16 Writing Tools: How to Start Writing Every Day

Transcription

1 Profile Login 16 Writing Tools: How to Start Writing Every Day OCTOBER 20, 2016 BY LIZ FROMENT 10 COMMENTS Share 12 Tweet Pin0 If there s one habit I ve found to be most successful to success online, it s writing everyday. Easier said than done. This is a guest post from our community manager Liz Froment, where she will share 16 writing tools and tips to help you build a habit of writing everyday. Confession: W r i t i n g i s h a r d. No matter how skilled a writer is, no matter how long they ve been writing, it never gets easy. But, at the same time, writing is one of the most important skills anyone can have. This is especially true if you re growing your own business. And that doesn t just mean for people whose brands center around writing. 1 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

2 So if you think just because you re doing affiliate marketing, or SEO, or social media that you don t need to worry about writing. Well, think again. How do you sell your products, get clients, or motivate people to click on links? You guessed it, writing. If you re anything like me, you ve been wanting to get better at writing for a while. I ve struggled to do it consistently, which is a big problem in and of 2 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

3 itself. Since the majority of people I see who are successful with their brands are those who consistently put out a lot of content. I know the advice: write more. I d heard it, and read it, and ignored it. Until recently. After a lot of starts and stops, I ve finally followed the advice I d been ignoring for so long. Because as much as I d hoped the awesomeat-writing-fairy would gently tap her wand on my forehead while I was sleeping and I d wake up with said skills, it hasn t happened. So I ve been left with one alternative do the work. The good news is that there are a number of writing tools I ve found that have not only helped get me motivated to start writing daily but have helped improve it too. Well, I hope at least. So that s what I want to share with you today. The writing tools that I use to keep a daily writing practice going strong. It s going to be split into a few sections, tools that you can use to write, improve your writing, and keep you motivated to continue writing everyday. My Favorite Writing Tools In this section, I m going to highlight a few tools that you can use to start writing. Use these as places to actually write. It doesn t matter what you pick (even if it s off this list) but it s really important to use it every day. Blank Page 3 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

4 You can see both my daily writing goal and the number of days I ve hit it from the dashboard of Blank Page. This is the tool I use. It s a very simple writing tool that allows you to set a daily writing goal, track your goal, and set up stories. It s super simple to use and distraction free. I do like that if you re trying to try your hand a bit more of storytelling you can use Blank Page as an outline or as chapters to one larger story. 750 Words Statistics inside 750 Words 750 Words is another writing tool you can use to write, set a goal, and track your progress all in one place. It has an attractive setup, and I 4 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

5 really like how you can visually see what days you ve managed to write and what days you ve missed. 750 words is approximately 3 pages, so it s a pretty reasonable goal to start your daily practice. Write or Die Not the prettiest of interfaces, but trust me, if you want to be able to bang out content, Write or Die works. When I first got into SEO content writing and wanted to bang out articles more quickly, I loved using Write or Die. At my best, I was able to get 500 words out in just around 15 minutes, and I credit this tool for the improvement. Basically, you set a word limit, a time, and you re off to the races. If you don t hit your word count at the time limit, the app will let you know. Google Docs This one is pretty obvious. A lot of people don t think about using Google Docs for a daily writing practice, but it makes sense. Google Docs is free, easy to use, and can be organized easily. Start by creating a folder to organize your writing. Star it so it will always be at the top of your GDocs, so every time you open it, your folder is staring you in the face. 5 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

6 Tools to Improve Writing These tools can help you improve your actual writing skills, and if you re anything like me, grammar and spelling can be an issue. While as Anne Lamott says write shitty first drafts these tools can help make your subsequent drafts substantially less crappy over the long run. Grammarly I m a new convert to Grammarly but love it. Use the free Chrome extension and you ll be able to dramatically improve your writing right away. Basically, the extension looks at everything you write, from blog posts to s to social media, and lets you know any basic grammar and spelling mistakes. 6 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

7 Plus, it sends me a cool newsletter each week reminding me of how smart I am. Who doesn t love a little ego boost? Readability Grader If you have a tendency to toss around lots of big words and complex sentences (I m looking at myself here) then you ll love a tool like Readability Grader. It s super simple to use, just copy your text into the box and click check. You ll see exactly how easy your content is to read, and it will help you simplify what you write. Correctica We can t all afford an editor to check our writing right from the jump. But Correctica helps you get part way there. All you need to do is send your doc to their address, and a few minutes later, poof you ve got all your errors highlighted. Use it the first ten times for free, or you can pay $30 a year for unlimited checks. Hemmingway App 7 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

8 Hemmingway provides an easy way to see what you need to fix. Another popular tool that corrects grammar and spelling in a really clean and visual way is the Hemmingway App. You can either write inside the app or copy your content and it will tell you what needs improving (recognize that section from above?). Plus, it gives you a readability score and a word count all in one place. Tools to Get You Writing Ok, so we ve got the tools we can write stuff in, and we ve got the tools to check the writing you do come up with. Now, we come to the hardest part. The actual writing bit. Yea, I know. If you suffer from major writer s block, try some of these tools which can help get your creative writing juices flowing. Daily Page 8 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

9 Writing prompts are a great way to get started writing without overthinking and getting stuck. Lots of people need help getting motivated to write. This is especially true if you don t have a pile of brilliant ideas or topics to cover, or if you want to start exploring creative writing and storytelling. Daily Page helps you by sending you an every single day, at the time you request, with a writing prompt. Prompts Prompts is an iphone app that was created to get you writing. Rather than just giving you a story or a sentence to start, it actually uses a complex algorithm to help guide you through your writing, offering advice and making suggestions as you go. Plus, it also keeps track of your writing habits, so you can keep tabs of your daily goals. Writer s Digest Writer s Digest is a site geared towards helping aspiring writers. So, it shouldn t come as a big shock that they have hundreds of different writing prompts on the site for you to check out. 9 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

10 You can either sign up for their newsletter and get a full book of prompts or go to their prompts site and get a new one every week. Plot Generator I ve always dreamed of being the next Great American Crime Novelist. If you ve always wanted to become a better storyteller but never knew where to start, this could be a great tool for you. Plot Generator helps you out by randomizing the bare bones of a plot for you, giving you things like character names, attributes, and location. Then it leaves you to work your magic to fill in the holes. Books on Writing 10 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

11 There s an axiom you ll see as you get more and more into writing. Basically, it goes like this: If you want to be a better writer, read more. Well, you never have to tell me twice when it comes to reading. Jokes aside, this is true. You will absolutely become a better writer by not just reading amazing writers, but also books on writing. Here are a few of my own favorites. On Writing by Stephen King Everyone knows Stephen King. When he s not busy scaring the bejesus out of you with some of his classics (I couldn t sleep for days after deciding to read Misery during homeroom in junior high), you ve got to be amazed by his writing output and ability. His book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft blends his unconventional life story and invaluable writing tips and advice. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley Since I create a lot of B2B marketing content in my freelance business, 11 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

12 I ve always paid attention to what goes on over at Marketing Profs. When I saw that head Prof Ann Handley had a book about writing, I grabbed it right away. I d consider her book, Everybody Writes, essential reading for anyone who is looking to learn how to write amazing content for the online world. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott I never expected to fall in love with this book, but it didn t take long before I couldn t put it down. In Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life Anne Lamott manages to weave her own biography with these incredible little gems about how to tell stories and write better. This is one of the few books I ve seen that every single person I know who has read it, recommends it. Save the Cat by Blake Snyder This one might be an odd choice, but I just recently got Save the Cat, and am loving every page of it. In it, Blake Synder uses his years of movie scriptwriting experience to tell you exactly how to craft a story that people will love. While it s written as an instructional book for budding screenwriters, anyone who wants to be a better storyteller should pick this one up. Start Writing Every Day Ok, enough procrastinating. 12 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

13 I ve given you 16 different tools that are going to help kick your butt into gear and get you to start writing. There is no better time than right now. And, if you want really jump in with both feet, check out National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo which kicks off November 1st. Are you already practicing a daily writing habit? Comment below and let me know what writing tools you ve found that have made it stick, I d love to hear more about them. Liz Froment is the Community Manager for Location Rebel and an active reader. You can find me on my website, tweeting (a lot about books and occasionally about the Red Sox) on Twitter, and check out what I m reading right now on Goodreads. Want to Learn How to Make Money Off Your Writing? Take our free 6 part course, to learn why freelance writing is the absolute easiest way to start making money on the internet. Address SUBSCRIBE Powered by ConvertKit Share 12 Tweet Pin0 FILED UNDER: WRITING 13 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

14 Comments Michael says October 20, 2016 at 9:03 AM Thank you for this post. Excellent resources. Reply Liz Froment says October 20, 2016 at 9:52 AM Thanks, Michael. Reply Anthony Metivier says October 20, 2016 at 9:05 AM Great set of tools! My favorite tool is actually writing to an album. Nearly every post on my site since 2013 has been written while listening to this album and I am now trained to go into writing mode about my topic as soon as the first song comes on. I recently started using another album just for editing. The training effect hasn t picked up in quite the same way, but it s useful and 14 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

15 building. The important thing is that the album contain no songs you desperately want to skip and all songs should be approximately the same tempo. Mine has lyrics, but they are sung more as a form of instrumentation so aren t really disruptive. Where they do grab my attention, it is in a positive way. I recommend this technique to any writer, even though it can take time to find the right album and create this kind of Pavlovian outcome every time you put it on. Reply Liz Froment says October 20, 2016 at 9:53 AM I love this, Anthony. I also have a very specific playlist of instrumentals and classical music I listen to when I write and edit. It really does help to get me in the flow, and I don t get distracted by the words. Reply Alex Cleanthous says October 20, 2016 at 9:40 AM Great post. I ve been wanting to put more time into writing and this is a very timely blog for me. Thanks! 15 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

16 Reply Liz Froment says October 20, 2016 at 9:54 AM Good to hear, Alex. Start small, even if it s like 250 words or 10 minutes of writing and move up from there. I always struggled when I started with something big like 1000 words. Reply Imtiaz Hassan says October 20, 2016 at 10:16 AM Really, a great & helpful post, who want to start as a writer. I was just thinking about writing blogs in the marketplace but was afraid about my mistakes over the English language. But hopefully, these tools will really help me a lot & your post also provides me a huge of confidence. Reply Liz Froment says October 20, 2016 at 10:19 AM Good to hear. The biggest thing is just practice, practice, practice. The more you write the better you will get. 16 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

17 Reply Loren Nally says October 20, 2016 at 11:12 AM Really useful list of tools. I had no idea there were tools out there to help. I have to admit to not having a single post yet (I m a terrible procrastinator!). I will investigate a few of these as I suspect they will kick me into action. Reply 17 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

18 Jake Nix says October 20, 2016 at 11:26 AM Thank you, Liz. These are great resources for someone looking to cultivate a habit of writing. I m going to hit the library today and see if they ve got any of the books you recommend. My favorite resource is a good old fashioned spiral notebook. I ve pushed myself over the last year to journal every morning while I sit down for breakfast. It helps me sort out my thoughts while developing skills in structure and flow. I think the most important thing about it for me is the discipline required. Sometimes I don t feel like writing, but success isn t measured by what you do when it s easy. Reply Leave a Reply Your address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Name * * 18 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

19 Website Comment POST COMMENT GET THE FREE COURSE First Name Address I'd like to receive the free course. SUBSCRIBE 19 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

20 Search this website SEARCH POPULAR POSTS 20 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

21 LATEST VIDEO The Desk More Videos on 21 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

22 ABOUT About Team Bucket List Contact CONTENT Blog Complete Archives Free Course Resources COURSES Location Rebel Academy Beginner s Guide Mastering More Courses LEGAL Privacy Policy Disclaimer Affiliates 22 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM

23 2016 Location Rebel 23 of 23 10/21/16, 1:40 AM