The days of writers using a typewriter or pen and paper are mostly gone. Although nostalgic, many writers today use computers. When on the go, writers type feverishly on laptops because of their portability. Sometimes, writers’ ideas bubble out of nowhere. Modern technology makes it easy to keep track of thoughts. If you write, do not let inspiration go to waste. Keep those ideas alive by typing up notes on your phone or recording a voice memo.
Some writers do it the old-fashioned way by keeping a notebook on them. You can revisit a creative burst and transform it into valuable content. Sometimes, you can tie words together and bring a body of work to fruition fast. Stories’ sparks can fade quickly, and holding onto your ideas gives you a chance to rekindle them one day. Being chock full of inspiration keeps creative writers busy.
Here are some great tools for writers that help productivity and word fluidity:
Grammarly: While Microsoft Word offers an editor, nothing compares to Grammarly. You have probably seen their ads on YouTube because they make writing easy for everyone. They have an app for smartphones, a website, and a plug-in for web browsers, MS Word, and Google Docs. Grammarly’s basic plan detects punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors. Premium checks for tone and recommends better wording and more formal delivery. The Business Plan lets you have an account for team members in your company. You can pay monthly, quarterly, or annually for their upgraded services.
Copyscape: This free service checks websites for plagiarism, ensuring your work is authentic. The software checks the site and shows you the results. You can upgrade to Copyscape Premium, which also can scan offline content and starts at 3ç per search.
Hemingway App: The Hemingway Editor is a free website where you copy and paste your text. Content gets checked for readability, and Hemingway gives suggestions to improve your work. Your writing receives a grade, and they highlight areas to improve. They weigh the content and make recommendations based on word count. You will see your passive voice, adverbs, complex words, or hard-to-read sentences.
The Hero’s Journey: The hero’s journey provides readers with a template to write a story. This method was brought to the forefront in 1949 by Joseph Campbell, who adopted the approach from psychologist Carl Jung. The hero’s journey helps writers craft a tale with a strong narrative. The link in this post provides further information on this methodology to writing.
We cannot forget about SEO content writers. You always want to strike the right keywords for a high search ranking. Answer the Public; a free keyword tool gives you information on search queries. Enter a keyword to learn what people typically ask Google when searching online. You can use Answer the Public for free or upgrade to their paid Pro Plan. You can also get information on popular words and terms by looking at Google Trends. Hosting services also have plug-ins to improve your search results and meta descriptions. For example, WordPress uses Yoast, and Shopify uses Smart SEO. If you’re a freelance writer, we give 10 Commandments for those in that field.
Also, having a comfortable yet productive setup will help you when writing. Finding the right furniture and gadgets will help you work better and smarter. Don’t forget to wear blue light blocker glasses when looking at a computer screen. You can prevent eye strain and fatigue by wearing these glasses. Have fun and let your creativity come naturally. If you happen to struggle with coming up with fresh content, read our Empty Canvas blog post.