Attention Article Writers: Here Are the 5 Best Tools for Success

A good selection to choose from

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

You don’t have to be an expert writer to make money from writing articles, but the truth is that the better your writing skills are, the more money you can make from it.

Good writing skills not only help you get more and better opportunities to write articles, but they also help you get higher-paying gigs with brands that value well-written copy.

Check out these five tools for improving your article writing skills in this article on how to write articles successfully.

Scrivener

We all know that writer’s block is real. It can seem impossible to start a sentence, let alone a book or an essay. This is where Scrivener comes in handy. You can use it to store your ideas and start writing once you feel inspired.

However, you can also layout your entire book and outline before you begin to write and leave yourself notes. Scrivener is available on Mac, Windows, and Android so there’s no excuse not to check it out.

Scrivener is the go-to app for writers of all genres, with best-selling novelists, screenwriters, nonfiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators, and others using it every day. Scrivener will not teach you how to write; instead, it will provide you with everything you need to get started and keep writing.

Cost: There is a 30-day free trial period then $49 for the Standard license.

Ulysses

While it is ultimately a writing tool, one of the most valuable features of comprehensive programs like Ulysses or Scrivener is their organizational capabilities. At the end of the day, whether you’re writing a blog post or a full-length novel, the ability to organize an idea into a cohesive piece of writing is essential.

And that is precisely what Ulysses enables you to do: organize your thoughts into a well-written work. This is accomplished by including features such as customizable writing goals and deadlines, plain text enhancements, a distraction-free typewriter mode, bookmarks, outlining functions, and more.

Cost: $5/month or $40/year (or try a 14-day free trial)

Draft

Do you like it when someone taps you on the shoulder to remind you of something you need to do? You’ll probably like Draft because it not only keeps track of how many words you write per day, but it can also email you daily reminders about your daily word count goals. (Of course, if this sounds a little too “hands-on,” you can always disable the reminder function.)

Aside from that, Draft works similarly to Google Docs, allowing you to track changes, collaborate via suggested edits, and leave comments on the document.

If you like Google Docs but prefer a simpler interface, give it a try.

Cost: Free

Grammarly

Have you ever sent an email only to discover, as you hit the “Send” button, that you’d made a glaring typo? So, no more.

Grammarly works similarly to the spell checker tool in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but here’s the best part: it’s a plug-in that will work wherever you’re writing. That includes Twitter, Gmail, Google Docs, Facebook, and any other service.

Furthermore, it provides vocabulary or alternate word suggestions — for example, it may suggest that you replace “walking aimlessly” with the word “wandering.” Check it out if you’re prone to typos.

Cost: There are 3 versions — Free, Premium $12/month, Business $15/month

Hemingway App

This app is a must-have if you’re writing on an online platform. It finds grammatical errors, overused words, and other style blunders in your writing. If you’re not an English major, don’t worry. This app can help anyone write with crystal clarity.

With Hemingway App, writers everywhere can strive to increase their standards of excellence when it comes to communication through writing. Use Hemingway App to put your best foot forward from start to finish.

The Hemingway app claims to improve your writing by making it “bold and clear.” It includes a word counter and an automatic readability score, among other useful features.

However, its true utility lies in the features that make suggestions to your writing. It could, for example, highlight a difficult-to-read complex sentence. It also emphasizes passive voice, qualifiers, and adverbs.

Cost: Free

Final Thoughts

I hope you find these tools useful for your writing endeavors. A pen and paper are indeed all you need to write, but there’s something to be said for convenience when it comes to writing articles. In fact, some writers claim they can only write their best work using technology and that they can’t write without it.

While I think we should always put in an effort to be as comfortable as possible when we write, do what works for you. The point of these tools is not to make writing easier or faster; it’s about maximizing your output and increasing the quality of your articles by keeping track of ideas and promoting structure in your workflow. Good luck.

Writing the Perfect Article: A Template for Success

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