. If you have any questions you'd like me to answer in future, leave a comment below!