Daily Writer Habit

Daily Writer helps doctoral students build a consistent writing habit with daily prompts, streak tracking, push reminders, and an archive to reflect on their journey—one entry at a time.

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📚 What Inspired Me

I was inspired by a professor last term who encouraged us to build a daily writing habit in preparation for the dissertation phase of our doctoral journey. As someone balancing coursework, research, and work, I knew I needed a tool that would keep me accountable and motivated—something lightweight, mobile, and hard to ignore.

🛠️ How I Built the Project

I began by asking ChatGPT what it would take to build a writing app similar to Duolingo—something that included:

  • ✅ Daily writing prompts
  • 🔔 Push notification reminders
  • 🔥 Streak tracking
  • 📱 iOS installation + 🌐 web access

Using those initial ideas, I prototyped the first version of Daily Writer using Bolt.new. I wanted the app to live on both my iPhone and the web, with a smooth UX across platforms.

To make that happen, I:

  • Used Expo Go to build the mobile version
  • Deployed the web interface via Netlify
  • Stored the project in GitHub
  • Troubleshot iOS TestFlight submission with help from Claude

🚧 Challenges I Faced

  • iOS App Store Submission
    I struggled with getting the app accepted into TestFlight. Claude helped me debug and refine my metadata and build settings. Eventually, I succeeded!

  • Running Out of Build Credits
    I couldn’t push the latest version (v1.0.2) by the deadline due to limited Expo build credits, so I’m presenting v1.0.1 for the hackathon.

  • UI Layout Bugs
    On the archive screen, the ❌ close button was hidden behind the iOS status bar. I fixed this by adjusting the paddingTop value using SafeAreaView.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

🧠 What I Learned

  • How to structure a mobile-first app using React Native + Expo
  • How to apply responsive UI fixes using SafeAreaView and useSafeAreaInsets
  • The nuances of Apple’s build/test/review process
  • How to combine multiple AI tools (ChatGPT + Claude) for debugging, UI tweaks, and architecture decisions
  • That versioning and iteration are key—v1.0.2 is coming soon!

📱 Where to See It

🔮 What's Next for Daily Writer Habit

Version 1.0.2 will include some exciting upgrades:

  • 🧠 Prompt Selection Logic
    Users will be able to choose from 3 prompts each day, rather than just receiving one.

  • 🎯 Personalized Prompt Tracks
    AI-enabled prompt suggestions based on the user's goals.

  • 📤 Writing Share Feature
    Users will be able to share their writing via a Share button to various destinations—email, Notes, social, and more.

  • 📱 Public TestFlight + Android Release
    Once fully tested, I plan to publish it for wider TestFlight access and eventually Android via the Play Store.

  • ✨ UI polish & analytics
    Continued design refinements and basic writing habit analytics to support user growth.

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