CATCHING FIREFLIES

Part journal, part writing exercise, this app aims to help young writers get in the habit of writing.

An introductory letter read by the author explains that ideas are like fireflies; if they are not grabbed and set down in writing, they quickly “fly away.” With such excellent advice as the importance of dating each entry and circling recurring themes, the journal emphasizes each writer’s unique thoughts and experiences. Prompts, here called “spark starters,” encourage exploration of these personal experiences and help beginning authors understand how to write emotional and experiential scenes with an authentic voice. Although the lettering is oddly pale when typing entries and the developers didn’t tweak the wording of the original, print journal for this app (readers are encouraged to paste an envelope into the book to hold writing scraps and cards), overall, it transitions very well to the electronic format and is greatly enhanced by the unlimited space for writing. It also provides the freedom to make mistakes, especially helpful for beginning writers.

Users could end up with a cache of ideas and a habit that could conceivably last a lifetime.