ProWritingAid etc.

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goldenage

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Does anyone use editing software like ProWritingAid and if so how do you find it? What other options are there? I uploaded a sample of my writing in the free version and while I think some of the elements aren't particularly useful, others are (such as repetition, sentence length and cliche checks). Not sure if I want to pay for the whole thing though...
 

EMaree

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So it's basically EditMinion but you pay for it? I don't see the use -- if you want a limited algorithm checking your prose for basic grammar issues and overused words, use EditMinion. For anything more than that, you're gonna need beta readers.

Editing isn't a skill that can really be replicated by software. Writing is an individual thing, very specific to the particular story and tone and voice you're trying to use. Trusting an algorithm to edit your work will likely only damage your voice and mess up the flow of your writing.

What exactly are you looking for in an editing experience, GoldenAge?

For big picture advice on a polished draft: beta readers.
For help if English isn't your first language or you're lacking basic skills: read some books on grammar and editing (Self-Editing for Fiction Writers; Eats, Shoots and Leaves; The Forest for the Trees), and if you're still struggling, consider spending the money you'd use on yearly software renewals on a professional editor or a reputable workshop instead.
 
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goldenage

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So it's basically EditMinion but you pay for it? I don't see the use -- if you want a limited algorithm checking your prose for basic grammar issues and overused words, use EditMinion. For anything more than that, you're gonna need beta readers.

Editing isn't a skill that can really be replicated by software. Writing is an individual thing, very specific to the particular story and tone and voice you're trying to use. Trusting an algorithm to edit your work will likely only damage your voice and mess up the flow of your writing.

What exactly are you looking for in an editing experience, GoldenAge?

For big picture advice on a polished draft: beta readers.
For help if English isn't your first language or you're lacking basic skills: read some books on grammar and editing (Self-Editing for Fiction Writers; Eats, Shoots and Leaves; The Forest for the Trees), and if you're still struggling, consider spending the money you'd use on yearly software renewals on a professional editor or a reputable workshop instead.

I'm quite happy with my basic skills (grammar, vocab etc.) but it's useful to have something that can pick up repeated words or cliches that have crept in. I certainly wouldn't trust an algorithm to edit my work as such, but it's useful to have certain things flagged. I can then make changes or discard suggestions accordingly.

I would love a beta reader with an appreciation for the genre I'm trying to write in: unfortunately I don't have anyone in my 'real' life who could do that, and even finding people online is a struggle. This website is great and full of super advice from helpful people, but expecting someone to read a whole MS would be a stretch...

Thanks for the tip about EditMinion! I hadn't heard of it so will give it a go. :)
 

Namatu

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I'm quite happy with my basic skills (grammar, vocab etc.) but it's useful to have something that can pick up repeated words or cliches that have crept in.
Have you tried to do this yourself? When you read your work, keep your hunt for repetition and cliches at the forefront of your mind. Rather than get caught up in the story, you're reading with a more clinical eye, looking for those specific things.

This website is great and full of super advice from helpful people, but expecting someone to read a whole MS would be a stretch...
Not necessarily! :) I've read a lot of manuscripts from people on this site, and some have also read mine. Keep engaging with people on the forum, get to know them and let them get to know you, and this exchange can happen more organically, but we also have a sub-forum where people have posted that they're looking for a beta reader or are willing to beta read.

Good luck!
 

Fruitbat

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I use Autocrit. Of course there are limits on what it can do and you have to go through and use your own judgement on the issues it points out to you. It can't perform miracles but it is a quick, handy, useful check of several dozen different things.


https://www.autocrit.com/
 

EMaree

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Hey everyone, I've been seeing ProWritingAid mentioned a lot of Facebook recently but nowhere else.

I'm curious: is anyone using it? Is it worth it, especially for non-US folks?

I'm not entirely sure if it's had a popularity boom or if they're just doing some clever but sneaky advertising and hiring people to post about it in popular large Facebook writing groups. I've been tempted to try it out but I'm also a deeply untrusting sort.
 

George Trigiris

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I have used ProWritingAid (free version). It's not so helpful, plus it ruined formatting.
 

AW Admin

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I'm moving this to Tech, since it's not specifically about Mystery | Thriller | Suspense, and it will have more exposure.
 

EMaree

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Small update since I was pretty negative about ProWritingAid earlier: I've been trying it, and it seems good! It's not really working for me, personally, but that's a personality clash more than anything. It made me paranoid about a bunch of stuff I didn't need to be paranoid about -- it flags words like 'just' and past tense words that are hard to avoid when writing first-person-past-tense, so I tied myself in knots trying to fix things unnecessarily. I voted not to buy the full version because it wasn't giving me much of a benefit, just more stress.

However, the web-based editor seems to be permafree (you only pay for the desktop version) and I think that's really neat! It gives me hope that I can come back and try it again even though my free trial is long gone.

It also definitely felt less Americanised than competing tool Grammarly, and PWA didn't have any issues with my British spellings, phew.

I'm going to give it another few tries in the future, and maybe I'll be slowly swayed over.
 
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alkin

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So it's basically EditMinion but you pay for it? I don't see the use -- if you want a limited algorithm checking your prose for basic grammar issues and overused words, use EditMinion. For anything more than that, you're gonna need beta readers.

Editing isn't a skill that can really be replicated by software. Writing is an individual thing, very specific to the particular story and tone and voice you're trying to use. Trusting an algorithm to edit your work will likely only damage your voice and mess up the flow of your writing.

What exactly are you looking for in an editing experience, GoldenAge?

For big picture advice on a polished draft: beta readers.
For help if English isn't your first language or you're lacking basic skills: read some books on grammar and editing (Self-Editing for Fiction Writers; Eats, Shoots and Leaves; The Forest for the Trees), and if you're still struggling, consider spending the money you'd use on yearly software renewals on a professional editor or a reputable workshop instead.

Great tip there! I'm trying it out right now.
 

Maythe

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That's interesting. I've not been particularly impressed by the free version of grammarly - certainly not enough to shell out for the full version.
 

blacbird

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I keep a growing list of words/phrases/grammatical structures I notice I overuse, along with a list of clichés that irritate me when I see them in other people's writing. When I edit, I keep that list up (it's just a simple MS-Word file) for reference. Beyond that, I just use Word or LibreOffice. Or a yellow legal pad with remote operating system Ballpointpen 1.01.

Beyond that, I'll echo what EMaree said above: "Editing isn't a skill that can really be replicated by software."

You can get overdependent on software, and it can erode skills you have to have in Brain 1.01.

caw
 
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