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8 Writing Strategies to Write More Effectively - QuillBot Blog

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We’re beating procrastination once and for all. With writing strategies like taking breaks, asking questions, and paraphrasing, you’ll be writing more effectively in no time.

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Before the computer there was the typewriter, and before the typewriter there was pen and paper, and before pen and paper there were plenty of other lost tools of writing - like clay, papyrus, wood, slate, parchment, and, of course, pens made out of reeds. (Fun fact: the name "Reedsy" is inspired by the "reed pen," which was used as early as 800 B.C. for documentation).

As you can tell by now, the act of writing has been a part of human culture from the days of chiseling stories onto the walls of caves - and as we have evolved, so have our writing tools. In fact, today's writers and storytellers are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding which tools to use.

The following list details our favorite writing tools and resources for taking any idea through to its written conclusion. If you want to cut straight to the chase and find out which is the right writing app for you, we recommend taking this quick 30-second quiz.

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Otherwise, let's dive in!

Writing tools

We all know Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so we're not going to waste your time giving those two a run-down in our list. Below are four other word processors you might not know about, and that are worth checking out.

1. Reedsy Book Editor

Cost: Free
Does "fake it 'til you make it" ring true to you? Well, the Reedsy Book Editor is a free, online word processor that formats your book as you write. See your drafts automatically turn into a professional-looking, ready-to-publish manuscript - and allow this glimpse of your work as the final product spur your motivation to write.

It comes with an automatic spell-checker - and a built-in goal reminder system to get you back into shape if you find that you're falling behind on your writing schedule! Another one of the Reedsy Book Editor's best functions is that it lets you instantly typeset your manuscript to EPUB and print-ready PDF files.

Check it out if: if you want a writing tool that takes care of formatting and conversion for you.

2. Draft

Do you like a helpful tap on the shoulder, reminding you about something you need to do? Well, you'll likely enjoy Draft then, because the book writing software not only keeps track of how many words you write per day, it can also email you daily reminders about your daily word count goals. (Of course, if this sounds a little too "hands-on" for you, you can always turn the reminder function off).

Other than that, Draft functions a lot like Google Docs: allowing you to track changes, collaborate via suggested edits, and make comments on the doc.

Check it out if: you like Google Docs, but want an even simpler interface.

3. LibreOffice

LibreOffice is the open source answer for people who want to try Microsoft without paying the price tag. (Open source means that the software is built on code that anyone can inspect and enhance). Plus it's compatible with all of the regular file types people are used to, such as .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, and .pptx files.

Check it out if: you like a classic word processor - and moreover, a free one.

4. Mellel

Mellel is not free (and note that it's only for Mac). In return for the price tag, you'll get more book-specific tools than other, perhaps more traditional word processors - such as outlining and bibliography-making functions. And, judging by the witty, funny copy on Mellel's website, Mellel makes the process of writing much more fun than they let on.

Check it out if: you're a Mac user who wants more than the Pages app offers.

Organization tools

Plotters tend to finish their writing projects quicker than pantsers - simply because when they hit a wall, they have their notes or outlines to reference, allowing them to jump straight over that hurdle and hit the ground running. P.S. You can grab a free template for your book outline here in this comprehensive guide to outlining.

The following resources will help you keep your thoughts organized so that any bouts of writer's block don't slow you down.

5. Milanote

Cost: Free for basic plan or $12.50/month for premium.
Milanote is an easy-to-use creative writing app to organize your research, ideas, characters and outline in one place.

The vast majority of novelist-oriented writing software is organized around the idea of a linear document. But for most people, writing isn't linear - because thinking isn't linear. Writing is about gradually getting a jumble of ideas into shape, and Milanote's writing app matches the way writers think.

Check it out if: you're a plotter who likes a flexible workspace to organize ideas and see a birds-eye view of how your story outline is coming together.

6. Evernote

The app lets you quickly jot down thoughts, record audio notes, save online articles you're hoping to reference, and it will sync all of this information across all of your Evernote-installed devices. What's also handy about the app is the collaborative aspect of it: you can create shared accounts, so that multiple people can access saved documents at once.

Check it out if: you're prone to getting great ideas while on the go, and need somewhere to make sure you don't forget them by the time you're home.

7. Ulysses

And that's exactly what Ulysses allows you to do: organize your thoughts into a well-written work. This is accomplished through features like customizable writing goals and deadlines, plain text enhancements, a distraction-free typewriter mode, bookmarks, outlining functions, and more.

Check it out if: you're working on a lengthy piece of non-fiction, like a blog post or essay. (For a comparison of Scrivener vs. Ulysses, keep reading!)

8. Scrivener

Scrivener vs Ulysses
Apart from the price (Scrivener charges a one-time licensing fee while Ulysses charges yearly), the two platforms offer many of the same features. So we'll focus on what makes the two programs different.

1. Scrivener's corkboard function is an absolute favorite for writers who rely on visual aid to help with outlining. The function looks like an actual corkboard, and lets writers pin notes to the board in chronological order.

2. Scrivener offers templates for works such as fiction, essays, recipe collections, screenplays, comic books - which gives Scrivener another point for versatility.

3. Ulysses boasts an interface that is slightly more clean and simple - so if ease-of-use is high on your priority list, it might be the better option for you.

4. Ulysses offers a very helpful WordPress and Medium integration, which bloggers who publish on either of these platforms will love.

Check it out if: you're working on a longer piece of content (like a book or screenplay) and want one comprehensive place to manage all your work. (And don't forget to check out our equally as comprehensive review of Scrivener's newest update: Scrivener 3!)

9. Hubspot's AI Content Writer

Cost: Free, with premium upgrade available

HubSpot's Free AI Content Writer is designed to help bloggers streamline their content creation process. This tool can generate drafts of blog posts, website copy, emails, and more with ease and without additional resources, by relying on prompts or topics provided by users. For those suffering from writer's block, the AI content writer can also create outlines to help spur writing along.

For those already using HubSpot's marketing and sales tools, the AI content writer's integration will be extra handy.

Check it out if: you're a blogger short on time or inspiration.

Productivity tools

Alright, let's kick things into high gear now. You know what you want to use to write, and your thoughts and ideas are concisely organized. If you're finding it difficult to buckle down and get the job done (or struggle to write quickly or consistently), these resources will help you realize that Nike manta: just do it.

10. Ommwriter

With soothing background noises, customizable keyboard noises, and peaceful backgrounds to choose from, Ommwriter could just be the "break" from everything else going on around you that you need to write.

Check it out if: your very best writing ideas come to you while in "savasana."

11. To Doist

Cost: free or $4/month for premium plan
Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat, panicking about something important you forgot to do? Or, god forbid, gripped in dread about how far behind you are on your word-count goals?

Well, To Doist might be able to help. It's the ultimate app for creating to-do lists - but these aren't your grandma's pen-and-paper lists with little check marks beside them (though we mean no offense to your grandma). It lets you get a daily or weekly overview of your tasks, prioritize the tasks that are most important, and even lets you assign tasks to other people if you're working on a specific goal with other collaborators.

Check it out if: you have never been able to find an agenda that's souped up enough to keep you on track.

12. Marinara Timer

Cost: Free
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method meant to promote productivity. In a nutshell, it stipulates that you should work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break, then work for 25 minutes, take another 5-minute break, etc., etc.

The free-to-use Marinara Timer makes this easy for you by alerting you each time your work sessions and breaks are up. It also offers customizable timers in case the 25/5 isn't quite right for keeping you on track. Fun fact: taking a break to stand up or walk (or do anything but sit!) every hour is also a good way to protect your back if you sit hunched at a computer working for long stretches at a time.

Check it out if: consistent breaks from work help actually keep you focused on the task at hand.

13. Cold Turkey

With Cold Turkey, you can block yourself from accessing certain websites - or even your entire computer - for periods at a time, only allowing you to use the current document you're working on.

Check it out if: "willpower" is not a characteristic you'd ascribe yourself, and the only way for you to get something done is in a totally distraction-free state.

14. Freedom

It functions like Cold Turkey; however, a unique function of Freedom is the ability to sync your distraction-free periods across all your devices. So if you know that on Tuesdays, you want your computer, phone, and tablet to all block access to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook - you can!

Check it out if: letting other people know not to bother you during your non-negotiable writing time isn't enough, you need to let yourself know not to interrupt, well, yourself.

15. Noisli

Check it out if: you get the most work done with white noise.

Editing tools

If you're planning to publish a book - or any kind of writing you're hoping to make a profit from, it's crucial that your work is thoroughly edited. To that end, working with a professional editor is an investment you should give serious thought to.

In the meantime, here are a few editing tools that can help you out along the way. Hopefully, they'll either ensure a typo-free draft, so by the time you do work with an editor, they can spend less time fixing small typos and more time on big-picture work, or, if you decide to forego a professional edit, you'll have the tools to do the best editing job you can.

16. Hemingway

Cost: Free
The Hemingway app claims to make your writing "bold and clear." It has a number of handy features like a word-counter and an automatic readability score. But its real use lies in the features that make suggestions to your prose. For instance, it might highlight a complex sentence that's hard to read. It also highlights instances of passive voice, qualifiers, and adverbs. Let's take a look at how this passage from Ernest Hemingway's very own To Have and Have Not fares:

"Just" is highlighted because it's a qualifier, and Hemingway suggests, instead: "Be bold. Don't hedge." The sentence in red is highlighted as being hard to read. And "probably" is pointed out as an adverb - the app suggests using a forceful verb instead.

Check it out if: you want to bring out your inner Ernie. (Curious what else Hemingway offers? Check out our full review of the app right here.)

17. Fictionary

The Fictionary Story Editing software creates intelligent visuals that help you improve your story's structure, characters, plot, and settings. Using Natural Language Processing, Fictionary identifies your key story arc scenes and gives you actionable insights to improve the structure of your book.

Annual subscribers get access to year-round live classes on writing and editing. Think of it like Peloton for writers.

Check it out if: You want to get your story structure in the best possible shape before submitting to agents and/or editors.

18. Marlowe Pro
Cost: $19/month or $169 per year
This manuscript assessment tool will provide in-depth feedback on your novel within minutes. Using artificial intelligence, Marlowe can analyze your plot, pacing, story beats, and readability - then provide actionable insights (as well as comp titles) based on its database of bestsellers across a number of genres.

A sample analysis of the narrative and dialogue in The DaVinci Code.

To try out this AI editor, claim a free report by entering REEDSYFREE at checkout. And for a 15% discount on a Marlowe Pro subscription, enter REEDSY15OFF when prompted at checkout.
Cost: $29.95/mth or $199/year; $45 for single reports
Check it out: to take a scientific and methodical approach to your developmental edits.

19. Cliché Finder

Check it out if: you want to avoid clichés like the plague, and for your book to sell like hotcakes - and the rest is history.

20. Grammarly

Cost: Free
Have you ever sent an email, only to realize that you'd made a glaring typo just as you hit "Send"? Well, no more!

Grammarly essentially functions like the spell checker tool from Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but here's the great part: it's a plug-in that will work wherever you happen to writing. That means Twitter, Gmail, Google Docs, Facebook - anywhere. Plus it offers vocabulary or alternate word suggestions - for instance, it might suggest you replace "walking aimlessly," with the word "wandering." For a more in-dept analysis, check our full Grammarly review.

Check it out if: you're typo-prone! (Read below for a comparison of Grammarly vs. ProWritingAid.)

21. ProWritingAid

Cost: Free browser extension or $79/year for the full software
ProWritingAid is a tool you can install that will proofread and spell check your material for you, no matter where you're writing. It will also offer suggestions to improve your overall language - outside of just grammatical technicalities. (You can even get 20% off via this special offer!)

1. Grammarly is free to use, and while ProWritingAid offers a free Google Chrome plug-in, this free option only offers spell checking services, it won't make editorial suggestions.

2. ProWritingAid is slightly more tailored towards authors, while Grammarly is a slightly better fit for articles and essays. Ultimately, both tools lend a very helpful editing hand, so deciding between the two mostly boils down to the one you enjoy using more.

Check it out if: you want to make sure your writing is as polished as possible.

Workspace tools

At the end of the day, all you really need to write is a pen and paper. All the fancy tools and apps in the world won't get the words out for you. That being said, creating an environment that's appealing - and conducive! - to write in can make the whole process more enjoyable, and encourage you to get the job done.

Here are few physical tools to look over if you're thinking of sprucing up your workspace.

22. Livescribe Pen

Check it out if: you've ever felt envy at Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

23. Ergonomic desk setups

Check it out if: you don't want writing gains to come at the cost of growing back pains.

24. Computer Glasses

Cost: Varies
Writers are all familiar with computer-caused eyestrains. Because you blink far less when looking at a screen than you do otherwise, computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a condition people have been developing due to long stretches of staring at a computer.

One way to help alleviate this - other than just making sure to take time looking away from your computer - is to invest in some computer glasses. They typically come in blue or amber shades, and are coated with a protective coating.

There are several brands you can check out, such as Pixel Eyewear or Felix Gray.

Check it out if: you notice itchy or tired eyes after long writing sessions.

Have you tried any of the above writing tools - and if so, which were your favorites? Or maybe you feel there are some great resources missing from this list? Let us know in the comments below!

- Originally published on Apr 27, 2020

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The 23 Best Writing Tools of 2023: A Guide for Writers

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If you feel spoiled by choice when it comes to picking the perfect writing tools, you'll love this list which reviews some of the top writing tools of 2022.

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In Action: Create a Mood Tracking Journal

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In Action: Create a Mood Tracking Journal

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Visit the Apple Education Community to discover great learning resources and learn new skills to become an Apple Teacher.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Guided Reading Resources from the curriculum drive 

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Guided Reading Resources from the curriculum drive 

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I am pleased to announce that Brookes Publishing in August published my new book titled The Writing Rope: A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction in All Subjects. I am also delighted that my friend and colleague, Jan Hasbrouck, wrote the foreword. The book can be ordered at the Brookes website (and click here for a free book study guide). I wrote about The Writing Rope framework in a 2019 article, and again in a Literacy Lines January 2020 blog post. Later, the International Dyslexia Association included it in their collection of infographics.

Why did I create The Writing Rope framework?

I had been thinking about the need for a model that could identify the components that make up skilled writing for a while. The literature and discourse related to literacy instruction tends to focus on reading, even though writing is just as important for student literacy achievement. Much has been written about the multiplicity of skills involved in reading, beginning with the "five components" necessary for skilled, fluent reading that became popular after the 2000 report of the National Reading Panel (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension). On the other hand, when attention is paid to writing instruction, teachers are not sure what to include. Many educators who are knowledgeable about effective reading instruction are not able to identify the components of skilled writing or essential elements of a curriculum for teaching writing. I developed The Writing Rope to help educators readily identify these components.

Over the past ten years, with the help of the team at Keys to Literacy, I published the Keys to Early Writing and Keys to Content Writing courses that have been used to train teachers across the U.S. The professional development experiences with teachers that resulted, combined with the research on effective writing instruction, form the basis for The Writing Rope. I organized the numerous skills, strategies, and techniques that students need to integrate for skilled writing into five components. To visually represent the components, I first considered the metaphor of a wagon wheel to represent how the components work together, like spokes in a wheel. But I kept thinking about the powerful image of the rope strands in Hollis Scarborough's Reading Rope, and decided to develop my framework with a nod towards that model. One of my hobbies is drawing and water color painting, and one night I sat down and sketched out a drawing of a rope and added wording for the five strands (shown below). For the new book, the graphic designers at Brookes Publishing did a great job of adding color to the rope (also shown below).

How can The Writing Rope be used?
As noted above, my original intention was to develop a framework that could identify the major components that make up skilled writing. It can be used by administrators and curriculum directors to help determine if the writing curriculum being used covers all essential writing skills and strategies. It can also be used to review writing programs that are being considered - which components are included, and what's missing. For English language arts teachers, The Writing Rope can serve as a master plan to help teachers make sure they are providing instruction for all the strands in the rope. For content teachers of all subjects, the first three strands of the rope (Critical Thinking, Syntax, Text Structure) include instructional suggestions that can be integrated in content instruction. For those who read The Writing Rope book, I included significant references to the research related to writing instruction so teachers can see how the suggested instructional practices are evidence based. I also included "Connect to Your Classroom" activities to help readers apply what they learn to their teaching.
What grades are addressed?
While the book was written with educators of students in grades 4-8 in mind, teachers will find instructional suggestions that can be used across all grades. For example, the suggestions for developing syntactic awareness and improved sentence-writing (such as sentence-combining) are helpful for primary grade students, as well as older students who do not have strong sentence writing ability. The instructional suggestions under the critical thinking strand for the stages of the writing process and strategies for writing about text sources (such as two-column note taking) can be introduced with second and third graders, and also used by high school students who are writing research papers.
How is The Writing Rope book organized?
The book chapters are organized into three sections, listed below:
Part 1: Laying the Foundations for Teachers & Students

1 Introduction to The Writing Rope

2 What do we know about effective writing instruction?

3 Transcription skills

4 Writing craft

Part 2: Skills and Strategies - Learning to Write

5 Critical Thinking: Stages of the writing process

6 Syntax and sentence skills

7 Text Structure: Paragraph Skills

8 Text Structure: The three types of writing

Part 3: Application - Writing to Learn

9 Critical Thinking: Summary writing

10 Critical Thinking: Writing from text sources

11 Putting it all together

Related Professional Development
If you are interested in participating in live or online professional development that includes instructional practices found in The Writing Rope book, contact Keys to Literacy for information about Keys to Early Writing (for grades K-2) and Keys to Content Writing (for grades 3-12).

Joan Sedita

Joan Sedita is the founder of Keys to Literacy and author of the Keys to Literacy professional development programs. She is an experienced educator, nationally recognized speaker and teacher trainer. She has worked for over 35 years in the literacy education field and has presented to thousands of teachers and related professionals at schools, colleges, clinics, and professional conferences.

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New Book: The Writing Rope - Keys to Literacy

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I am pleased to announce that Brookes Publishing in August published my new book titled The Writing Rope: A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction in All Subjects. I am also delighted that my friend and colleague, Jan Hasbrouck, wrote the foreword. The book can be ordered at the Brookes website.

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Scarborough’s Reading Rope | Really Great Reading

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[row][oneHalf][/oneHalf][oneHalf]What is Scarborough’s Reading Rope?In 2001, Dr. Hollis Scarborough created the Reading Rope using pipe cleaners to convey how the different “strands” of reading are all interconnected yet independent of one another. For many students, learning to read is a challenge. Scarborough’s Rope captures the complexity of learning to read. Scarborough’s