How to choose the most suitable program / software for your writing - PART ONE
- bkntouris
- Jul 27, 2023
- 13 min read
You have an idea and a plan of execution - you want to write this book - but you're not sure which tool to use. Hopefully, this guide (and the ones to follow) will help you choose.
1. Word
HOW DOES IT WORK?
You first need to download and install Microsoft 365 or Office 2021 on your PC or MAC.
Find more instructions and information HERE:
Once you've done that, you'll have access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note, Outlook, Teams, etc.
HANDY FEATURES:
Word is incredibly easy to use: you simply create a new document and start typing. You can add comments, references, pictures, web links - anything you need to have for effortless process of creation. One of my favorite features is the 'Find' button. It helps you find a certain word or a phrase, which is super convenient for the later stage, when you'll be focused on identifying glue words and filtering verbs.
PROS:
Integration: Word can integrate any document with other media available within the Office suite. It is easy to incorporate graphs, presentation materials, worksheets, and any other media created in the suite. As the link is dynamic, any document you create can be instantly updated when other media changes.
Collaboration: One feature that is outstanding on Word is the ability to markup the document for changes. This allows for a series of editors to amend and update the document and allows all users the ability to see the changes made to the document.
Mobile App: A mobile version of Word is available on Windows phones and tablets. While it is not as robust as the desktop version, it does allow you to create and edits documents. This is a great app for working on documents while you are on the go.
Templates: There are thousands of templates available. They are very easy to use and very customizable.
Mail Merge: Word makes it very easy to create personalized documents by using a database list of names and addresses and merge them into your document. This is ideal for mass mailings.
CONS:
Cost: While Word is the best word processor available, it can be very expensive. You can get free word processors that are nearly as powerful that will satisfy the needs of most users.
Complexity: Most users will probably never use 50% of the functionality of Word and will be overwhelmed by the features available. The ribbon does present some of the more frequently used elements, but the lack of intuitiveness of the ribbon can add to the confusion.
Not Always Intuitive: Some functions are not always intuitive, and it can take a while to get your desired effects.
Removed Features: Some familiar features of Word have been removed in the past. This includes the iconic toolbar that was replaced by the ribbon. Word also previously had tools like speech recognition, although that feature became a part of Windows.
PRICE:
The cost will largely depend on how many computers you're planning to connect.
2. Google Docs
HOW DOES IT WORK?
To have access to Google documents, you must have a Google account. You will have your own storage, where you can keep more than just written documents.
Find more instructions and information HERE:
HANDY FEATURES:
Google Docs are free, easy to use, and offer many useful features. Using Docs, you can create a new document, edit existing ones, and collaborate on a document with others. There is also a real-time feature, meaning you can see other people's comments in your document as they are writing them.
PROS:
Easy Access: Available anytime and everywhere. You don’t need to download or install any software, just go to the webiste and start using it. You can access your documents from any computer or mobile device with an internet connection. All you need is a Google account to log in.
Connected With Google Drive: A cloud storage service offered by Google. Your documents are automatically saved online, and you can access them from anywhere. Even if you lose your computer, your documents will still be safe.
Google Docs Supports Various Document Formats: You can easily convert your documents into different formats (doc, .docx, .ppt, and .pdf. ) for different purposes.
Add-On Support: This enables you to extend the functionality of Google Docs with additional features such as adding diagrams, signing documents electronically, mind mapping, translation, and much more.
Tracks Changes Easily: If you need to keep track of the changes made to a document, Google Docs makes it easy with the built-in version history. With just a few clicks, you can see who made what changes and when. This is very useful for keeping track of progress or for undoing unwanted changes. You can also restore any previous version of the document with just a few clicks. Some other word-processing software also has a revision history, but it’s not as efficient as Google Docs.
CONS:
Relatively Limited Features: When compared to other word-processing software, such as Microsoft Word, it falls short in terms of features and functionality. MS Word has more to offer in terms of formatting, fonts, tools, etc.
No Dedicated Desktop Application: You have to use the web browser to access your documents, which can be slower and sometimes more inconvenient. If you’re used to working in a desktop application, then you might find it difficult to adjust to working in a web browser.
Potential Security Concerns: Since Google Docs is an online service, there are always security concerns, particularly nowadays. Although Google takes security very seriously, there is always a risk that your documents could be hacked or accessed by unauthorized people, as it’s always available online. If you’re working on sensitive documents, then you might want to consider using an offline word-processing software that is more secure.
Limited Templates: When compared to other MS Word, Google Docs have fewer templates available. There are thousands of templates available for MS Word but only a few hundred for Google Docs.
Requires an Internet Connection: Google Docs is an online service. This can be a problem if you’re working in an area with a poor or unreliable internet connection. Note that you can turn on offline access for Google Docs, but it might not always be an option since some features are unavailable offline.
PRICE:
FREE!
3. Scrivener
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Scrivener is a word-processing program and outliner designed for authors. Scrivener provides a management system for documents, notes, and metadata. This allows the user to organize notes, concepts, research, and whole documents for easy access and reference.
Find more instructions and information HERE:
HANDY FEATURES:
Scrivener is especially useful if you write in a non-linear fashion, because Scrivener makes it easy to move chapters around and visualize your novel. It's also a great way to keep all of your research and notes on a book in once place.
PROS:
Keep Everything in One Place: Scrivener’s Binder lets you keep everything you need in one place. You can create folders in your document where you can house research, resources, character studies, and more. Access to folders is just a click away.
Save Webpages in the Binder: No more cluttered favorites list, pasted hyperlinks, or transcribed notes. You can save specific sites or pages directly into Scrivener.
Work in manageable sections: Work on your book one section at a time instead of tackling the entire manuscript at once. You can create a new section for every idea, scene, or chapter in your book.
Templates: Scrivener has formatting templates for both fiction and nonfiction projects.
Save in Different Formats: you can compile your work in multiple formats like PDF, Microsoft Word Doc, ePUBs, or MOBI.
CONS:
Learning Curve: Get ready to spend at least 2-3 hours learning only the basics.
Too Many Features: If you love researching and world-building, it will help you organize all of that, but you can easily get carried away doing those two instead of actually writing.
Spelling and Grammar Checks: you need to manually enable them
PC VS MAC: You can’t easily go back and forth between PC and Mac. There’s a separate Scrivener software for each, and users say the MAC version is better than the PC version.
PRICE:
For MAC & Windows: $59.99
For IOS: $23.99
4. ProWritingAid
HOW DOES IT WORK?
ProWritingAid is a web-based grammar checking, manuscript editing, and personal writing solution designed to help fiction and non-fiction writers, bloggers, students, and content writers improve style, eliminate errors, visualize sentence variations, and more within written content. You can, however, use it to write and store your manuscript.
Find more instructions and information HERE:
HANDY FEATURES:
If you struggle with grammar mistakes, sentence structure, spelling, or even writing style, ProWritingAid can help. It goes far beyond your built-in spellcheck. You should still learn grammar skills, but ProWritingAid can help you start to see the patterns and grow as a writer. You can create a new document, copy-paste your content, or import documents.
PROS:
Easy to Use: You definitely won't be spending much time learning how to use PWA. It is pretty straightforward.
Lots of Writing Reports Include: Real-time feedback, summary report, writing style report, grammar report, overused words report, clichés & redundancies report, sticky sentence report, readability report (and probably many more).
Thesaurus: A handy tool that provides a dropdown list of related words to use. You can explore the variety of synonyms by double-clicking the words.
It Teaches You All Along.
Free Version Available.
Lots of Free Writing Webinars.
Integration variety: It integrates with the apps and programs you use most, like Google Docs, Google Chrome, Microsoft Word, Scrivener
CONS:
Paid Plagiarism Checker.
Poor Integration: When integrated in Word, the PWA tends to block the Word document if the word count is too high. This, of course, can be resolved by breaking down the manuscript into smaller chunks, but then the entire point of some reports is lost. As for Google Docs, the full version is almost never available for me, but I could be doing something wrong.
PRICE:
Monthly: $30
Yearly: $120 (If you never used PWA and want to give it a go, I'd suggest starting with this option.)
Lifetime: $399 (They have promotions, and once you create your profile, they will send you an email when the time for promotion comes.)
5. Grammarly
HOW DOES IT WORK?
In its core, Grammarly is the same as ProWritingAid - a cloud-based typing assistant that reviews spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, engagement, and delivery mistakes in English texts, detects plagiarism, and suggests replacements for the identified errors. It also allows users to customize their style, tone, and context-specific language. Just like the PWA, you can use it to write and store your manuscript.
Find more instructions and information HERE:
HANDY FEATURES:
Grammarly offers three core components: grammar checker (which highlights spelling errors, misused words, incorrect punctuation, sentence structure, and other such issues in your writing), tone checker (which will help you say things as you intend to say them, eliminating some of the ambiguity that comes with written communication), and plagiarism checker.
PROS:
Real-Time Grammar Correcting: Instead of writing everything out and then clicking the “check spelling and grammar” button, you’ll know right when you make a mistake that you have, in fact, made an error.
Simple Explanations: This program goes a step further with explanations so you can understand in order to learn and improve. Grammarly has 2 options when it comes to explanations.
Customization: You’re able to select your preferred language, turn it off on certain websites, as well as add new words you use often to the dictionary.
Easy to Use.
CONS:
Limited Integration: It doesn't work on Google Docs.
Very Limited Free Version: It really only has one function, and that’s to correct your spelling and grammar.
Aggressive advertising: They REALLY want you to upgrade. Solution: unsubscribe (that virtually solves the problem).
PRICE:
Premium (monthly): $12.00
Business (monthly): $15.00
6. Hemingway Editor
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Hemingway Editor is an editing tool that identifies errors and areas of improvement in writing, by highlights and fixing common errors and sentence structure. It finds and fixes errors in spelling, syntax, flow, and sentence structure through the use of color-coded highlighting. You will need to export your document, though.
There are two main ways to use the service on offer: 1. Hemingway Editor – free online editing service, no account required. 2. Hemingway App – downloadable version of Hemingway, one-off payment
Find more instructions and information HERE: https://hemingwayapp.com/ https://hemingwayapp.com/desktop.html
HANDY FEATURES:
Hemingway has one-click integrations with Medium and any Wordpress blog, so if you're blogging, you can publish directly from the Hemingway Editor. The desktop version of Hemingway Editor doesn’t require internet, so it can be used on any device, and also allows formatting and direct publishing features.
PROS
Concise, Minimalistic Interface: You don’t even need to create an account.
Easy to Use. There is no learning curve. If you can copy and paste, you can get the full potential out of Hemingway.
Good Value. The free version of Hemingway is powerful enough to help out a lot of writers.
CONS
Limited Insight: Hemingway doesn’t provide the same volume of information and feedback as some alternatives out there.
Not for Everyone: Not every piece of writing should be in the sparse, easy-to-read style advocated by Hemingway. You should consider whether the style is the right one for you.
Black-and-White Lens: Hemingway App doesn't have the functionality to account for broken “writing rules” that are intentional due to author style or a literary devices list that it can use to evaluate your writing.
PRICE:
$20 for MAC / PC
7. AutoCrit
HOW DOES IT WORK?
AutoCrit isn't a traditional spellchecker or grammar auditing tool (although it can certainly do that), but an editing tool for writers who have the basics down but want to improve their form. It basically acts as an automated developmental editor, providing data about grammar, word choice, pacing, and much more.
Find more instructions and information HERE:
HANDY FEATURES:
Packed with analytical features, AutoCrit is an editor in the form of an app, allowing you to view your writing work from a variety of different angles – a comprehensive offering that few other apps can hope to match. It is an excellent replacement in case you cannot afford a true editor. You can use it to write, all the while keeping an eye on your style, and store your documents.
PROS
Thorough Reports: pacing & momentum (checks for paragraph variation, pacing, sentence variations, and similar issues), dialogue (analyzes the types of dialogue tags you use, if you overuse them or could benefit from a switch + watches for your use of adverbs in dialogue tags), strong writing (covers important style issues like tense consistency, passive voice, show vs. tell, cliché phrases), word choice (analyzes how you start your sentences, switch points of view, usage of generic and glue words), repetition (watches for using too many common phrases too frequently), compare to fiction (allows you to compare your work to a compendium of popular fiction that AutoCrit has downloaded and analyzed).
Easy to Use.
CONS
Slow: The advice is not to analyze more than 10,000 words at a time.
Free Access too limited.
Spelling and Grammar check: some authors have marked it as poor when compared with PWA or Grammarly.
PRICE:
Free Forever (limited online version)
AutoCrit Pro (monthly): $30
Annual Professional (monthly payments billed annually): $12
8. Freedom
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Freedom is a book writing software tool that blocks distracting websites from your browsing experience so you can focus completely on writing.
Find more instructions and information HERE:
HANDY FEATURES:
You are able to create “blocked” sessions for a set amount of time so you can set the focus sessions based on how long you need to focus to get your work done. If you are still tempted, they have a “locked” option which is even more intense and completely blocks those sites without any ways to work around it for a set amount of time.
PROS
Automatically Block Your Most Distracting Websites.
Free Try-Out: You can try Freedom out for a short time to make sure it is a good fit before you subscribe to a plan
CONS
Locked Mode Locks: It can block you from essential information you might need (it is the setting where you cannot bypass their block).
Selective: It doesn't block every single distracting app on certain devices.
The Time Tracking Report: it might not have every single piece of data you could want about your focused session.
PRICE:
Monthly: $8.99
Yearly: $3.33
Forever: $199 (they have a promotion ATM, "July Special", for $99.50!)
9. Novel Factory
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Novel Factory is writing software aimed at making authors more productive and better writers overall. It aims to help you successfully organize everything you write for your novel–from the outline to the final draft. It has a downloadable software, meaning you can download it directly to your desktop and start using it right away – it's free to a certain extent.
Find more instructions and information HERE:
HANDY FEATURES:
Individual spaces for notes let you access information on everything from characters to scenery as you write. Scene management provides an easy way to reorder your scenes with the click of a button, and the plot manager offers easy to use drag-and-drop index cards, which allow you to reorganize, color-code, and plan chapters, link characters, and plot points while cross-referencing your notes. There are other interesting features as well, such as intuitive viewing and plot templates.
PROS
A Road Map: This is a series of videos and guiding text that walks you through every step of your novel, from outlines to characters to writing your first draft, even editing & publishing your book.
Outlining Tools: There are two main ways you can go about planning your novel with The Novel Factory. Planning Templates (The Hero’s Journey, 'Character Driven' The Hero’s Journey, Detective Noir, Romance, Universal, Mystery/Crime Thriller, Short story, Horror, Screenplay, Blank) or Freeform Plotting (you can freeform plot using the stock-standard forms, add new acts and act items (plot events), delete them).
Character Creation: Once you’ve added a character in the ‘Characters’ section, you can input their basic info (background, appearance, motivation, family), upload an image or avatar of the character, write an introduction for your character so you can familiarize yourself with them, note down their voice details (speech patterns, vocabulary, stutter, peculiar expressions), select a personality type, answer a provided questionnaire to better get to know your character, complete a viewpoint synopsis (for every scene the character is in, you can note their thoughts so you know how they’d react to the events).
World/Universe Creation: You can add basic information about the place, add the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations associated with it, upload a picture.
CONS
Too Complicated: Writing isn't as intuitive, and, just like with Scrivener, you could end up spending more time doing the research and drawing your world and characters than actually writing.
Disconnect Between the Desktop App and Online Version: The desktop and online versions are completely separate from each other, and that the desktop version isn't compatible with Macs. They have all the same basic features except for one: the subplot manager is not included in the desktop version.
Expensive.
PRICE:
Monthly options:
Basic: $7.50
Standard: $20
Premium: $60
Yearly options (two months free)
Basic: $75
Standard: $198
Premium: $600
10. Evernote
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Evernote is a suite of software and services designed for notetaking and archiving. A "note" can be a piece of formatted text, a full webpage or webpage excerpt, a photograph, a voice memo, or a handwritten "ink" note. Notes can also have file attachments. Notes can be sorted into folders, then tagged, annotated, edited, given comments, searched and exported as part of a notebook.
Find more instructions and information HERE:
HANDY FEATURES:
Evernote supports a number of operating system platforms (including OS X, iOS, Chrome OS, Android, Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and webOS) and also offers online synchronization and backup services.
PROS:
Top-Tier Organizational System: You can organize the notes by hierarchy. There are 3 layers: Note, Notebook, Notebook Stack. You can also choose to organize notes by tags.
Powerful Advanced Search: It allows you to find notes by title, keywords, dates, or content (audio, images, etc.)
Comprehensive Formatting and Web Clipper.
Multi-Device Note Sync: Evernote syncs your notes across all devices and you can access them anytime, anywhere. Everything is automatically saved online and synced across your computers and phones. You can easily set the synchronization frequency.
CONS:
Not For Brief Tasks: Evernote is tailored for people who take detailed or extensive notes.
Poor Free Plan: 60MB monthly upload limit, 25MB maximum note size, 2 devices only.
PRICE:
Monthly options:
Free
Personal: $14.99
Professional: 17.99
Yearly options:
Free
Personal: $129.99
Professional: $169.99
PART TWO COMING UP TUESDAY, AUGUST 1st.
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