The right writing and editing tools can make your job as a writer a whole lot easier. I’ve used many different ones in the past and some have stood the test of time. Below you can find my top 5 favorite tools for writing your drafts, editing, and formatting (in no particular order).
1. Atticus
Atticus is a writing tool that’s pretty new to the game. However, I think it’ll grow quickly in popularity. Not only is it a piece of online writing software (although you can also download the app for offline use), but it also allows you to format your ebooks and print books with ease.
It’s possible to start a new project and write within the app, or you can import an existing file from Word, google docs, or even Scrivener. The software allows you to drag your chapters around in case you want to shift anything, and it comes with some standard pages (such as the title page, copyright page, acknowledgments, and about the author).
The formatting function has several completed templates you can use for formatting your book so that you can format it with ease. It’s also possible to use the custom theme builder to create your own unique style. The best part is that you can add pictures, for instance for your chapter pages so that you can have decorative chapter pages.
As you may be able to tell by now, Atticus is not free. At the moment of writing this post, it costs around 150$. This does give you lifelong access and you’ll automatically get updates such as new features and improvements. I got it, and I couldn’t be happier with it.
If you’re looking for a writing tool where you can both write your novel and format your book right after, then Atticus is the perfect story-writing tool for you.
Check it out here: go to Atticus
2. Scrivener
Scrivener, on the other hand, is probably one of the most well-known pieces of writing software. It’s an excellent tool for writing your draft, gathering your notes, creating an outline, and much more. It does come with a pretty steep learning curve. It just has so many features, it takes some time to use Scrivener effectively.
Their best feature is probably the notecards. They’re great for writing down your plot points and scenes, looking at them in an overview, and seeing whether or not there need to be any changes in the story.
If you need to do a lot of research, it’s also very handy to just add that to Scrivener. You can write notes, add pictures, or create a reference page so you ensure consistency. You can always keep your research open next to your writing. While you can do that even without Scrivener, it can be handy to have all your notes and writing in the same program. It also works great when you're outlining your story.
Scrivener also has a formatting feature. However, I’ve personally found it takes some time to get it right. It’s not the most intuitive to use. When it comes to this functionality, I do prefer Atticus, as they make it very visual for you.
You can try out Scrivener with a free trial. The license for the software is around 60$ at the time of writing. If you’re looking for story-writing software that has it all, you can’t go wrong with Scrivener.
Check it out here: go to Scrivener
3. Reedsy Book Editor
If you’re looking for a free writing tool, it doesn’t get much better than Reedsy’s book editor.
It’s an online writing tool where you can write directly in the app. You can’t import an already finished manuscript, so you’d have to do some copy and pasting in that case. The only downside is that you can’t use it offline, so you’d always need an internet connection and a way to log into the app.
Other than that, it works very easily and has some great functionalities. If you’re considering working with an editor from Reedsy, they can edit your manuscript within the app as well. That way, you can follow their work in real time.
Once you’re ready, you can format your file within the app. They have standard formatting that works for all the POD services and it’s easy to format it into an epub. You can use standard templates for the formatting, so there’s not a lot of customization. However, if you don’t mind this, the app is truly amazing and gives you all the most basic things you’ll need.
Check it out here: go to Reedsy Book Editor
4. Grammarly
Editing is always easier when you have a grammar tool. It’s an essential piece of writing software to have.
The upside is that Grammarly has a completely free tool you can use. It looks at the most common issues, such as grammar, spelling and punctuation, conciseness, tone detection, and citations. With that, you can already take out most of the errors in your writing.
I’ve been using the premium version for years, and I’m very satisfied with it. In addition to the free version, the premium version also checks for consistency in spelling and punctuation, English fluency, suggests full-sentence rewrites for clarity, inconsistency in formatting, word choice suggestions, word and sentence variety, tone suggestions, inclusive language, citation formatting, and plagiarism detection.
You can add a plug-in to your browser and to Word as well, so it’s easy to check your grammar even as you’re writing. So, go ahead and try out the free version. If you ever need more functionality, you can always upgrade.
Check it out here: go to Grammarly
5. Hemingway app
This final free writing tool is an online app that can help you with your line writing. The way I use it, I tend to copy a scene and paste it into the tool. Then I have the Hemingway App open in one window and my scene in the other window. I can then check in the app whether I’ve used too many adverbs, passive voice, or complicated sentences. I then consider whether I agree and make a change in my draft document if necessary (so I don’t make the change within the app itself).
You can also download the Hemingway App on your desktop so that you can use it both online and offline. However, that one is not free, although it’s not overly expensive. At the moment, it costs around 20$.
You can check it out here: go to the Hemingway App
What tools do you use for writing & editing?
Those were my favorite story-writing tools. I love how versatile they are and how there tend to be different options depending on your budget.
Do you have any preferred tools for writing, editing, or formatting?