There are a number of online tools that writers can use to improve their writing. Many EFL writers do not always have direct access to a dictionary and a good grammar book.
This makes the availability of a good list of online tools for writers all the more important.
Hubspot’s Blog Ideas Generator
Even the best writers run into blocks sometimes. Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator can help you when it feels impossible to come up with new content.
Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator Simply input three nouns into the generator and get a week’s worth of topics in seconds! Now, THAT was easy!
Grammarly
Grammarly is my favorite electronic editor. It delivers information both line-by-line and in summary form. I bought an annual subscription in 2015, and I like the way it follows me around the web to check my WordPress blog posts, my Google Docs, Gmail, and comments and feedback forms on other people’s blog posts and articles. As I am a professional writer, it is embarrassing when I make basic spelling and grammatical errors in quick, social media posts and emails, so I appreciate this feature.
Like most robust editing tools, Grammarly offers settings for various kinds of writing: business documents, novels, creative nonfiction, medical, technical, and casual. I set mine to creative nonfiction.
A basic version of Grammarly that roots out spelling and grammar errors is free, while the full version is $29.95/month. If you need a human editor, quick, you can reach one through their site for a reasonable price.
Hemingway Editor
Hemingway is a distraction-free writing tool that displays a row of formatting elements across the top for bold, italics, bulleting, numbering, headings, and links. Slide it from “Write” into “Edit” mode and you’ll get a clean, visual take on what might be wrong with your writing. The word and character counters are also very handy.
The browser-based version of the Hemingway app is free, and with the desktop app for Mac and Windows ($19.99), you can import and export your text to Word and export as HTML or Markdown language for your blogging platform, WordPress, or CMS files.
Some people like to write and edit in Hemingway and then import their work into a tool called StackEdit, a browser-based markdown editor, though you could easily use any of the other tools I’ve already mentioned.
MasterWriter
MasterWriter is a valuable addition to any of the editors described here. It’s a thesaurus on steroids in the cloud that will improve your vocabulary and your prose. Enrich your writing with its synonym finder, rhyming dictionary, alliterations, word families, phrases, dictionary, and even a set of 11,000 icons of world culture to add imagery to your writing.
Instead of your story’s sun being “hot,” you’ll find choices like blazing, sizzling, fiery, torrid, punishing, merciless, or raging. Just put a word in the left side and click the dictionary you want to use and get results on the right side.
Check out the video tour and I think you’ll be impressed. An audio page enables you to collect your thoughts or music. There’s a free trial, with licenses offered at $9.99/month, $99.95/year, or $149 for a two-year license.
Canva
As writers, we don’t just have to worry about the words we put on the page (or screen). Many of us have to create images for our work, whether that’s a cover photo for a blog post or a graphic to promote your book on social media. Canva is an amazing, powerful free tool to help create beautiful images.
Canva’s drag and drop templates can help you create everything from a Pinterest graphic to a book cover. If you’re hesitant to learn Photoshop, Canva is an amazing alternative to help you create rich, high-quality graphics.
Milanote
Milanote is an easy-to-use tool to organize your ideas and projects into visual boards. As a writer, visualizations can help you keep track of everything from character relationships to the order of scenes.
Milanote’s flexible interface allows you to do things like:
- Write notes and to-do lists (handy for keeping yourself on track with your book writing plan)
- Upload images and files (useful for keeping visual inspiration for everything from scenery to character outfits)
- Save images, texts, and links from the web
- and even more!
. Ginger
Ginger offers an innovative program that integrates with your browser to make sure you never make grammatical or spelling errors.
The software follows you everywhere you want/need it to online, so even if you’re writing a Facebook post, you’ll get notified of mistakes as you make them so you can correct them.
It’s useful for content writers who need to produce a large amount of content on a variety of online platforms.
3. Webspellchecker
Webspellchecker offers two different content editing options to writers.
First, it there’s a feature that corrects your writing as you type.
This program integrates with your browser and underlines mistakes as you go. You can hover over the mistake to see what needs to be corrected.
The second option checks your work in a separate window, so your original writing isn’t changed.
This is great for protecting your draft from “robot mistakes.” The new window offers corrections that you can either accept or ignore.
Ninja Essays
Ninja Essays is an online content writing and editing services company.
The site only hires writers with Masters degrees and PhDs, so they offer top quality editing to their customers.
If you have content that really needs to be accurate (even more than an average piece), you need to ensure you have real professionals edit it.
They’ll edit your content for big mistakes like missing concepts, wordiness, and confusing sentences, as well as small (but important) details like typos, spacing errors, and spelling errors.
SlickWrite
SlickWrite is an online spellchecker.
You just type your content directly into the checker (or copy and paste it in) and the site will point out errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, structure, tense, and more.
LibreOffice
LibreOffice is an amazing word processor option for people who are looking for a free alternative to Word.
LibreOffice has a number of great features, including a clean and sophisticated word processing layout and support for a vast number of file formats. You can create everything from a simple memo to a complete book using the online editor, which makes it a great choice for people looking for a word processor for all types of projects.
A grammar guru, style editor, and writing mentor in one package.
Scribus
Do you need to create beautiful layouts for your words? If so, Scribus may be for you!
Scribus is a free, open source platform that allows you to create rich, professional layouts for everything from one-pagers to magazines. While it takes a bit of learning to get started, Scribus is both easier to use and cheaper (since it’s free!) than tools like Adobe InDesign.
7. FocusWriter
Distraction is Enemy #1 to many writers. Facebook never looks as enticing as when you’re on a tight deadline or trying to meet a goal. If this sounds like you, FocusWriter is here to help.
FocusWriter minimizes your work into a clean, distraction-free word processor interface, so you can simply write without worrying about the clutter on your computer screen. FocusWriter isn’t the best tool for going through your second or third draft, but it’s great for getting through that first run so you can do the in-depth editing elsewhere later.
Evernote
Evernote is an amazing “second brain” which allows you to flexibly take notes and capture ideas in a variety of areas.
You can do just about everything in Evernote, from creating to-do lists and checklists to drawing out specific notes to capturing receipts for tracking business expenses. Evernote offers up to 60 MB of space on its free plan, which is plenty if you’re just using plain text notes. If you’d like to add more graphic or larger files, you can upgrade your storage for small fees.
ProWritingAid
Of all the tools reviewed, ProWritingAid probably offers the most value, especially with their clean, updated interface and detailed reports with the click of a link. I was so impressed that I bought the annual subscription even though I also subscribe to Grammarly. I love their free Google Docs and Chrome browser extension, too. I still use Grammarly because it follows me everywhere on the web, but with its thorough critique, I think ProWritingAid makes me a better writer. As an editor and publisher, the reports also help me communicate better with my authors.
A scaled-down version of ProWritingAid is free online, with Premium editions offered at $40 annually, $60 for a two-year license, $80 for a three-year license, and $140 for lifetime use.
ProWritingAid also offers a couple of advanced features you may be interested in using. As a publisher, I can create my own rules and house style that detects patterns, wildcards, overused words, dialog, and repeated words, plus it lets me create customized advice messages for my authors. Their developer API allows software developers to add writing analysis to applications they are developing.
Diaro
Your life is precious, and if you’re the documenting type, you want to remember every moment, good or bad. Diaro is an advanced diary application, but it can be used for keeping a journal or simply writing notes.
Use Diaro to help you keep your thoughts and memories organized and well documented. Attach photos or locations to your entries and share with others via email and social networking sites. With Diaro, you never have to worry about others stumbling across your deepest darkest secrets, because your diary will be password protected.
Conclusion
Over the past several years, I’ve seen writers struggling to improve their writing skills. While there are lots of offline tools/books to help you improve your writing, nowadays there are plenty of online tools online that can help one grow.