Free writing software l free#

Many writers work page by page and find it difficult to identify or fix errors that occur over long distance, and SmartEdit is a great way to arm yourself against such issues. SmartEdit will even pick up on clichés, foreign phrases and (if asked) profanity, giving you a more complete idea of your story as a whole. SmartEdit doesn’t quite offer the same breadth of features as independent writing software, but the image below reveals capabilities that will stop dedicated writers in their tracks. It also enhances Word’s error-checking facilities to pick up on inconsistent, rather than just incorrect, punctuation and grammar. For a start, it flags repeated adverbs and phrases, keeping a count to alert author of overuse or problematic repetition. SmartEdit is an add-on that can be applied to Microsoft Word, adding features that mostly fall within the school of ‘Advanced Editing’. It’s a small step, ideal for those who don’t want a big change or are worried about learning to use a new piece of software. SmartEdit is a way to adjust your word processor to make it more of a creative writing tool.

Free writing software l free#

If a piece of writing software has a free trial, or a free-to-use version, then it’s almost always worth seeing if it’s the right fit for you. Remember, though, that it’s about finding the best fit, and that might mean shopping around. Now that you’re thinking about the aspects of writing software that could do the most for your work, it’s time to talk about what’s on the market. It’s here that identifying what you really want is vital – don’t judge extra features by how many are included but by how useful they sound to your way of writing. These may include a character creator, twist generator, or custom storyboard creation. They’re options like Word’s ‘Thesaurus’ which you’ll never have to use as part of the software, but which can offer extra value if they fit into your style of writing. Word processors will tell you if you’ve used incorrect grammar or punctuation, but writing software is capable of picking up on things like passive verbs, over-description, and recurring phrases.Ĭreative writing requires a keener eye than is needed for projects like essays or shopping lists, and writing software ups its game to catch the errors that will lose you readers.īy their nature, extra features are difficult to define. It’s the digital equivalent of finding somewhere quiet to work or the best way to organize your notes.Įditing is a vital part of writing, but there’s a whole slew of mistakes that stand between ‘technically incorrect’ and ‘ready to publish’. It might mean helping you to place chapter markers, automatically creating a contents page, or presenting notes in a particularly helpful way.Įase-of-use is easy to overlook, but it’s often one of the major driving forces in which writing software is attractive to authors. This might mean designing the writing interface to be as simple and distraction-free as possible, or allowing you to collect all your materials in one program. In contrast, writing software is designed around easier creative writing. Programs like Microsoft Word are designed to be used for every kind of writing task, which means they specialize in none. That’s why writing software tends to offer improvements that fall into one of three groups: Don’t be blinded by long lists of features or technical specs: software features only matter if they’re something you’re going to use. No writing software has yet invented the wheel, so your primary focus when choosing the software for you is deciding which advantages will help your writing style.

With that understood, every piece of writing software can be judged by how it improves on that experience. I’ve already said that word processors do the basic job of letting writers compose their stories. What do authors need from their software? But if I’m going to be making recommendations, first I have to clear up what a piece of great writing software can offer its user. Whether this will be your first time using dedicated writing software, a chance to buckle down and write more, or you just want to try the best of what the market has to offer, this one is for you. While traditional word processors do the basic job of letting you put words on the page, writing a book is a unique endeavor that can be made much easier with its own set of tools. If you’ve sworn to visit the gym more or watch television less, then I’m afraid I can’t help you, but if you’re an author who swore that this is the year you’ll finally get serious about your magnum opus, you’re in luck.Ī change in behavior is always helped by a change in venue, so in this article, I’ll be showcasing 6 pieces of writing software that could help improve your writing behavior in 2016. The New Year has arrived, and all around the world people have been making resolutions that are set to be broken by February.