Filed under: Software, Reviews
TUAW Review: The Soulmen send Ulysses 2.0 on a writing journey
As a technical writer, blogger, and wannabe novelist, the tool that I use to capture my thoughts is almost as important as the words that I choose to describe those thoughts. I love to try out new writing tools, particularly those that say that they're going to let me write creatively without getting in the way. Unfortunately, many of them end up becoming the proverbial albatross because of steep learning curves, impossible-to-remember keyboard shortcuts, or complex user interfaces. In my thinking, any writing application that keeps me from writing deserves to go into the Trash Can quickly.When I heard about the recent release of Ulysses 2.0 from The Soulmen (formerly the Blue Technologies Group), my first thought was to dismiss it as Yet Another Writing Tool. After having a chance to work with Ulysses 2.0 for awhile, I'm now beginning to think that I may have finally found the perfect Mac writing tool for my purposes. Of course, every writer has his or her different idea of the ultimate word-crafting application, so your mileage may vary drastically.
Follow along on a short tour of what makes Ulysses 2.0 so special.
If you like to try out writing applications for the Mac, you're in luck. Most of them, including Storyist (US$59), Scrivener (US$39.95) , and Ulysses (€44.90, around US$62.70), have some sort of free trial. In the case of Ulysses 2.0, that trial lasts long enough -- a full 60 days -- that you can really give it a workout to decide if it's going to be "that" tool for you.
The application is a lightweight 22.3 MB file that charmed me from the start. Even the installer was classy and clean, with a backdrop that looked more like credits for an art film than a Finder window:
Launching the application brings up a similarly attractive splash screen, followed by a very simple dialog that asks if you want to create a new project, open an existing project, or open a recent project. A project is a container for any number of related documents. For example, during my test of the application, I created a project called "TUAW Reviews". That project contained a number of documents, all of which could be tagged as to their status -- new, draft, final?, revised, and done. If I have other status tags to add, such as "waiting to add screenshots", I can edit the tag list.
The user interface is relatively uncluttered compared to some of the other tools. I'm currently working on a review of Storyist 2.0 as well, and while it provides a number of project management, storyboard, and other tools, I found its interface to take some getting used to. Not so with Ulysses 2.0. What you see is indeed what you get, and a lot of what you see is blank white paper to type on. In the screenshot below, you can see the blank writing area in the center, surrounded by a list of documents at the top left, a preview of the document (more on this later) at the bottom left, a note pad at top right, and information about the currently active document in the lower right.
Megan Lavey's recent look at Scrivener 2.0 showed another writing application that rivals Storyist in interface complexity. You won't find complexity in Ulysses 2.0, even on the most complicated screens. If you still find the user interface to be too cluttered, you can switch to the console mode. This took me back to the days of single-function word processors, with their green or amber screens. All you see is a black screen with amber (or your choice of color) text:
If this interface gets in the way of your writing, then it's obvious that you have writer's block!
At this point you're probably wondering where all of the standard text formatting features of word processing applications like Microsoft Word are hiding. Ulysses is an example of what is called a "semantic text editor." With this type of editor, you're more concerned about the text than the formatting. In other words, writing and formatting are kept separate. You start by writing plain text with no formatting at all. With a semantic text editor, you want to add meaning, not formatting. Instead of setting some text as a heading by applying a format (bold face, larger text size, different color), you just mark the text as a heading by applying a tag. Those tags can be applied from a menu, or by typing a two-character combination.
One of the many excellent screencasts that are available on the Ulysses website sums up the reason for semantic text editing very nicely, saying something like "if you've ever spent more time formatting a heading than it took to write it, you'll understand why semantic editing is important." Having spent many hours futzing with formatting of Word documents instead of just cranking out text, I can understand.
So how do you make your documents look nice once you're done with them? It all depends on the exporter, which is a plugin that translates the tags so that your text is formatted. Ulysses offers a number of different export plugins, including plain text, rich text format (.rtf), Word format (.doc), PDF, and LaTex (.tex).
What if you need to add images to your document? Isn't it just easier to use Word or Pages, and import an image into your document? It's surprisingly simple to add images to a file through the use of the notepad. You can drag and drop an image into the notepad, add a tag to it, then type the tag in the spot where you want the image to appear. For fiction writing, chances are very good that you won't need to add images.
If your writing project becomes so huge that you have many different documents that are all part of your project, you can create a "collection", which is similar to a folder containing many documents. Ulysses 2 also provides "filters", which are alike in concept to Apple's Smart Folders in that they will automatically collect documents that have similar categories or status. As an example, if you have a "in work" status tag applied to documents, you can create a filter that will group all documents that are currently in that status. Once a document is marked as "done", it disappears from the "in work" group.
As you can probably tell from my comments, I like the way Ulysses takes the concerns about formatting text out of the way of writing. When you're finally ready to create a formatted document, the exporter plugins handle the task. So is there anything not to like about Ulysses? Yes.
The price of the application is a bit high considering that it's a one-trick pony. For about 2/3 of the price of Ulysses, Scrivener provides a complete set of storyboarding and scriptwriting tools, as well as outlining, research, and project management capabilities. However, The Soulmen understand totally understand that you might not need some of the advanced features of Ulysses 2.0 (including all of the exporters, project-wide search and replace, and project notes), so they offer Ulysses Core without those features for €24.99 (about US$35.31). Once again, there's a free 60-day trial available for giving Ulysses Core a good test drive.
At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that Ulysses might not be the right answer for all writers. It is a deceptively powerful and easy-to-use application, so at least give it a try while you are searching for the right tool to let you unleash a flood of words. Take a look at the gallery below for more screenshots from Ulysses 2.0.
At this point you're probably wondering where all of the standard text formatting features of word processing applications like Microsoft Word are hiding. Ulysses is an example of what is called a "semantic text editor." With this type of editor, you're more concerned about the text than the formatting. In other words, writing and formatting are kept separate. You start by writing plain text with no formatting at all. With a semantic text editor, you want to add meaning, not formatting. Instead of setting some text as a heading by applying a format (bold face, larger text size, different color), you just mark the text as a heading by applying a tag. Those tags can be applied from a menu, or by typing a two-character combination.
One of the many excellent screencasts that are available on the Ulysses website sums up the reason for semantic text editing very nicely, saying something like "if you've ever spent more time formatting a heading than it took to write it, you'll understand why semantic editing is important." Having spent many hours futzing with formatting of Word documents instead of just cranking out text, I can understand.
So how do you make your documents look nice once you're done with them? It all depends on the exporter, which is a plugin that translates the tags so that your text is formatted. Ulysses offers a number of different export plugins, including plain text, rich text format (.rtf), Word format (.doc), PDF, and LaTex (.tex).
What if you need to add images to your document? Isn't it just easier to use Word or Pages, and import an image into your document? It's surprisingly simple to add images to a file through the use of the notepad. You can drag and drop an image into the notepad, add a tag to it, then type the tag in the spot where you want the image to appear. For fiction writing, chances are very good that you won't need to add images.
If your writing project becomes so huge that you have many different documents that are all part of your project, you can create a "collection", which is similar to a folder containing many documents. Ulysses 2 also provides "filters", which are alike in concept to Apple's Smart Folders in that they will automatically collect documents that have similar categories or status. As an example, if you have a "in work" status tag applied to documents, you can create a filter that will group all documents that are currently in that status. Once a document is marked as "done", it disappears from the "in work" group.
As you can probably tell from my comments, I like the way Ulysses takes the concerns about formatting text out of the way of writing. When you're finally ready to create a formatted document, the exporter plugins handle the task. So is there anything not to like about Ulysses? Yes.
The price of the application is a bit high considering that it's a one-trick pony. For about 2/3 of the price of Ulysses, Scrivener provides a complete set of storyboarding and scriptwriting tools, as well as outlining, research, and project management capabilities. However, The Soulmen understand totally understand that you might not need some of the advanced features of Ulysses 2.0 (including all of the exporters, project-wide search and replace, and project notes), so they offer Ulysses Core without those features for €24.99 (about US$35.31). Once again, there's a free 60-day trial available for giving Ulysses Core a good test drive.
At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that Ulysses might not be the right answer for all writers. It is a deceptively powerful and easy-to-use application, so at least give it a try while you are searching for the right tool to let you unleash a flood of words. Take a look at the gallery below for more screenshots from Ulysses 2.0.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dakk said 1:45PM on 7-16-2009
Just because you can format text in a standard word processor doesn't mean you have to use the features while composing a document.
For $80 you can get this really neat software package called Pages that has a "semantic text" mode. It also comes with a spiffy presentation and spreadsheet program too. I think Apple sells it.
Reply
superberg said 2:12PM on 7-16-2009
iWork is $80, but the solutions listed in this piece are all less than that.
This is about writing, not word processing. Programs like Ulysses and Scrivener(which is what I use) are designed to help organize research, outlines, and other various notes. For example, with Scrivener, I can feed it a URL, and it will download that page and store it in the sidebar with any other research. These things get out of my way when I am just writing, but they are available with a mouse click or two when I need to refer to them, no matter where I might be.
Writing software is as much about organizing thoughts in a quick, convenient manner as it is about the actual text.
puhsitch said 3:32PM on 7-16-2009
You really can't compare Pages to programs like this and Scrivener.
Dakk said 10:37AM on 7-17-2009
This is a review of Ulysses (not Scrivener, not Storist). However, with these price points:
" ... Storyist (US$59), Scrivener (US$39.95) , and Ulysses (€44.90, around US$62.70) ... Ulysses Core ... for €24.99 (about US$35.31) ..."
and the big killer feature the reviewer touts as being a ""semantic text editor" ... you're right, buying iWork for a scant $28 over the Ulysses does seem a waste. Who would possibly want Keynote or Numbers? Better solution ...
Download Bean for free!
Mark Ross said 1:27PM on 7-16-2009
Bring on Ulysses Mobile!
Reply
Mike said 2:33PM on 7-16-2009
I've used Scrivener for awhile and LOVE it. I definitely get the impression that Ulysses offers a similar experience and would strongly suggest writers try both.
One of the greatest features--something that cannot be done (at least easily) in Word or Pages--is the ability to make document and project notes as you go along. I get the impression that the current version of Ulysses may outshine Scrivener slightly on that feature, though there is a new version of Scrivener in the works as well.
The primary reason I use such programs, however, is their ability to handle large files. My research writing projects often range from 100 to 300 pages and can crash Word and many other word processing programs pretty quickly. I can only speak for Scrivener (but I assume Ulysses may be similar and have had good experience with a trial version of their software), but I have found it to be much more stable for long documents.
So once again, I urge people to try these!
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John Verity said 4:49PM on 7-16-2009
Good review. I bought into Ulysses several years ago, when it was priced above $100, and I have never regretted it. Its clean interface and lack of silly bells and whistles is alluring in a way that is different from most other programs. I really look forward to filling my screen with this program and getting on with The Work.
You write "In my thinking, any writing application that keeps me from writing deserves to go into the Trash Can quickly."
Yet, you also write, " I love to try out new writing tools, ...".
Clearly, you have fallen into the trap all writers struggle to avoid, that of the endless distractions - doing one's nails, arranging one's computer desktop, cleaning the toilet - that keep one from the most-difficult task at hand, actually writing.
Fiction tip 1: Robert Olen Butler's "From Where You Dream" - a really good and really different book about writing.
" " 2: Set up a writing-only account/workspace on your Mac, with all apps but Ulysses (or whatever) and perhaps Preview, to look at PDFs, turned off. As Wm. Shakespeare famously said, "No e-mail and no Web makes a writer more productive be."
Reply
Schell said 11:24PM on 7-16-2009
Awesome. Thanks for that. I had no idea Shakespeare was so tech-savvy. I'd also recommend, for the struggling writer, Steven Pressfield's War of Art.. It's a kick in the keister, for sure.
Edwin said 8:37PM on 7-16-2009
Dont waste your money on this stuff. All of this can be done for free, using Lyx. Don't take my word for it, google it up, and find out for yourself. I hate seeing how companies commercialize on stuff that is free to the public.
Reply
torbjorn.ottersen said 8:06PM on 7-16-2009
I think you've missed the point: Lyx is a LaTeX editor, Ulysses (and Scrivener, which I use) are project-based writing programs which - among many other features - to a certain degree decouple your working text and the final output (like Lyx). I would never give up Scrivener in favour of Lyx, (almost) no matter what it costs...
Stephen Irwin said 7:01PM on 7-17-2009
Evernote. It's simply the best thing for my writing needs. I never know when I will have an idea to write down, and I always have my iPhone and Evernote app in my pocket. And when I get home, I just fire it up on my macbook, without having to sync anything myself. Evernote eliminates the need for even copy and paste.
I never use the photo note or audio note tools, just the text ones, and even as much as I use it, 40 Mb a month in the free account is monumentally more than enough for even the most hectic brainstorming session.
The organizational tools in Evernote are straightforward and unobtrusive, and best of all, it's free. If Evernote ever got rid of the free service, I don't know what I'd do. XD
However, I do agree that features like comprehensive search, filters, and full screen modes are all things that better enhance a setting for writing. (I think full screen and especially filters would be good for Evernote.)
As far as Pages is concerned, I almost never use it. The differences between '08 and '09 keep me from moving my documents around, and having to convert from one version to the other and re saving the document... I just end up copying it into Evernote and shutting the lid on my Mac.
Although I do very much agree with John Verity above, on the points of setting up "a writing-only account/workspace on your Mac, with all apps...turned off." I might do this myself, actually. (The only problem is my iTunes library... I must have music to write... Hmm. Anyone know of a TUAW or tech article letting me know how to make my iTunes go across multiple user accounts?
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Tom said 2:04PM on 8-11-2009
I have been using for several years now, both on two book projects and to write many shorter pieces. It is the most important program on my Mac.
It is tremendously well-designed (was a big influence on Scrivener, btw, which is acknowledged by the developer of Scrivener someplace).
It actually has many useful features while being very streamlined at the same time. But what's more important from my perspective is that everything that's in there is really well done. Features are great if they are useful features. But they are useless (even if useful!) if they are not done well.
Everything in Ulysses is well crafted. Writers, being craftmen themselves, will appreciate that.
So give it a try (and also, of course, give Ulysses' competition a try - Scrivener seems to be the most noteworthy).
And those writers who are not interested in elegant tools geared toward doing something specific, namely making the writer's life easy, and doing that really well -- Pages is for you, I guess :-)
Btw, some people just don't like the semantic editing concept. Ulysses is not for them. But there are also those who don't like it initially but come to realize how much they have missed previously. So again: give it a try. 60 days is plenty of time.
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