I have decided to indulge myself by blogging sometimes about technology. I would like to start by saying that buying apps or technological gizmos is not the same as getting work done, nor does it mean you will even use those apps the way you imagined. Paper and pen are almost always the wisest choice.
So start with the assumption that this is an indulgence, not a necessity.
As a writer (and at times, a planner, project coordinator, and problem-solver), I have a special interest in apps that help with the writing or planning process. I also love apps that are pleasing in some visual or aesthetic way, perhaps because those aren’t my strong suits (I’m a word girl), so I appreciate what others can create.
I should also admit that I am an Apple product user, a slippery slope development that began with the purchase of the iPad 2 many years ago. I loved the iPad, but quickly learned it was even more useful if I owned other Apple products. I am now a total convert, but I realize that doesn’t mean you have to be.
I have a feeling I could write a very long post on Corkulous, but my new goal is to be brief in my blog posts (I’ve earned a C grade on that so far), so I think I will speak more generally today and then share an example of how I am using it on my novel later.
I bought Corkulous back when I got my first iPad. I loved it. I had almost full control to add a range of objects anywhere on the corkboard. At the time, this app only worked on the iPad, and it could only be transferred as a PDF image (more or less), but that was okay. It was a planning/thinking tool, not a way to create a final product.
As happens in the world of apps, a few years later it vanished from existence, a discontinued, unsupported app, which is a risk we all take (and one reason it can be wise, especially if you do not enjoy indulging in app purchases, to build systems that rely first and foremost on apps with good odds for long life, which in the world of Apple, happens to be the apps they provide in increasing abundance with their operating systems).
Since then, I found a few corkboard-ish apps that were okay, but nothing brought joy to me like Corkulous.
Apparently someone else felt that way, bought the license, and re-released the app a few years ago. Here’s the website: https://www.corkulous.com
The new version offers the choice to pay once for the standard, or to pay a modest annual subscription for the pro, which is what I chose because I like all the extras and thought it might help lengthen the life of this app if I did so, though I am going in knowing that there are no guarantees of long-app-life, alas. I totally get those of you who resent subscription fees, but as an “old” who remembers life before “apps” when all we had were a few “Software Applications” that cost tons and were super crappy, I have a higher tolerance for some costs. (I have zero tolerance for the Adobe subscription fees, fwiw). Since this app can produce pdfs for me to store indefinitely for my reference (among other options now), I will use it as long as I can.
I’ve taken a screen shot of a sample of this app for you to get a glimpse of how it works. Later this week, I’ll share how I am using Corkulous to develop reference material for my characters in my latest novel.
reader. writer. 