The Best Writing Software

10-06-2020 5:00 AM Writing from the Peak, PPW Blog

9 Writing Tools for Authors to Create, Organize, and Edit

By: Jennifer Wilson

Finding the software that works best for you is a great debate amongst writers. There are a lot of options, and none are wrong. But some are better than others.

I use a whole slew of software during my process including Plottr for scheming, Scrivener for writing, ProWritingAid and Grammarly for editing and then Word for sending to editors/betas. AND there’s even more options out there. It can be overwhelming, so I’m breaking down some of the top programs for you—what they do, how much they cost and their pros/cons.

Plotting Software:

Plottr – Outline faster, plot smarter, and turbocharge your productivity today with the #1 visual book planning software for writers.

Outline plot
Create Story Bible
Create notes on Character and Places
Attach notes to plot points
Simple click and drag interface
Starter templates
Ongoing updates and support

Cost: 30 Day Free Trial – $25 one-time payment for desktop app

Pros:

Works with Mac & PC
Easy to use
Lots of tutorials
Good for visual thinkers
Exports into Scrivener and Word

Cons:

Can’t print the screen
Growing pains of new software – glitches happen

Scapple – It’s a virtual sheet of paper that lets you make notes anywhere and connect them using lines or arrows.

Brain storming focused
Write loose notes
Connect ideas
Tidy thoughts as they progress

Cost: 30 Day Free Trial – $18 one-time payment for desktop

Pros:

Works with Mac & PC
Easy to use
Good for free thought
Can import images and text files
Good for visual thinkers
Can drag notes into Scrivener

Cons:

Requires many steps to reformat notes
Not structured
No plotting templates
Doesn’t export to other writing programs

Writing Software:

Word – Word helps you put your best words forward – anytime, anywhere and with anyone. Basic writing software.

Formatting tools
Word count
Built-in editor
Desktop and App versions
Built-in thesaurus
Auto-save & OneDrive cloud sync
Read Aloud feature
Tracks changes

Cost: Free Browser option – $69 Year for desktop – $139.99 one-time purchase for desktop

Pros:

Works with Mac & PC
Most people are familiar with it
Best built-in editor
Can track changes when sent to editors

Cons:

Hard to navigate chapters – one massive file or lots of little ones
No plotting options
No note-taking storage
Manuscript templates are lacking
Export options very limited

Scrivener – Scrivener is the go-to app for writers of all kinds, used every day by best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more.

Structure writing by Chapters and Scenes
Create Notecards
Store project notes and images
Basic formatting tools for writing
Footnote support – Non-Fiction
Word count
Basic editor
Desktop and App versions
Templates
Set and Track Goals
Import from Word
Export to Word, PDF, Epub, Kindle, +more
Auto-save & Dropbox sync

Cost: 30 Day Free Trial – $49 one-time payment for desktop – $19.99 one-time payment for iOS Apps – $80 one-time payment for bundle

Pros:

Works with Mac & PC
Dropbox cloud syncing prevents lost work or multiple versions
Customizable view
Stores entire project in one place
Export to Epub & Kindle
Lots of tutorial videos
Updates are free

Cons:

Very simple editing capabilities
Stiff learning curve
Not the most user-friendly interface

Wavemaker – Easily structure your book into chapters, scenes, make notes and shuffle them around easily.

Structure writing by Chapters and Scenes
Create color-coded Notecards
Store project notes and images
Basic formatting tools for writing
Word count
Basic editor
Export to Word & PDF

Cost: Free

Pros:

FREE!
Makes navigating your manuscript much easier
Can connect to Google Drive
Good tutorial videos

Cons:

Only works in Chrome – can be used offline with extension download
Very simple editing capabilities
Still in growth phase so tech glitches happen
Must manually sync files with cloud storage – if you forget to sync and computer crashes… get the tissue box!
With multiple device access – you can accidently create multiple versions of the same file if you forget to sync
Not super intuitive software

SmartEdit Writer – (was Atomic Scribbler) free software to plan your novel, prepare and maintain research material, write your novel scene by scene and edit chapter by chapter in a modern Windows-ish application.

Structure writing by Chapters and Scenes
Store project notes in same file with images
Word-like formatting tools
Tracks daily word counts
Basic editor
Desktop program
Import/Export Word docs

Cost: Free

Pros:

FREE!
Makes navigating your manuscript much easier
Has a similar look and feel to Microsoft Word
Auto saves & backups

Cons:

PC only
Very simple editing capabilities
Window is visually cluttered
Save button hard to find
Opens a lot of extra windows to view notes and images
Not a lot of tutorial videos

Editing Software:

Author Note: None of these programs catch everything. For the best results, use several free versions and one paid option. Also, not all proposed edits are correct, so make sure to read all suggestions with your human brain before going click change crazy.

Hemingway App – The online version of Hemingway Editor is completely free. The creators have indicated they intend to keep it this way.

Critical grammar and spelling checks
Readability
Passive voice
Hard to read sentences
Word count

Cost: Free online – $19.99 one-time payment for desktop

Pros:

FREE!
Give Readability score
Highlights different issues by color code

Cons:

Very simple editing capabilities
Browser editing a little glitchy
Not the most user-friendly interface
Doesn’t catch everything

ProWritingAid – ProWritingAid is the only platform that offers world-class grammar and style checking combined with more in-depth reports to help you strengthen your writing.

Reports include:

Writing Style
Grammar
Overused Words
Clichés and Redundancies
Sticky Sentence
Readability
Repetitive Words/Phrases
Sentence Length
Pronoun Report
Transition Report
Pacing Check
Dialogue Tags Check
Plagiarism + more!

Cost: Free Trial – $20 Monthly – $79.00 Yearly – $299 Lifetime

Pros:

Most in-depth analysis available
Lifetime membership with constant updates
Runs directly in Word and Scrivener

Cons:

Cost, but lifetime worth it for career writers
Can crash computer (I suggest scanning one chapter at a time to avoid this)
Doesn’t catch everything

Grammarly – Grammarly Premium goes beyond grammar to help you ensure that everything you write is clear, engaging, and professional.

Critical grammar and spelling checks
Conciseness
Readability
Vocabulary enhancement suggestions
Genre-specific writing style checks
Plagiarism detector

Cost: Free version (base grammar and spelling only) – $29.95 Monthly – $59.95 Quarterly – $139.95 Yearly

Pros:

Browser extensions
Desktop and app options available
Stores all writing in backup cloud
Can adjust tone of voice to your writing style

Cons:

Only integrates with Word and only on Windows
Cost – not cheap long-term
Free version very limited
Doesn’t catch everything

Editors Note: Writing from the Peak will take a closer look at ProWritingAid and Grammarly next week. Check back then!

Jennifer Wilson is the #1 Amazon bestselling author of the young adult New World Series. The gripping trilogy spans Rising, Ashes, and Inferno. Jennifer is constantly on the move, always working on her next story line and drinking way too much coffee. When not writing, she is enjoying life in Colorado, rock climbing, camping, exploring new foods, playing with her golden retriever, Duke, and sharing life with her heroically supportive hubby. You can connect and nerd out with Jennifer on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and on her website.