Improvement in Action
Three Writing Tools to Add to Your Bag
As a writer, I personally am always looking for strategies to improve my work, knock out writer’s block and level up each piece I complete. The good news is there are countless tools out there to aid any writer, however, the bad news is they’re often hard to find. While I could go into a whole rant on random materials tucked away into a dark corner of the web, it would be much more fruitful to introduce a few familiar options often overlooked because of their simplicity. Despite the common knowledge that they exist, the value of certain writer-friendly websites is often underappreciated. So, as we take a look at the following tools, consider adding them to your bag and if you have already, congratulations you’re one step ahead of the game!
Grammarly
Before you roll your eyes and complain about the countless advertisements spamming your inbox with some punny quote on why you should install Grammarly, hang with me for a second. While definitely overly advertised to the point it gets tuned out, Grammarly actually does deserve the praise smiling clients offer in every commercial. (Well, in reality they’re paid actors, but you get the point). With just the basic Grammarly account, spelling and grammar (hence the name) errors are pointed out and a solution offered. Now this may sound petty, but the sad truth of writing says punctuation is a struggle. Having a system to point out your mistakes and correct them with a simple click is incredibly convenient and saves so much time. In addition to identifying simple errors, Grammarly also offers a premium subscription that uses AI to correct sentence structure, reduce redundancy and improve word use. With no judgment to those who use it, I personally am not a fan of this for two reasons. Number one, AI is an iffy topic especially for art forms like writing and I’d prefer to stay away from it. Number two, and this one is more important, Grammarly often changes sentence structure to the technically most appropriate fashion, but this often weakens the punch of a particularly written sentence especially in fiction novels. Sometimes the only way to express something calls for the job of the human mind and nothing else. With that said, Grammarly at its minimum is a helpful resource in saving time for all writers.
Thesaurus
I would like to think I am not alone in believing this was some species of dinosaur upon first impression which unfortunately it is not. Despite my childhood disappointment of discovering that a thesaurus is merely a book of synonyms and not a long-gone scaly reptile, I have learned to love this tool and use it all the time. Yep, even for this post! Thanks to the internet, I merely have to open the thesaurus site in another browser and click between the two rather than actually open a book and hunt for the exact word I need. Yet no matter the form, a thesaurus is incredibly useful in elaborating sentences, finding a synonym for a commonly used word, and if you’re like me, sounding professional in an otherwise drab paper. Okay well maybe not the last part but you get the point-thesauruses are especially helpful!
Name Generators
I’m sure everyone’s heard of this but for that one person hiding under a rock, this is exactly what it sounds like. A website that literally generates names for characters, places, languages, etc. with the click of a button. Certain generators feature requirements you can add before generating such as first letter, last letter, genre, or time period but even the most basic of these is incredibly helpful. Some may argue that the originality of each character or place is weakened by using a name generator, and that is a valid point however, I personally use this mainly as a way to get my creative juices flowing. Once some names have been generated, I often switch some letters around, look up the meaning of others, mix and match until I’ve created my own special masterpiece to use. There’s no way you can’t call that original! Another helpful addition of name generators is that they provide a place to begin with tangible ideas ready to be woven into something greater. Side note: baby name websites are also especially helpful solely for character name-building as they provide endless lists of names and their meanings with-yep, no joke-certain pages labeled for certain aesthetics of baby names. Regardless, name generators are a perfect way to jumpstart creativity and begin the journey in creating something never seen before.
Now that you’ve got the gist of things, let’s recap. Although often-well known to writers, helpful tools are often brushed to the side whether because of ignorance of lack of time to investigate. Yet, when utilized, they improve, strengthen and make our job easier! And who doesn’t want improvement? Making good use of the things provided for enhancement is crucial for everyone. So then, consider checking out:
Grammarly: aids in spelling and punctuation errors, points out redundancy
Thesaurus: strengthens description, providing synonyms for finer word use
Name Generators: light a creative spark providing a pathway toward plot growth and character development
Hopefully, ya’ll have been encouraged to check these out if you haven’t already and fingers crossed you find them as useful as I have! Happy exploring and good luck writing!