Writing Tools

yWriter is basic, but it’s also completely free. You can move scenes/chapters around and save your worldbuilding and character development notes in the app. The formatting is a little clunky, but the low-key design can actually help you stay focused during your writing sessions. You can also use yWriter to set goals for yourself and keep track of your progress. If you’re just starting out, yWriter is a great introduction to some of the more sophisticated tools out there.

Dabble is my go-to writing app no matter where I am in the writing process. I’m not sure I could live without it at this point. For revision, Dabble makes it easy to rearrange scenes & chapters. I use it to write drafts, organize my worldbuilding & character development notes, and keep track of my revision plans. For those who write epic-length works, Dabble can handle long manuscripts without glitches. Plus, Dabble syncs to the cloud so I can switch between devices seamlessly and keep up with my writing goals on the go. Dabble also formats your manuscript according to industry standards and has built in goal setting tools as well. If it seems like I’m waxing poetic, I am. I truly love Dabble.

Many writers swear by Scrivener for writing and organizing their work. Others are thrown off by the steep learning curve for using it successfully. Scrivener is a paid service, but you pay once to download the software and don’t have to pay again unless you want to upgrade to an updated version. Scrivener also offers a free trial so you can test it out and figure out if the software is right for you!

ProWritingAid is an AI-powered writing assistant that catches grammar mistakes, overused words, awkward phrasing, and much, much more. Unlike other grammar checkers, ProWritingAid was designed with fiction writers in mind. You can specify your genre to get targeted suggestions and access their extensive resources for writers. ProWritingAid now has an option to rephrase and rewrite text for you (using AI) but you can use the other features without actually using AI generated content.

Grammarly is another AI-powered writing checker, very similar to ProWritingAid. While ProWritingAid has features that are specific to fiction writers, Grammarly is a more general tool. I have generally found it to be less helpful, but check it out if you find ProWritingAid doesn’t work for you.