
I laid out the basic premise of the story, including a few ideas on how the plot would unfold and a brief description of the characters involved.Īrmed with this, I then got to work in Scapple. Maybe it will always feel that way? Maybe every book calls for its own approach?Įither way, my latest work-in-progress started as a note on my phone. I ’m currently up to book number 3 (and 4, if my plan to work on two simultaneously comes off), but it still feels like my writing technique is under development.
#Scapple tool free
It’s completely free form meaning you can move your notes anywhere on the page and it will automatically adjust so you never run out of space.

You can stack notes in columns of related ideas, or create background shapes to group them together. You can drag and drop your note onto another to create connections between them, as well as customise their appearance and style. Type in what you want the note to say, then click off it and job done. Double-click anywhere in the page and a new. It’s described on the website as “a virtual sheet of paper that lets you make notes anywhere and connect them using lines or arrows,” which pretty much sums it up perfectly. S capple is the sister app of Literature and Latte’s Scrivener (check my review here), with the former doing for notes, ideas and brainstorming what the latter does for novel writing. This week, I’m taking a look at a tool I’ve started using for outlining: Scapple. Hopefully you’ll find something along the way that helps improve your writing experience. It’s all just a matter of opinion though, so take from it what you will and bin the rest. In these articles, I’m going to share with you my opinions of the tools and techniques I’ve come across throughout my writing experience, hopefully offering an insight into what works and what doesn’t. And unlike with paper, you can move notes around and never run out of space.Welcome to Tools of the Trade. Creating notes is as easy as double-clicking anywhere on the canvas and then typing making connections between ideas is as painless as dragging and dropping one note onto another. The idea behind Scapple is simple: when you are roughing out ideas, you need complete freedom to experiment with how those ideas best fit together. There's no built-in hierarchy at all, in fact-in Scapple, every note is equal, so you can connect them however you like. Scapple doesn't force you to make connections, and it doesn't expect you to start out with one central idea off of which everything else is branched. If you've ever scribbled down ideas all over a piece of paper and drawn lines between related thoughts, then you already know what Scapple does. It isn't exactly mind-mapping software-it's more like a freeform text editor that allows you to make notes anywhere on the page and to connect them using straight dotted lines or arrows. Scapple is an easy-to-use tool for getting ideas down as quickly as possible and making connections between them.

#Scapple tool for mac
If you want a note-taking app that's compatible with your iPhone or iPad, this isn't it.Įditors' note: This is a review of the trial version of Scapple for Mac 1.1. It remains a worthwhile app, though, but only for those who do all their note-taking on their Mac and don't need to synchronize their notes across devices. While Scapple for Mac possesses an impressive array of features, its lack of device support makes it far less useful than it could have been. The only major downside of this app is its lack of multiple device support - you can only use it on a Mac.


Performance-wise, Scapple performs well while keeping its system footprint relatively low. A nice touch is the ability to extend the canvas infinitely in all directions, so you never run out of space. You can also drag files or Web sites into a canvas image files are applied directly, while other files and Web sites are given a link. Commonly used actions can be triggered through intuitive shortcuts: double-click to create a new note and drag one note on top of another to create a link between them. This app can definitely increase your productivity at the office.įollowing a quick installation, Scapple for Mac greets you with a minimal interface. This premium app comes with an impressive array of options for customizing the look and feel of the notes, along with a powerful export feature. Scapple for Mac makes note-taking quick and effortless, and lets you make connections between your notes using a straightforward drag-and-drop action.
