Skip to main content

(Updated) Thirteen Great Tools That Will Make Your Writing Shine

Writing is hard, even at the best of times. Putting down your thoughts in an orderly and compelling manner can be excruciating, so much so that trying to keep track of grammar, spelling, and other errors (not to mention cliches) can be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Here are thirteen tools you can use to improve your writing.

Edit: This post was updated in June 2019 to remove a couple dead tools and add additional entries.

Grammarly

Grammarly is arguably the best grammar tool available online. This tool typically corrects up to 10 times more mistakes than a regular word processor. Aside from this, Grammarly also checks for plagiarism and other types of errors that may be embedded in your writing. Many high school and college students use the tool to check their essays and term papers for originality. The tool can be used as an extension on Google Chrome browser to scan your input on every website visited. Most importantly, you can access Grammarly without paying a dime.

AutoCrit

AutoCrit is targeted mainly towards fiction writers. This tool scans and analyzes every part of your write-up that needs attention. After analyzing, it then suggests ways by which the write-up can be improved in terms of pacing, word choice, dialogue, repetition, momentum and much more. It also gives you a choice to accept or reject a suggestion. You can subscribe for AutoCrit for as little as $5 per month.

SpellChecker

SpellChecker specifically allows you to find spelling errors in your content. This tool also comes along with a free grammar checker tool, which allows you to check and correct grammatical errors.

After the Deadline

After the Deadline primarily focuses on context. It underlines potential issues in your write-up and offers explanations that can help make your content much better. The tool was created by Automatic, the same company who owns the WordPress blogging platform.

EduBirdie’s Plagiarism Checker

This tool will automatically compare any submitted text to various online sources such as Wikipedia, and identify similarities and copied text.

GrammarCheck

GrammarCheck enables you to locate all the issues in your write-up. This grammar tool also allows you to write contents directly using its editor. GrammarCheck users either go for the free or paid version. The free version provides enough grammar and spell check on your content.

Language Tool

Language Tool is an open-source grammar tool aimed at writers who write in other languages. This tool is capable of proofreading more than 20 languages.

Edit Minion

EditMinion is a robotic copy editor to help you refine your writing by finding common mistakes. Simply paste (or type) your work onto its webpage and it will identify, adverbs, passive voice, duplicate or frequently used words, and sentence length.

SmartEdit

If you are a fiction writer, then SmartEdit should be your top choice. This tool helps writers of novels and short stories to highlight all the issues in their drafts, including misspelled words, and repetitiveness. SmartEdit is downloadable as either a standalone version or an MS word extension. Users get at least 20 individual checks on each piece of content.

PaperRater

PaperRater does both grammar and spell check on your write-ups. The software grades your work, checks for plagiarism, and makes suggestions on how you can improve the word usage in your content. You have the choice to either go for the basic (free) or standard plan (at $7.95 per month). The standard plan offers ad-free usage and faster processing of uploads.

Ginger

Ginger helps you check for punctuation, grammar and spelling errors. It is available in two options – the online version and the software version. The software version is more suitable for long articles.

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid aims at improving the readability of write-ups. This tool scans your content for issues like long sentences, poor word usage, repetition, sophisticated writing style, and more. Users of ProWriting Aid either subscribe for the free plan or the premium version ($35 or $40 per year). The free plan allows users to only analyze up to 3,000 words, while there is no word limit in the premium version.

Slick Write

Slick Write is a web-based grammar tool that allows writers like you to edit their write-ups. This tool has a slick setup and lets users toggle between five tabs. The most impressive thing about Slick Write is that it is free, easy to use, and most importantly, free.

Even though having the tools above will help improve your writing, you should note that no grammar tool can replace human intelligence. You will still need the input of a professional proofreader even after using these tools.

O O O

Do you know of a tool that belongs on this list? Fill out the form below!

[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name' type=’name' required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email' type=’email' required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Link?' type=’url’/][contact-field label=’What%26#039;s it called?' type=’text’/][contact-field label=’Tell us about it!' type=’textarea' required=’1’/][/contact-form]

 

image by mrdonduck via Flickr

Similar Articles


Comments


Reader April 16, 2017 um 11:59 am

I find writing to be a lot easier than it was in the days before digital writing, for a variety of reasons- and this is without using the software this post mentions. I once asked a professor if she found that student writing was better with digital writing tools than in the days before digital tools. Her reply was that there was minimal difference: those who were careless were still careless.


Jennifer April 17, 2017 um 8:11 am

Thanks for this great list of resources. I’m especially interested in "Language Tool" since I write regularly in French, but I’ll be checking out several of them shortly.


I'm Breaking Up With Grammarly | The Digital Reader May 4, 2017 um 12:34 pm

[…] you listen to its fans you would think Grammarly is the best grammar-checking tool on the market. This online service scans your work as you are typing, pointing out what it thinks […]


Pre-Editing Made Easy | Savvy Book Writers June 9, 2017 um 3:43 pm

[…] Developmental and Line Edit He or she will give you the “big picture” feedback about structure, style, pacing, and voice. A developmental edit for a work of nonfiction may include feedback about the book’s organizational structure, as well as both stylistic and informational strengths and weaknesses. For fiction manuscripts, developmental editing also includes notes on plot, the point-of-view and characterization. . Often, a developmental edit is given in the form of a detailed report or letter rather than as notes made directly on the manuscript. There is also the line edit, where your editor will point out specific things such as certain lines of dialogue that don’t sound convincing, or pacing problems in a given section. Here are even more digital tools for your pre-editing: https://the-digital-reader.com/2017/04/15/thirteen-great-tools-will-make-writing-shine/ […]


How To Easily Proofread And Edit Your Own eBook | The Digital Reader July 7, 2017 um 10:41 am

[…] editing, there's plenty of tools online that will help make the job easier. Try using some of these tools as you edit your […]


Write a Comment