10 free resources to add to your UX Writing toolbox

We may not be writing with quill pens and oil lamps anymore, but we still need some tools to get the job done.

Books

1. I won’t list the dozens of books here, because there are a lot depending on what you need. I’m a huge Goodreads fan, especially because of the shelving feature. I have one shelf dedicated to UX, tech, and writing. You can find what I found helpful (and didn’t) here.

Websites

2. Hemingway is a great tool if you’re still learning how to make your writing simpler. It marks complex sentences, and provides recommendations for how to clarify your message. You can also see what grade level you’re writing at. Remember: UX Writing is about being simple, not clever.

3. Word Count is one of many word counters, but it’s my favorite for its simplicity. It tells you the number of words and characters in your copy, and also highlights words that show up most often.

4. If you’re not using ChatGPT yet, jump on the bandwagon. It’s a whole article in itself, which you can find here. But the TL;DR version: It’s not magic, but it can make your day to day life a little bit easier

Courses

5. In addition to its blog, UX Content Collective offers courses for both new and experienced UX Writers. They’re known for honing in on specifics, such as accessibility and research.