Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of the prototype of a mobile application for the enhancement of children's motivation for writing. The results are explored from students' and experts' perspectives. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on a field trial and expert evaluations of a prototype of a mobile application. The field trial data consists of questionnaire data collected from elementary school students (n = 25) who used the mobile prototype. The expert evaluations (n = 8) of the prototype were conducted based on usability and pedagogical heuristics. The main research question is how the mobile application motivates children to learn creative writing. Findings: The findings suggest that the use of a mobile application can have potential in supporting children's creative writing skills and their motivation to complete writing tasks. Research limitations/implications: Due to a limited sample of students (only one class), and the mobile application of Ruff being only a prototype, the results cannot be directly generalized. In the future, longer and more comprehensive field trial periods with a larger sample group should be conducted. Originality/value: These findings are valuable for teachers and researchers. This research points out both students' and experts' opinions of the prototype of a mobile application, Ruff, and its potential to motivate children to learn creative writing. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)