helpful websites for writers

The 17 Best Writing Websites to Become a Better Writer

In the competitive world of writing, no one is perfect. Even the best of the best can make improvements to their craft. No matter how accurate you think you are, there are always things to learn.

This can be done in a few ways, with writing websites being one. These websites exist with the sole purpose of helping writers of all levels and types.

Writing websites can provide many things to a writer looking to improve themselves:

Tips to strengthen your stories.
Tighten up your publishing knowledge and skills.
Empower writers to work hard and do a good job.
Improve your methods of writing and storytelling.
Provide daily motivation, inspiration, and general advice.

These are resourceful places to get all the information we might need as writers. The owners of these websites are, usually, genuine people who want to help growing writers become the best they can be.

Writing websites are a comfort zone for writers. You can go to them in times of distress, writer’s block, or uncertainty around your plotting. You will be able to find resources to help you know how to write a novel or a helpful nonfiction book.

Benefits of Using Writing Websites

Writing websites give specific pieces of writing advice to all writers – established and aspiring.
Writers get the ultimate guidelines from successful authors, whether they are looking for help writing or publishing.
These sites offer literary techniques to help writers reach their full potential in their writing endeavors.
Writers will learn how to correct mistakes and create credible work.
Writing websites will provide resources, exercises, and things you can do to improve your writing skills.
They offer writers free courses on a variety of subjects, so you are sure to learn a lot.
Writing websites help writers learn how to market themselves and their work. This can help them get both published and hired.
All the learning, whether from people or courses, is (mostly) free.
Writing prompts are posted daily on some writing sites which can be useful for many writers struggling to find inspiration.
Writing sites help a writer to keep on writing; it can give writers a boost and a push when they are feeling down and unmotivated.

Classification of Writing Websites

There are numerous writing websites online and of course, they all offer something a little different. You will need to look around a little to find what you are looking for, specifically.

Writing websites are generally classified into five categories, depending on the content.

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The 17 Best Writing Websites

There are so many helpful writing websites online. They all help writers learn different things. Listed below are some of the best ones.

The guides, tools, and advice on these writing websites are fantastic when used in conjunction with quality writing software. A good example of this is Squibler.

Squibler helps a writer do the actual writing. Organization, research, development, settings – it can help you put into practice everything you learn from these resources. Its Smart Writer enables you to begin writing your stories. You can also improve your stories with the Smart Writer. In addition, Squibler has an advanced feature that allows you to generate an entire book using a title and number of pages. You can also use an existing draft for your story book.

Daily Writing Tips

This writing website helps writers improve their grammar construction and word usage. The site gives writing tutorials and advice to writers.

The tips provided here are free, but if you want to gain some additional features, a $5 monthly price can be paid to get premium access. This includes comprehensive courses to help you improve your writing.

Janice Hardy’s Fiction University

This website will help a writer that has a rigorous weekly schedule. You will be able to develop the discipline that can help you get through the week without giving up on your writing halfway through.

This blog publishes articles about writing, with a focus on novels. There are many areas in which you can find advice:

Planning your novel
Writing your novel
Common writing problems
Editing your novel
Selling your novel
The general life of a writer

With over 2500 articles published, there is a lot of good information here. In addition to their own articles, they also offer a comprehensive list of other resources. Some of these include:

Other writing sites
Agents and querying resources
Writer’s conferences
Editing and writing services
Publishing-themed websites
Communities
Critique sites
Writing blogs
Book review blogs

The website is run by Janice Hardy, a writing teacher who is passionate about helping everyone learn to write. She offers her own expertise as well as plenty of posts and articles from guests who offer a different perspective.

Helping Writers Become Authors

This writing website is run by K.M Weiland, who has written a number of books – both fiction and nonfiction. She strives to help writers make the transition to authors.

She has many articles about the most basic elements of writing a novel. These include:

Story structure
Character arcs

She has published several books that are also written to help writers become authors. These books are an extension of the information found on the blog.

She offers a couple of freebies to start, with the rest being available for purchase on her website.

Kristen Lamb

Best-selling author Kristen Lamb runs a blog that offers tips, advice, and help for writers. She has a fun and casual demeanor that is welcoming for readers.

Her posts are relatable and easy to understand.

She also offers a number of courses where she will teach on different aspects of writing. Some of these are downloadable courses while others are live classes.

At its core, Reedsy wants to create beautiful books. They do this by giving authors and publishers access to quality professionals, useful tools, and educational content.

If you are looking for a professional to help you make your book better, Reedsy offers a diverse team including:

Ghostwriters
Web designers

In addition to this they also offer a free writing tool that helps you with the actual process of writing your book. The software provides a space to create and organize your different sections and elements – such as characters, research, etc.

You can use the software yourself, but it also has a fantastic collaboration feature. With this, you can seamlessly write with others. This is especially useful for new writers who are still learning how to write a book .

Lastly, Reedsy offers a large database of writing prompts to get you started.

You can pick from a list of different genres, and get some specific ideas start writing about. You can use these to begin your next big novel, or to do some practice.

Write to Done

Write to Done is a writing website that covers many different areas of writing. They have sections for:

Freelancing
Copywriting

They have articles from several different writers who all have different perspectives and opinions to offer.

Writers in the Storm

This is a unique writing blog that focuses on inspiration and motivation. If you are in a metaphorical writing “storm” this is a good place to go before deciding to give up.

The blog is run by a few different writers who all come from separate genres. This offers a wide range of perspective.

They also have some articles and information on improving your writing craft itself.

The Book Designer

This site is one that focuses more on the physical book itself and the publishing process.

It is run by Joel Friedlander who uses his own extensive experience to create articles on design and self-publishing. His wealth of information has already helped thousands of writers.

Jerry Jenkins

Jerry Jenkins is a 21-time New York Times best-selling author who is revealing his secrets.

One thing he offers on his site is an extremely helpful free guide: How to Become an Author: Your Complete Guide.

Once you’ve downloaded this, you can join his network of thousands of other writers and sign up for his newsletter which sends writing advice right to your inbox.

He also offers a list of writing tools to help you learn how to write a book. These are tools that assist with editing, organization, and distraction. These are programs that he endorses personally, so you can be sure they offer a quality service.

Lastly, his blog covers pretty much everything you need to know to learn how to write a novel or nonfiction book . From ideas, to characters, to plot, you can find advice right from the mouth of a seasoned writer.

Writers Helping Writers

This writing website does exactly what it says – it has writers helping other writings. They offer coaching services in addition to their articles on writing and publishing.

They also have a series of writing tools available for download. These are designed to help writers in a few different areas:

Character arc progression
Setting planner
Character profile questionnaire
And many more

The website is run by two women: Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. n addition to running the site, they have co-authored a series of books to help writers.

The books are all part of the “thesaurus” series. It includes titles such as The Emotion Thesaurus and the Positive Trait Thesaurus.

Language is a Virus

Here you will find some articles on the writing craft. However, this is not their focus. This website contains several tools to help you either get started or keep going in your writing.

Their home page itself has a writing prompt right on it, with the option to generate another if you don’t like it.

They have a series of writing games, exercises, and generators to help you get inspired and motivated.

This is a fantastic resource for writers who may be feeling stuck or defeated.

Story a Day

Story a Day is an initiative that hopes to inspire creativity. They run two month-long challenges each year – one in May and one in September. The challenge is to write a short story every day.

This alone can be inspiring for writers, but they offer many extras:

Accountability group. On the first of each month you can publicly post your commitments for the coming month.
Weekly writing lessons and prompts.
A blog with regular posts on writing and creativity.
Twice-monthly podcasts with writing prompts and pep talks.

This writing website provides a community based challenge. this not only stimulates a writer’s imagination, but it does so with the support and accountability that others can provide.

The Intern Archives

While no longer an active blog, this archive can be extremely helpful to those embarking on a publishing journey. “The intern” also known as Hillary Smith, worked as an intern for several years.

In these archives, she shares insider information about the publishing industry that she thinks will be helpful to new and aspiring authors.

Positive Writer

This site was created to help writers stay positive. The blog contains posts on many positivity themed categories:

Writer’s doubt
Positive thinking
Goal setting

In addition to these inspiring and motivational articles you can also find information on writing, blogging, and publishing

Writer’s Digest

This site is for writers who want to be successful. The website is vast and extensive, but a few of the key features include:

Writing Prompts
Competitions
Online writing workshops

From poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, you can find advice, tips, and resources to help you. The workshops and communities available will only serve to enhance your ability by connecting you to others.

Poets & Writers

Poets and Writers is a non-profit that looks to serve creative writers of all kinds. In addition to their helpful and informative website they offer a number of other services:

A magazine.
Financial support for readings and other events.
sponsorship of writing prizes and awards.

The website offers articles on writing itself, as well as publishing, agents, awards, and writing news.

Writer Beware

Everyone appreciates getting help with their writing and publishing efforts. There are many people out there telling writers what they should do, or at least consider doing.

Authors everywhere choose some programs or websites to endorse, and they send their readers on their way. Writer Beware has taken it upon themselves to warn writers and authors of scams, schemes, and fraud they should be avoiding in the writing world.

Founded in 1998, they have been around long enough to see a lot of shady things go down. They know what they’re talking about.

Especially if you are close to publishing, take a look around this website. Make sure you don’t fall victim. This would make your experience learning how to write a book more negative, where you should only be doing positive things to move forward.

Improve Your Craft with These Writing Websites

This collection of writing websites should be enough to get you going. With a combination of advice, tips, insight, prompts, inspiration, and tools, you have more than enough to start learning how to write a novel or book of any kind.

Here are some frequently asked questions related to the best websites for writing stories:

Which website is best for writing?

For young writers starting their writing journey and looking for writing resources, Daily Writing Tips is a great website for improving writing skills and learning about crafting your own story.

Is 17 too old to start writing?

No, 17 is not too old to start writing. Whether you’re exploring your writing style, using a writing app, sharing your story online, or seeking a professional editor, it’s a great age to begin. Look into story starters to spark creativity and dive into your writing journey.

What is the best platform for new writers?

For new writers, platforms like Daily Writing Tips, Reedsy, and Tumblr offer great resources, community support, and opportunities to develop and share their writing.

Which site pays for writing?

Several sites that pay for writing include Medium (through its Partner Program), Copyhackers, The A.V. Club, and Bustle.

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The 25 Best Writing Websites for Authors in 2024

There are many writing websites that are useful hubs of information for aspiring authors of all types and genres.

Apart from the desire to become an author and a bit of determination, what makes a successful writer? According to veterans of the industry, it’s lots of reading, writing, and a supportive community .

The writing websites in this blog can provide you with all three. So, without further ado and in no particular order, let me introduce these top book writing websites to learn more about the craft, stay up-to-date with industry news, and find fellow writers in your network.

The blog on the best writing websites will cover:

The 25 best writing websites.

Here are our favorite writing websites that can help you perfect your craft:

1. selfpublishing.com

What kind of writing website would we be if we didn't include ourselves in this list of writing websites?

At selfpublishing.com , we are proud of our educational blog and are always creating new content to help writers turn their dream of publishing a book into reality.

If you're looking to improve your writing skills, learn how to self-publish a book , market a book , or even create your own author website – this is the ideal place to learn.

2. Self-Publishing School

Self-Publishing School is the leading educational self-publishing company . It's our second choice for the best writing websites to keep on your radar.

If you're interested in learning all about Amazon self-publishing to how to create an online course to build your author brand, Self-Publishing School produces informational articles, videos, and podcast content on a variety of topics.

In addition, there are several author education programs offered, depending on what your goals look like.

3. Self-Publishing Advice

Self-Publishing Advice is a watchdog community organized by the Alliance of Independent Authors. It aims to protect self-publishing writers from untrustworthy publishers. It also reviews other writing websites (mostly in the independent and self-publishing services spaces).

The site has a collection of reviews on various publishers, with rating scores ranging from “excellent” to “watchdog advisory”. The authors themselves report dishonest publishers and regularly update their base. However, the site’s usefulness isn’t restricted to that.

There is also a blog with loads of advice on self-publishing (obviously!), audiobook creation, inspiration, and everything of interest to an indie author.

4. The Book Designer

Joel Friedlander is a graphic designer with an extensive background in book design and advertising. He has created The Book Designer , which is a treasure trove of articles on book marketing, self-publishing, and, of course, book design (including book covers , typography basics, and text layout).

His series “eBook Cover Design Awards” is particularly instructive, since every nominated book cover is dissected with respect to genre aesthetics, intended audience, and all the minute details that can make a difference between a bestseller and an obscure title no one notices.

Even if you don’t create covers yourself, it’s always good to know what to look for when you outsource the task to a designer, which is what makes this one of the best writing websites.

Apart from valuable advice, Friedlander shares free book cover templates, a book launch toolkit, and a media kit for authors to optimize the marketing of your book.

5. Paper Help

Typos are the worst. I have yet to meet a writer who could be 100 percent sure their text was absolutely typo-free, even after rounds of editing. Because it never is.

Authors are notorious for their typo blindness because by the third draft, they know the text like the back of their hand and familiarization handicaps your ability to pick out mistakes.

That’s why we need editors – or at least editing services that will comb through the text for misspelled words and other pesky oopsies.

Paper Help is a service that specializes in writing and editing of all sorts of papers. If you need a second pair of eyes to go through your manuscript before its debut, it can be a nice low-cost compromise between a literary editor and doing it yourself, which has earned it a spot on our list of the best writing websites.

6. Grammar Girl

Of course, to make your editing less of a struggle, it’s better to make fewer mistakes in the first place. That’s why one has to have go-to writing websites for all things grammar. Mignon Fogarty’s blog is just the right sort of resource for that.

Grammar Girl is a section on the Quick and Dirty Tips portal devoted to everything that a writer needs to know about spelling and grammar.

You can read your daily dose of nicely summed-up linguistic wisdom and build your competency bit by bit – and have lots of fun in the process.

7. AutoCrit

Okay, with grammar off the table, you still need to edit your drafts with regard to consistency, adverbs, repetition, readability, useless filler words, etc. Here is where AutoCrit comes in.

This is not so much a book writing website, but a word-processing tool with editing features and guidance based on real-world publishing standards.

AutoCrit makes our list of writing websites because it analyzes your text and gives recommendations on how to improve it. For example, it can flag poor dialogue , misuse of adverbs, or relying on clichés. This tool has subscription plans with more robust professional features, but they also offer a free option with essentials that every author needs.

Plus, the site has a collection of articles with tips about the craft and the business of writing, from adding depth to your characters to DIY proofreading techniques.

8. Janice Hardy’s Fiction University

Janice Hardy, a teen fantasy novelist, is the founder of Fiction University . With the help of fellow writers and guest contributors, she has amassed more than 2,500 articles on fiction writing. They deal with every stage of penning a novel – from brainstorming ideas and developing a story to self-publishing your finished opus.

Starting soon the creators of the website plan to organize workshops where they will introduce some practice to go with the theory. Still, the scope of the material on the website is impressive as is, making it one of the best writing websites.

Fiction University is comprehensively organized by relevant topics, making it a true writing encyclopedia and a go-to place for anyone who starts their writing career or simply wishes to improve their skills.

9. 750 Words

You know what makes you a better writer? More writing. 750 Words is a simple website for writers that has just one goal – helping you to build a good habit of writing every day.

You have probably heard about the technique called “morning pages”. Morning pages are three pages of text (or 750 words) that you write, preferably in the morning to get everything distracting out of your head and shift focus on putting thoughts into words.

With gamification devices like badges and competitiveness (via anonymous statistics), 750 Words encourages you to stick to a schedule and write those pages every day. It’s minimalistic and private – no one will see your writing but you.

10. Build Book Buzz

Marketing strategy is often overlooked by self-publishing authors. Too bad, even the best books don’t sell themselves.

This website for writers has some tips on how to prepare the launch and how to promote a book when it’s already out and about. The blog section is full of detailed how-to guides on working with beta readers, coming up with promotion strategy, boosting sales via various social media channels, partnering up with influencers, and more.

Build Book Buzz is one of the best writing websites with just the right ratio of figures and statistics vs. insider tips on how to build an online presence.

11. Language is a Virus

With writing games and exercises galore, Language is a Virus makes a perfect playground for word enthusiasts. It never fails to spark imagination and get your creative juices flowing.

From the prompt of the day greeting you on the homepage, to avant-garde techniques of Jack Kerouac and Salvador Dali, this is one of those writing websites that is truly committed to getting you writing.

Poem visualization, surrealistic word definitions, generating reverse poetry from your text, or adding your line to a never-ending story by thousands of other writers – not one bizarrely mesmerizing activity here will leave you indifferent.

So next time you need a little writer's block help , don’t waste your time and head here straight away.

12. Six-Words Memoirs

Six-Word Memoirs is a charming little project with a big goal. It aims to inspire the participants to get to the essence of who they are and what matters most. To do that, they have to answer some pretty existential questions in six words – no more, no less.

This can be quite a challenge even for experienced writers, which means it's a great writing tool to get down to the basics. Sci-fi and fantasy stories in six words, seismic shifts in six words, your personal paradise in six words – a nice exercise in eloquence and one of the best writer’s block remedies I’ve seen.

13. The Writing Cooperative

The Writing Cooperative is a diverse resource for writers by writers. A piece of advice on any situation under the sun from writer’s block to existential crisis and burnout. Everything is specifically tailored for a fellow writer like yourself, so this is a true hub for diverse topics.

Anyone with something to say can submit a post and the community is quite diverse and supportive. There are also some secrets of the craft shared here, from where it is best to share your writing to why digression can sometimes be a boon for your story. These tips make The Writing Cooperative one of the best writing websites.

14. The Write Life

At first glance, The Write Life seems geared more towards bloggers and freelancers, yet it has much to offer to anyone whose livelihood depends on their writing talent. How to come up with great titles, how to find a critic to improve your text, how to self-publish your book, how to market it, how to hire a freelance editor , how to prevent burnout, and other secrets of the craft.

In the tools section, there are eBooks and courses for writing professionals as well as some handy tools, such as editing apps, invoicing software, marketplaces, and communities for freelance writers.

15. Helping Writers Become Authors

For those of you who have long been creating content for a living but never dipped your toes into long-form prose, Helping Writers Become Authors is a perfect boot camp.

Award-winning author K.M. Weiland tells how to create a compelling character with a story arc, what mistakes authors most often make, how to make readers love every page of your novel, and why even movies falling short of our expectations is always a bad writing problem.

If for some reason blog is not your preferred format, there are instructional eBooks, vlogs, and a podcast.

16. Association of Ghostwriters

If you want to find a ghostwriter or are just curious to know more about this particular specialization, Association of Ghostwriters has answers to your questions. Although it has paid membership plans, lots of valuable information is free for grabs, making it one of the best writing websites.

How to write a memoir , what to do when your work on a big project slows down, and why ghostwriting might be an intermediate step between freelancing and getting a good publishing deal on your own book. If you want to learn how to publish a book traditionally, Association of Ghostwriters has you covered.

17. NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo (National Novel-Writing Month) is an epic creative writing event where participants work towards writing a 50,000-word novel in the month of November. Although professional writers are ambiguous about this marathon, it can work for some authors who understand how speed drafts fit into the entire writing process.

The NaNoWriMo website was created especially for the event. Here you can track your progress, set milestones, and get pep talks and support from other writers in an ever-growing community. There are online and offline events that help you finish your novel.

Whether you are a seasoned writer or an enthusiastic beginner, NaNoWriMo is one of the best writing websites, with inspirational posts, a company of fellow contestants, tips, tools, resources, and encouragement. Just remember, if your word count is lower and you didn’t get that badge – you are still a writer. It’s only a game!

18. Scribophile

Every writer needs feedback to improve, and it’s always better when this feedback is detailed, informed, and comes from someone who knows what they are talking about.

Better still, if you get this feedback before you publish your work and start receiving bad reviews from underwhelmed readers. (That’s what beta-readers and writing workshops are for.)

At Scribophile , you will find a supportive community of writers like yourself. Here, they are willing to give you feedback to improve your text with their critique instead of tearing you down.

If you are still tentative, there are writing tutorials and publishing tips available without even signing in.

Do clichés and passive voice actually have a place in your prose?

How to start writing poetry if you never had done it before?

Come and have a look at one of the best writing websites.

19. Self-Publishing Formula

Mark Dawson is an author who makes a living by self-publishing . On Self-Publishing Formula , he shares his journey with other writers who want to take this path.

Blog posts with valuable tips, resources, and guides are available for everyone and there are free, paid, or limited-access courses you can subscribe to.

Mark also co-hosts weekly free podcasts with James Blatch where they interview top-selling indie authors, successful debutants from traditional publishing , and industry insiders to shed light on the process of publishing and promoting a book independently.

20. Almost An Author

Almost An Author provides a wealth of resources for writers at various stages of their careers. It has new content every day, from writing tips and craft advice to publishing insights and author interviews. You can get genre-specific advice or emotional support to get you through your publishing journey.

21. Creativity Portal

As the name suggests, Creativity Portal is a treasure trove of inspiration and resources for writers looking to tap into their creativity. It offers writing prompts, exercises, and articles on topics like mindfulness and overcoming creative blocks, making it an invaluable resource for writers and one of the best writing websites around.

22. Writer’s Digest

Writer's Digest might just have more resources than any of the other writing websites on this list. It's like an encyclopedia of knowledge for writers, after all, the magazine has been around for almost a century! You'll discover a plethora of articles, events, competitions, webinars, templates, tutorials, and various other resources neatly organized by genre and vocation.

23. Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Writing can be a solitary and often daunting endeavor, and the Insecure Writer's Support Group aims to provide a supportive community for writers grappling with self-doubt and insecurity.

Through blog posts, forums, and online events, members of the group can connect with fellow writers, share their experiences, and receive encouragement and advice, creating a nurturing environment for writers to grow and thrive.

24. LitReactor

With its focus on the craft and business of writing, LitReactor offers a range of courses, workshops, and articles designed to help writers hone their skills and navigate the publishing industry. Whether you're looking to improve your writing craft, learn about the latest trends in publishing, or connect with other writers, LitReactor provides a valuable platform for writers at all levels.

25. Now Novel

Now Novel is a comprehensive platform that helps writers plan, outline, and write their novels. With tools like step-by-step writing courses, personalized feedback from experienced coaches, and a supportive community of fellow writers, Now Novel provides the structure and guidance that writers need to turn their ideas into finished manuscripts.

Make use of the best websites for writers

So there you have it! Those are 25 writing websites that you should absolutely be following.

Of course, in the sea of online blogs, there are plenty of other valuable writing websites to follow. We just had to choose our favorites.

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Last updated on Feb 07, 2023

The 23 Best Writing Tools of 2024: A Guide for Writers

Before the computer there was the typewriter, and before the typewriter there was pen and paper, and before pen and paper there were plenty of other lost tools of writing — like clay, papyrus, wood, slate, parchment, and, of course, pens made out of reeds. (Fun fact: the name “Reedsy” is inspired by the “reed pen,” which was used as early as 800 B.C. for documentation).

As you can tell by now, the act of writing has been a part of human culture from the days of chiseling stories onto the walls of caves — and as we have evolved, so have our writing tools . In fact, today’s writers and storytellers are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding which tools to use.

The following list details our favorite writing tools and resources for taking any idea through to its written conclusion. If you want to cut straight to the chase and find out which is the right writing app for you, we recommend taking this quick 30-second quiz.

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Otherwise, let's dive in!

Writing tools

We all know Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so we’re not going to waste your time giving those two a run-down in our list. Below are four other word processors you might not know about, and that are worth checking out.

1. Reedsy Book Editor

Cost: Free Does “fake it ‘til you make it” ring true to you? Well, the Reedsy Book Editor is a free, online word processor that formats your book as you write. See your drafts automatically turn into a professional-looking, ready-to-publish manuscript — and allow this glimpse of your work as the final product spur your motivation to write.

It comes with an automatic spell-checker — and a built-in goal reminder system to get you back into shape if you find that you're falling behind on your writing schedule! Another one of the Reedsy Book Editor’s best functions is that it lets you instantly typeset your manuscript to EPUB and print-ready PDF files.

Check it out if: if you want a writing tool that takes care of formatting and conversion for you.

FREE WRITING APP

The Reedsy Book Editor

Set goals, track progress, and establish your writing routine in our free app.

Cost: Free Do you like a helpful tap on the shoulder, reminding you about something you need to do? Well, you’ll likely enjoy Draft then, because the book writing software not only keeps track of how many words you write per day, it can also email you daily reminders about your daily word count goals. (Of course, if this sounds a little too “hands-on” for you, you can always turn the reminder function off).

Other than that, Draft functions a lot like Google Docs: allowing you to track changes, collaborate via suggested edits, and make comments on the doc.

Check it out if: you like Google Docs, but want an even simpler interface.

3. LibreOffice

Cost: Free Yes, we did say that we wouldn’t mention Microsoft Word, because by now everyone knows that it’s a useful writing tool. But we didn’t say we wouldn’t mention its free counterpart: LibreOffice .

LibreOffice is the open source answer for people who want to try Microsoft without paying the price tag. (Open source means that the software is built on code that anyone can inspect and enhance). Plus it’s compatible with all of the regular file types people are used to, such as .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, and .pptx files.

Check it out if: you like a classic word processor — and moreover, a free one.

Cost: $50 (or try a 30-day free trial) The people behind Mellel don’t just know word processing — they also know catchy, memorable marketing. Their description of why writers should choose Mellel starts like this: “Mellel is a writer's dream come true. To start, it is exceedingly boring: it just works, day in and day out, reliably. An enormous number of people used Mellel to write and they all report that their journey with Mellel was boring and uneventful. As well it should. In other words, it does all the mundane bits, and leaves the creative stuff to you.”

Mellel is not free (and note that it’s only for Mac). In return for the price tag, you’ll get more book-specific tools than other, perhaps more traditional word processors — such as outlining and bibliography-making functions. And, judging by the witty, funny copy on Mellel’s website, Mellel makes the process of writing much more fun than they let on.

Check it out if: you’re a Mac user who wants more than the Pages app offers.

Organization tools

Plotters tend to finish their writing projects quicker than pantsers — simply because when they hit a wall, they have their notes or outlines to reference, allowing them to jump straight over that hurdle and hit the ground running. P.S. You can grab a free template for your book outline here in this comprehensive guide to outlining .

The following resources will help you keep your thoughts organized so that any bouts of writer’s block don’t slow you down.

5. Milanote

Cost: Free for basic plan or $12.50/month for premium. Milanote is an easy-to-use creative writing app to organize your research, ideas, characters and outline in one place.

The vast majority of novelist-oriented writing software is organized around the idea of a linear document. But for most people, writing isn’t linear — because thinking isn’t linear. Writing is about gradually getting a jumble of ideas into shape, and Milanote's writing app matches the way writers think.

milanote platform a writing tool for organizing your writing

Check it out if: you're a plotter who likes a flexible workspace to organize ideas and see a birds-eye view of how your story outline is coming together.

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Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

6. Evernote

Cost: free for basic plan or $9.99/month for premium. Its cute, little green elephant logo aside, Evernote is a great and easy-to-use option for writers who could do with a little more organization in their lives.

everyone knows the writing tool evernote but here is a screenshot

The app lets you quickly jot down thoughts, record audio notes, save online articles you’re hoping to reference, and it will sync all of this information across all of your Evernote-installed devices. What’s also handy about the app is the collaborative aspect of it: you can create shared accounts, so that multiple people can access saved documents at once.

Check it out if: you’re prone to getting great ideas while on the go, and need somewhere to make sure you don’t forget them by the time you’re home.

Cost: $5/month or $40/year (or try a 14-day free trial) While it’s ultimately a writing tool, one of the best assets of comprehensive programs like Ulysses or Scrivener are their organizational features. At the end of the day, whether you’re writing a blog post or a full-length novel, the seed of an idea doesn’t get too far without the ability to organize that idea into a cohesive piece of writing.

And that’s exactly what Ulysses allows you to do: organize your thoughts into a well-written work. This is accomplished through features like customizable writing goals and deadlines, plain text enhancements, a distraction-free typewriter mode, bookmarks, outlining functions, and more.

Check it out if: you’re working on a lengthy piece of non-fiction, like a blog post or essay. (For a comparison of Scrivener vs. Ulysses, keep reading!)

8. Scrivener

Cost: $45 (or a 30-use free trial) Literature and Latte ’s word processor is a popular writing tool — also, in large part, thanks to its organizational capabilities that seamlessly allow writers to turn fragmented ideas into a fully realized book/script/research paper/or whatever else you’re writing.

Scrivener vs Ulysses Apart from the price (Scrivener charges a one-time licensing fee while Ulysses charges yearly), the two platforms offer many of the same features. So we’ll focus on what makes the two programs different.

Scrivener’s corkboard function is an absolute favorite for writers who rely on visual aid to help with outlining. The function looks like an actual corkboard, and lets writers pin notes to the board in chronological order.
Scrivener offers templates for works such as fiction, essays, recipe collections, screenplays, comic books — which gives Scrivener another point for versatility.
Ulysses boasts an interface that is slightly more clean and simple — so if ease-of-use is high on your priority list, it might be the better option for you.
Ulysses offers a very helpful WordPress and Medium integration, which bloggers who publish on either of these platforms will love.

Check it out if: you’re working on a longer piece of content (like a book or screenplay) and want one comprehensive place to manage all your work. (And don’t forget to check out our equally as comprehensive review of Scrivener’s newest update : Scrivener 3!)

9. Hubspot's AI Content Writer

Cost: Free, with premium upgrade available

HubSpot’s Free AI Content Writer is designed to help bloggers streamline their content creation process. This tool can generate drafts of blog posts, website copy, emails, and more with ease and without additional resources, by relying on prompts or topics provided by users. For those suffering from writer's block, the AI content writer can also create outlines to help spur writing along.

For those already using HubSpot's marketing and sales tools, the AI content writer's integration will be extra handy.

Check it out if: you're a blogger short on time or inspiration.

Productivity tools

Alright, let’s kick things into high gear now. You know what you want to use to write, and your thoughts and ideas are concisely organized. If you’re finding it difficult to buckle down and get the job done (or struggle to write quickly or consistently), these resources will help you realize that Nike manta: just do it.

10. Ommwriter

Cost: free web version or $7 for the full program Do you find the clacking sound of old typewriters satisfying? Do you find soft, neutral colours calming? Does nothing really get you focused quite like a purposeful, long, deep breath? If so, Ommwriter might be the tool to help you reach your goal. As the site’s tagline reads, Ommwriter is “a perfect place to think and write.”

Omm writer is a zen writing tool that lets you write with no distractions

With soothing background noises, customizable keyboard noises, and peaceful backgrounds to choose from, Ommwriter could just be the “break” from everything else going on around you that you need to write.

Check it out if: your very best writing ideas come to you while in “savasana.”

11. To Doist

Cost: free or $4/month for premium plan Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat, panicking about something important you forgot to do? Or, god forbid, gripped in dread about how far behind you are on your word-count goals?

Well, To Doist might be able to help. It’s the ultimate app for creating to-do lists — but these aren’t your grandma’s pen-and-paper lists with little check marks beside them (though we mean no offense to your grandma). It lets you get a daily or weekly overview of your tasks, prioritize the tasks that are most important, and even lets you assign tasks to other people if you’re working on a specific goal with other collaborators.

Check it out if: you have never been able to find an agenda that’s souped up enough to keep you on track.

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12. Marinara Timer

Cost: Free The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method meant to promote productivity. In a nutshell, it stipulates that you should work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break, then work for 25 minutes, take another 5-minute break, etc., etc.

The free-to-use Marinara Timer makes this easy for you by alerting you each time your work sessions and breaks are up. It also offers customizable timers in case the 25/5 isn’t quite right for keeping you on track. Fun fact: taking a break to stand up or walk (or do anything but sit!) every hour is also a good way to protect your back if you sit hunched at a computer working for long stretches at a time.

Check it out if: consistent breaks from work help actually keep you focused on the task at hand.

13. Cold Turkey

Cost: Free for basic plan or $20 for premium plan “Meet your match, Zuckerberg,” says Cold Turkey ’s tagline. In case that, paired with the writing tool’s name, doesn’t make it clear enough, Cold Turkey is a program that allows you to completely rid yourself of distraction. And when we say “completely,” we mean completely.

With Cold Turkey, you can block yourself from accessing certain websites — or even your entire computer — for periods at a time, only allowing you to use the current document you’re working on.

Check it out if: “willpower” is not a characteristic you’d ascribe yourself, and the only way for you to get something done is in a totally distraction-free state.

14. Freedom

Cost: $7/month or $29/year (or a 7-use free trial) Apart from pleasantly getting the “freedom” refrain from Aretha Franklin’s “Think” stuck in your head, the Freedom app is another resource that can turn your devices into tools of productivity once more.

It functions like Cold Turkey; however, a unique function of Freedom is the ability to sync your distraction-free periods across all your devices. So if you know that on Tuesdays, you want your computer, phone, and tablet to all block access to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook — you can!

Check it out if: letting other people know not to bother you during your non-negotiable writing time isn’t enough, you need to let yourself know not to interrupt, well, yourself.

Cost: Free If total silence encourages your mind to wander, whereas light sensory action keeps your thoughts on the task at hand, Noisli will be a friend to you. The tool lets you choose from a range of soundtracks, such as rain, coffee shop, wind, lake, and more. You can mix several sounds at once, and choose the volume for each one. So let’s say you want to create the atmosphere of writing by a babbling brook, with a fire crackling next to you, and the moon shining brightly overhead. Noisli will make this happen for you!

Check it out if: you get the most work done with white noise.

Editing tools

If you’re planning to publish a book — or any kind of writing you’re hoping to make a profit from, it’s crucial that your work is thoroughly edited. To that end, working with a professional editor is an investment you should give serious thought to.

In the meantime, here are a few editing tools that can help you out along the way. Hopefully, they’ll either ensure a typo-free draft, so by the time you do work with an editor, they can spend less time fixing small typos and more time on big-picture work, or, if you decide to forego a professional edit, you’ll have the tools to do the best editing job you can.

16. Hemingway

Cost: Free The Hemingway app claims to make your writing “bold and clear.” It has a number of handy features like a word-counter and an automatic readability score. But its real use lies in the features that make suggestions to your prose. For instance, it might highlight a complex sentence that’s hard to read. It also highlights instances of passive voice , qualifiers, and adverbs. Let’s take a look at how this passage from Ernest Hemingway’s very own To Have and Have Not fares:

“Just” is highlighted because it’s a qualifier, and Hemingway suggests, instead: “Be bold. Don’t hedge.” The sentence in red is highlighted as being hard to read. And “probably” is pointed out as an adverb — the app suggests using a forceful verb instead.

Check it out if: you want to bring out your inner Ernie. (Curious what else Hemingway offers? Check out our full review of the app right here .)

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17. Fictionary

Cost: $19/month or $169 per year

The Fictionary Story Editing software creates intelligent visuals that help you improve your story's structure, characters, plot, and settings. Using Natural Language Processing, Fictionary identifies your key story arc scenes and gives you actionable insights to improve the structure of your book. Annual subscribers get access to year-round live classes on writing and editing. Think of it like Peloton for writers. Check it out if: You want to get your story structure in the best possible shape before submitting to agents and/or editors.

18. Marlowe Pro

Cost: $29.95/mth or $199/year; $45 for single reports

This manuscript assessment tool will provide in-depth feedback on your novel within minutes. Using artificial intelligence, Marlowe can analyze your plot, pacing, story beats, and readability — then provide actionable insights (as well as comp titles ) based on its database of bestsellers across a number of genres.

authors AI — a screenshot of Marlowe Pro's report

To try out this AI editor, claim a free report by entering REEDSYFREE at checkout. And for a 15% discount on a Marlowe Pro subscription , enter REEDSY15OFF when prompted at checkout.

Check it out: to take a scientific and methodical approach to your developmental edits.

19. Cliché Finder

Cost: Free Cliché Finder is exactly what it says on the tin: it combs through your writing in search of clichés, and then highlights them for you. It’s not always necessarily bad to use clichés in your writing, but when you do, you want to be purposeful about it (and not to mention aware of it!).

Check it out if: you want to avoid clichés like the plague, and for your book to sell like hotcakes — and the rest is history.

20. Grammarly

Cost: Free Have you ever sent an email, only to realize that you'd made a glaring typo just as you hit “Send”? Well, no more!

Grammarly essentially functions like the spell checker tool from Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but here’s the great part: it’s a plug-in that will work wherever you happen to writing. That means Twitter, Gmail, Google Docs, Facebook — anywhere. Plus it offers vocabulary or alternate word suggestions — for instance, it might suggest you replace “walking aimlessly,” with the word “wandering.” For a more in-dept analysis, check our full Grammarly review .

Check it out if: you’re typo-prone! (Read below for a comparison of Grammarly vs. ProWritingAid.)

21. ProWritingAid

Cost: Free browser extension or $79/year for the full software ProWritingAid is a tool you can install that will proofread and spell check your material for you , no matter where you’re writing. It will also offer suggestions to improve your overall language — outside of just grammatical technicalities. (You can even get 10% off via this special offer !)

ProWritingAid vs Grammarly The two programs offer a lot of the same services, so you might be wondering which one to pick. We have a review of ProWritingAid that dives deep into this comparison, but the main differences are:

Grammarly is free to use, and while ProWritingAid offers a free Google Chrome plug-in, this free option only offers spell checking services, it won’t make editorial suggestions.
ProWritingAid is slightly more tailored towards authors, while Grammarly is a slightly better fit for articles and essays. Ultimately, both tools lend a very helpful editing hand, so deciding between the two mostly boils down to the one you enjoy using more.

Check it out if: you want to make sure your writing is as polished as possible.

Workspace tools

At the end of the day, all you really need to write is a pen and paper. All the fancy tools and apps in the world won’t get the words out for you. That being said, creating an environment that’s appealing — and conducive! — to write in can make the whole process more enjoyable, and encourage you to get the job done.

Here are few physical tools to look over if you’re thinking of sprucing up your workspace.

22. Livescribe Pen

Cost: starts at $100 If you prefer writing on paper, but dread the process of transferring your words to a computer, Livescribe will likely be right up your alley. Through Bluetooth technology, the pen can actually transcribe your pen and paper words to your device. What’s more, it can also transcribe voice notes into digital documents for you.

Check it out if: you’ve ever felt envy at Rita Skeeter’s Quick-Quotes Quill in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire .

23. Ergonomic desk setups

Cost: Varies As more and more of the workforce moves to sedentary jobs where the majority of 9am to 5pm is spent sitting — usually hunching — at a computer, a growing number of sitting-related health injuries have been occurring. That’s why looking into more ergonomically friendly desk setups is a good idea for writers who spend long hours at the computer — or even writing in a notebook. This could be a standing desk, or even just a number of textbooks piled under your desktop so that your screen is eye level, resulting in less stress on your shoulders.

Check it out if: you don’t want writing gains to come at the cost of growing back pains.

24. Computer Glasses

Cost: Varies Writers are all familiar with computer-caused eyestrains. Because you blink far less when looking at a screen than you do otherwise, computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a condition people have been developing due to long stretches of staring at a computer.

One way to help alleviate this — other than just making sure to take time looking away from your computer — is to invest in some computer glasses. They typically come in blue or amber shades, and are coated with a protective coating.

There are several brands you can check out, such as Pixel Eyewear or Felix Gray .

Check it out if: you notice itchy or tired eyes after long writing sessions.

Have you tried any of the above writing tools — and if so, which were your favorites? Or maybe you feel there are some great resources missing from this list? Let us know in the comments below!

Mystic says:

24/10/2019 – 03:38

I tried Cliche Finder several times and it found a couple of items in my text, but it didn't highlight where it was at. The rest of the tools here, that I can use since I'm on a strict income, are amazing!

Comments are currently closed.

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In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbithole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tubeshaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, diningrooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deepset round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very welltodo hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gainedwell, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.

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Home » Writing » 50 writing websites and online resources

Sites for notes and writing

6. evernote.

This bookmarking tool is a great way to collect moments of inspiration and ideas for your story together in one place, where they can be filed and organized, ready to be put to good use. It might be a ‘how to’ article you want to read, a quote that reminds you of one of your characters, or an image that would be the perfect setting for your next scene. Inspiration strikes in the most unexpected places, but as Evernote is available on almost every platform, you can collect notes wherever you are. You can choose to have one notebook that you throw everything into, or you can set up separate notebooks to help you organize your thoughts and ideas as you go. If you’re working on a novel, why not set up separate notebooks for each character or each chapter?

7. Scrivener

While some writers prefer to stick with the traditional pen and paper or word processor, for others, technology can be a game-changer. Scrivener is a powerful writing tool that allows you to organize your notes, research, and writing all in one place. You can create separate documents for each chapter, scene, or character and easily move them around as needed. You can also set word count goals and track your progress, making it an empowering tool for both planning and writing your work.

8. Storyist

Another popular writing app is Storyist , which offers a wide range of features for novelists, screenwriters, and playwrights. From corkboard view to character and plot development tools, Storyist helps you bring your stories to life in an organized way. It also has a distraction-free writing mode, making it easier to focus on your writing without any distractions. Plus, with its built-in formatting tools, you can easily export your work into a professional-looking manuscript when it’s time to self-publish.

9. Calmly Writer

For those who prefer a clean and minimalist interface, Calmly Writer is a great option. This writing app allows you to focus on your writing without any clutter or interruptions. You can also save your work as you go, making it easy to come back to where you left off. And with its auto-save feature, you don’t have to worry about losing your work in case of any technical issues. It’s available on both desktop and mobile devices.

10. Ommwriter

For writers who need a tranquil and calming environment to get their creative juices flowing, Ommwriter is the perfect writing app. With soothing background music, minimalistic design, and customizable backgrounds, this app offers a meditative experience for writers. It also has a “focus mode” that allows you to hide everything on your screen except for your writing, helping you stay in the flow and avoid distractions. Ommwriter also has a mindfulness timer that reminds you to take breaks and practice self-care while writing.

Writing community resources

In the realm of writing, the adage “It takes a village” is extremely true. Having a community as a writer isn’t just important—it’s essential. While writing is often seen as a solitary endeavor, there’s nothing like the support, inspiration, and feedback from fellow wordsmiths. It’s about belonging to a group that gets the highs and lows of the creative process and turns struggles into shared successes.

Here are a few of our favorite sites to find your village.

11. Catapult’s Don’t Write Alone

The blog Don’t Write Alone was created by the team at Catapult, a publisher and magazine dedicated to nurturing and enhancing writers’ talents. Founded in 2005, Catapult showcases a diverse range of literary works and is now sharing its vast knowledge. The platform offers a huge collection of content, including insightful interviews, detailed essays on the craft of writing, and explorations of the writer’s life. Its mission is to offer comprehensive support and inspiration to writers at any stage of their journey.

12. Gutsy Great Novelists

Are you a novelist seeking motivation, accountability, and encouragement? Look no further than Gutsy Great Novelists , a free online community just for you. With the tagline “where serious creative writers gather to finish their novels,” you can’t really go wrong. Award-winning novelist Joan Dempsey founded this platform to help writers feel less isolated. Members get access to critique groups, lots of online resources, and events and classes that will keep you on track until your novel is complete.

13. Lambda Literary

For writers and readers alike, Lambda Literary is a community-driven organization that champions LGBTQ+ literature. With a mission to elevate voices and stories that have been historically marginalized, this platform offers various resources for writers, including workshops, literary events, and publishing opportunities. It also hosts an annual writing retreat for emerging queer writers, providing a safe and supportive space for creative expression. Sign us up!

15. Writing.com

Writing.com is one of the largest online writing communities out there. It’s a super supportive environment for writers of all levels—and you have a portfolio to store and share your writing. You can also join various groups based on your interests or genres, providing opportunities for networking and collaboration with other writers. Plus, Writing.com regularly hosts contests and challenges to help improve your writing skills and gain recognition for your work. Whether you’re seeking support or looking to expand your audience, this community has something for everyone.

16. Reddit’s r/WritersGroup

If you’re a Reddit fan, you probably already know about r/WritersGroup . This subreddit serves as a testament to the strength of community in the writing process, offering a space where writers from all walks of life can share their drafts, seek advice, and provide constructive criticism. Whether you’re battling writer’s block, seeking feedback on a new chapter, or just in need of inspiration, this is your go-to sanctuary.

17. She Writes

Created by women, for women, She Writes is a supportive community that celebrates their diverse voices and experiences. With more than 32,000 members and 350 groups, it’s the largest online community of women writers in the world! With forums and tons of articles, this platform provides a safe space for women to share their work and receive feedback from other writers.

18. SFF Chronicles

For science fiction and fantasy writers, SFF Chronicles is a valuable resource for learning, connecting, and honing your craft. With forums dedicated to discussing the latest trends and tropes in the genre, as well as sections for feedback and critique, this is your virtual writing workshop. It also hosts contests and interviews with established authors, if you’re seeking insight and inspiration.

19. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Imposter syndrome is hard to battle alone. Step into the Insecure Writer’s Support Group , where those whispers are drowned out by the resounding voices of support, encouragement, and understanding. This haven is dedicated to writers at any stage of their journey, providing you with resources, advice, and, most importantly, a community that gets it. Conquer your insecurities by reading their blogs and monthly newsletters, joining their social media groups, and joining their pitch event to find an agent or publisher (every January).

20. Underlined

Formerly known as Figment , Underlined is a website that provides story starters, writing inspiration, and advice from published authors . You can also join a community of aspiring writers, share excerpts of your work, and provide feedback to each other—all valuable parts of the creative life.

Writer using 750 Words to practice writing.

Sites for improving your writing

Now that you’re equipped with a plethora of platforms to connect and expand your creative horizons, it’s time to take your writing to the next level. Improving your craft is a continuous, evolving process—whether you’ve just penned your first poem or are on your tenth novel.

Here are the resources you need to refine your skills, find your unique voice, and perfect the art of storytelling. From grammar guides to story structure tips, these sites offer the tools you need to elevate your writing.

21. 750 Words

As with any skill, the best way to improve your writing is to practice, practice, practice. The website 750 Words provides a daily nudge to get your creative juices flowing. Based on The Artist Way ‘s morning pages , the goal is to write 750 words (roughly three pages) every day, without any distractions. By just writing without an agenda and without judgment, you’ll make writing every day a regular productive habit and steadily build your confidence.

22. Helping Writers Become Authors

The Helping Writers Become Authors site, created by award-winning author K.M. Weiland, offers practical tips and advice on story writing, from structure and plot to character identity and dialogue. It’s a great, regularly updated resource to take you from writer to professional.

23. Grammar Girl

Get a grip on the quirks of language and the rules of good grammar with this entertaining and useful podcast based on the hugely popular blog by the same name. Top listened-to Grammar Girl episodes include “Affect Versus Effect” and “Active Voice & Passive Voice.”

24. Coursera

Looking for a more structured approach to learning? Coursera offers online courses on writing, from writing your first novel to academic writing . With options from top universities such as Stanford and Wesleyan, you’ll have access to expert instruction and peer feedback to hone your skills.

25. Masterclass

Masterclass brings together some of the biggest names in writing, like David Sedaris , Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman , for online video courses on pretty much any aspect of writing you’re looking to learn. With a subscription, you’ll have access to their wisdom and techniques for crafting powerful stories that captivate your readers.

26. Critique Circle

Join a community of writers, both published and aspiring, on Critique Circle to get feedback on your writing and provide critiques for others. With tools for tracking your progress, finding beta readers, and connecting with fellow writers, this platform offers valuable resources for improving your craft. Plus, the supportive atmosphere encourages growth and development as a writer.

27. Now Novel

For those looking for a more structured approach to writing, Now Novel offers personalized coaching and guidance throughout the writing process. From outlining and character development to editing and publishing, their team of experts will provide valuable feedback and support to help you bring your story to life. Whether you’re just starting or need help revising, Now Novel offers a community and resources tailored to your specific needs as a writer.

Resources for characters and plot

We’re betting you have more than one favorite character from more than one book. Characters like Elizabeth Bennett, Albus Dumbledore, and Bilbo Baggins live on in our minds long after we’ve turned the final page. Your characters should become like old friends that you know inside and out to add depth and humanity to your story. These are the resources you need to make it happen.

28. Writer’s Digest’s Character Development Sheets

Subscribing to the Writer’s Digest mailing list gets you access to this free worksheet designed to flesh out each of your characters. Working through a series of questions, you’ll develop their key hopes, fears, and skills, their personality quirks, how they might act in different situations, and how all of this will be revealed to the reader throughout your story.

29. The Write Practice’s Characterization 101

This free course from The Write Practice guides you through seven key steps to creating memorable characters, covering important character archetypes, character motivations, how not to introduce a character to your story, and much more.

30. The Novel Factory’s 150+ Character Questions

Building on the idea of character development sheets, The Novel Factory offers a comprehensive list of over 150 questions to help you fully flesh out each character in your story. From physical appearance and background to their biggest secrets and flaws, this resource will help you create well-rounded and dynamic characters that readers will connect with.

31. TV Tropes

Ever come across a character or plot twist that seems oddly familiar? That’s because many writers use common tropes and archetypes in their stories. TV Tropes is a user-edited wiki page that outlines these common patterns and themes found in media, providing examples and analysis for each one. It’s a helpful resource for understanding how to effectively use, subvert, or avoid these tropes in your writing.

32 Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions

Need some guidance in creating a fictional world for your story? This list of 123 questions from Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America can help you think through all aspects of your world, from its physical laws to its social structure and cultural customs. By taking the time to fully develop your world, you’ll make it feel more immersive and believable for readers.

33 Reedsy’s Plot Generator

When you’re stuck on where to take your story next, Reedsy’s plot generator can help spark new ideas. Simply select a genre and hit “generate” to receive a random plot outline that you can use as a starting point for your own story. It’s a fun tool for getting unstuck and exploring new directions for your plot.

Writer editing a script on paper after using online writing resources.

Resources for editing and reviewing

In addition to proofreading for spelling, language, and grammar errors, two other forms of editing should form part of your review process. Developmental editing, which is editing for the structure, flow, and consistency of your story, and substantive editing, which is concerned with clarity, accuracy, and reader comprehension.

When your manuscript or first draft is complete, let it sit a while before reviewing. It also helps to have a second and third set of eyes on your work. Even better, if your budget allows, hiring a professional editor can give your story the polished finish it deserves.

34. Grammarly

Available as a Google Chrome extension or device app, Grammarly works across your web pages and documents as you write to help you catch common writing errors. It highlights and fixes grammar, punctuation, and contextual spelling mistakes. The premium version can also suggest alternative vocabulary choices.

Remember not to rely on online spell checks alone to proofread your work. Always give your text a thorough check yourself, too.

35. ProWriting Aid

ProWriting Aid takes your writing beyond mere spell checks, offering a holistic approach to improve your writing style, tone, and clarity. What sets it apart from Grammarly is its in-depth focus on your writing’s overall readability and engagement level. It provides detailed reports on style, overused words, sentence length variation, and even readability scores, making it invaluable for writers looking to polish their manuscripts to perfection. While Grammarly excels at real-time grammar and spelling corrections, ProWriting Aid is the go-to tool if you’re looking for comprehensive feedback on your structure and style.

36. Hemingway Editor

As the name suggests, Hemingway Editor is an online editing tool and website that will help make your writing clearer, bolder, and more direct—just like the author it’s named after. Simply copy and paste your text into the tool to check for overly complex sentences, overuse of adverbs, and the passive voice. It will also highlight instances where a shorter word could serve the same purpose.

Every writer needs a good editor, and Reedsy only works with the best. Their hand-picked, experienced, professional editors can review your story development, structure, consistency, and style, helping to perfect and polish your manuscript. Reedsy also offers a tool to easily write and format a book , the same way a professional typesetter would. (You can print from their tool with Blurb, too!)

Code, showing the backend of AI tools for writers.

Artificial Intelligence for writers

AI gets a bad rap, but in our digital age, its emergence is nothing short of a revolution in creativity. Whether you’re battling writer’s block, seeking the perfect synonym to elevate your prose, or plotting a novel, AI-powered writing assistants can offer a wealth of resources at your fingertips. These innovative tools are not doing the writing for you—they’re about enhancing your creativity and offering insights and suggestions that might not have crossed your mind.

38. Sudowrite

Using artificial intelligence, Sudowrite offers suggestions and ideas to help you improve your writing. It can generate plot twists, character names, and even entire paragraphs based on the information you provide. While it’s not meant to replace human creativity and imagination, Sudowrite can be a helpful tool for sparking new ideas and breaking through writer’s block.

Claude has emerged as a dynamic counterpart to ChatGPT, due to its ethical and safer approach to AI. What sets Claude apart is its focus on nuanced, open-minded text generation—working to understand context and intent before replying. It can help you with brainstorming, research, structural analysis, line edits, critique, and even productivity—with writing sprints, prompts, word count, and positive reinforcement. It’s not replacing creativity, but supporting you from blank page to final polish.

40. Jasper.ai

Jasper is another AI-powered writing tool that can assist with plot development, character creation, and even research for your story. Jasper also has a feature that allows you to collaborate with other writers in real time, making it a useful tool for team projects or brainstorming sessions. What’s great about Jasper is that it has a document feature, so you can write, edit, and save your work like you would in Word or Google Docs, rather than chatting back and forth with AI.

Writer signing books at a book promotion event.

Resources for promoting and marketing

Once your masterpiece is polished and ready to shine, the next thrilling chapter of your author’s journey begins: promoting and marketing your book. This can seem like a Herculean task, especially in a world flooded with content. But with the right tools and strategies, you can cut through the noise and get your book into the hands of eager readers.

We’ve lined up the best resources to transform you from a writer into a savvy marketer!

41. Wattpad

Use this storytelling platform to connect with writers and readers around the world, build an audience, and even get discovered. On Wattpad , you start by sharing a story, and then if you build a big enough fan base, you may have a chance to work with entertainment companies and publishers looking to feature your work. Just remember, some publishers won’t print work that appears online, so be sure to do your research before uploading your entire novel!

On this writing and reading hub, you’ll find stories, articles, and inspiration that are curated to your taste and written by people like us. Want to share your own writing, photos, or videos? You can do that on Medium —and potentially earn money. The platform lets you see how your stories are performing and what kinds of readers like your writing. It also offers tips for starting a newsletter, submitting to publications, and curating your work.

43. Kindlepreneur

Kindlepreneur is a treasure trove of resources for authors, especially those venturing into self-publishing. From book marketing and advertising strategies to optimizing your Amazon sales page, author Dave Chesson has got you covered with his helpful blog posts, videos, and courses. He also offers free downloadable templates and worksheets to help you plan and execute your book marketing strategy.

44. NY Book Editors

Need help proofreading your manuscript or marketing your book? NY Book Editors provides editing and proofreading services, as well as an extensive blog full of helpful advice for writers. They also offer a free guide to writing the perfect query letter to help you attract agents or publishers—and plenty of other useful publishing and marketing information.

45. Agency Query

If you want to get an agent or a publisher, use Agency Query to build your list of potential agents and publishers. The website also provides features like tracking the status of pitches sent out to agencies, keeping notes on each agency’s submission requirements, and more.

46. The Creative Penn

The Creative Penn is a website run by bestselling author Joanna Penn . It offers a wealth of information on how to, “write, publish and market your book—and make a living with your writing.” Penn also has a vibrant YouTube channel and podcast where she shares advice for authors, helpful if you are a visual or auditory learner.

47. Publishers Weekly

Stay up to date on the publishing industry and get insider tips from publishers, editors, and literary agents with Publishers Weekly . This website offers news, reviews, job postings, and other helpful resources for writers. They also have a dedicated section for independent authors if that’s you.

48. Storiad

Storiad is a tool designed to help you promote and market your book through social media, website creation, book trailers, and more. They offer various packages for authors at different stages of their careers, from beginners to established writers. Storiad can also help you create a professional author website with built-in marketing tools.

49. BookBub

BookBub is a popular platform that lets you promote your book to millions of readers through daily email newsletters, targeted ads, and featured deals. You can submit your book for consideration or use their blog for free marketing advice and trends in publishing. BookBub also offers webinars, courses, and other resources for writers.

50. Author Marketing Club

Author Marketing Club is a community of authors helping each other promote their work through free and paid book promotion tools, tutorials, webinars, and more. They also offer a powerful search engine that allows you to find relevant blogs, websites, and book promotion sites to submit your work for exposure. Joining this club can help you reach a wider audience and get more readers interested in your writing.

How Blurb can help

From collecting inspiration to the final finishing touches, there’s a whole world of tools , websites, support, and advice out there to help you with every stage of writing your own story and making your own book. You have all the tools you need. Now write!

And when you’re ready to publish and share your work with the world, Blurb can help. Our self-publishing platform allows you to turn your manuscript into a professional-quality book, whether it’s a novel, memoir, poetry collection, or any other genre. With customizable book formats and design tools, as well as tons of options for distribution, we make it easy to bring your writing to your fans.

So what are you waiting for? Start creating and sharing your stories with the world today. We believe in you!

Blurb is your platform designed to turn the dream of publishing your book into reality. Whether you’re crafting a photo book, a novel, or a poetry collection, we’ve got the tools and support to help you professionally design, self-publish, promote, and sell your work.

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The Best Websites for Writers

On your mark, get ready to bookmark. Below, we're sharing our absolute favorite online resources for writers. These websites will help you grow as an author and build a self-sustaining career.

Below, you'll find blogs, tools, and communities that will help you improve as a writer and future author extraordinaire. In these sites, you’ll find creative writing advice, inspiration, camaraderie, and support.

Let’s check them out now:

1. 750 Words - The mission behind this website is simple: It helps writers establish and maintain the habit of writing every single day. You're tasked with writing 750 words every day. This site turns the “chore” of daily writing into a game. You accumulate points to maintain motivation. It also gives you insight into your writing process, including your distractions.

2. Abbie Emmons - Abbie is an author and YouTuber who shares tips on how to master storytelling. In her blogs and videos, she also discusses how to maintain a balanced lifestyle (something that writers often struggle with).

3. Advice to Writers - This is a simple website that shares daily wisdom from fellow writers, including Toni Morrison, George Orwell, and others. You can subscribe to the newsletter to receive a unique quote each day in your inbox.

4. Agent Query - If you'd like to get published with a traditional publisher, you need an agent. Enter AgentQuery, a free database that you can use to find literary agents to represent you.

5. Alessandra Torre Ink - This website is a treasure trove for new authors, especially the self-published variety. Along with general writing tips, you'll find plenty of information for marketing your book.

6. Almost an Author - This site helps you learn how to become an author. It includes everything from setting up your office space to improving your creative skills to building your author platform.

7. Association of Writer & Writing Programs (AWP) - If you're interested in finding conferences, contests, and communities of other writers, this is where to start. AWP has a comprehensive list of resources that will help you grow as a professional author.

8. Author Media - With the help of this website, you can build a platform, get publishing advice, and learn how to promote your book.

9. Authors Guild - The Authors Guild is America's oldest organization for professional writers. If you become a member of this guild, you'll have access to a large resource library along with legal help, and exclusive discounts on scholarly journals and magazines.

10. AutoCrit - While AutoCrit is editing software, it does not replace a human editor. What it does provide is editing reports and a library of resources to help you improve as a writer.

11. Bang2Write - This site provides writing tips for both novelists and screenwriters. If you're interested in writing from a cinematic perspective, you'll love this website because it often merges the two.

12. Bookends Literary Agency Blog - BookEnds is a literary agency that maintains a helpful blog on how to navigate the world of publishing. It specifically tackles how to market yourself to literary agents.

13. Calmly Writer - Calmly Writer is a distraction-free text editor. Use this tool to simplify your writing process. You can choose colors, add typewriter sounds, and display your word count to ensure that you're hitting your daily (or weekly) goals.

14. Career Authors - Career Authors promotes itself as an online author's conference. Here, you'll find various tips to improve your writing skills, including tackling procrastinating, balancing work and life, and navigating the publishing world.

15. Elizabeth Spann Craig - Elizabeth Spann Craig is a cozy mystery novelist who maintains a new (but growing) website for authors. Come for the weekly writing roundup and stay for her valuable advice on the writing business.

16. Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo - Do you love podcasts? Check out Savannah Gilbo's Fiction Made Easy podcast that shares writing advice in audible form. Great for learning on the go.

17. Goins, Writer - From bestselling author and speaker Jeff Goins, this website contains hundreds of articles to help writers improve. Jeff has also started a podcast that you can listen to directly from his site.

18. Grammarly - Grammarly bills itself as a free online writing assistant. You can use Grammarly online or as an extension with Microsoft Word or Google Docs. It's useful for spotting spelling and grammatical errors. It also provides suggestions for vocabulary and sentence rewrites.

19. Helping Writers Become Authors - From author K.M. Weiland, this website gives you literary advice on how to structure your novel and write your best story. The Story Structure Database is a useful resource for helping you understand the science behind beloved stories like Ben Hur and The Matrix.

20. Hemingway - Hemingway is a simple but incredibly useful app. You can use the app online or download it onto your desktop. Copy and paste your content into the app to see opportunities for writing improvement. Hemingway grades your content's readability. It also notifies you of adverbs and passive voice, which can drag down your writing.

21. IngramSpark - IngramSpark is a self-publishing company that enables you to print and globally distribute your book. But IngramSpark also maintains a blog on all things you care about, including self-publishing, writing and editing, and book design.

22. Jami Gold - Jami Gold is an award-winning paranormal author who provides literary advice as well as workshops and worksheets to fellow authors.

23. Jane Austen Writing Lessons - Are you a fan of Jane Austen novels? This website provides over three dozen creative writing lessons that use Jane Austen's novels as examples.

24. Jane Friedman - With over 20 years of experience, Jane Friedman is a legend in the publishing industry. She has provided a wealth of information about publishing and book promotion on her website. This is one of my go-to sites for all things publishing.

25. Janice Hardy's Fiction University - Consistently voted among the best websites for writers, Janice Hardy's Fiction University provides a thorough education in writing. There are almost 3,000 articles on this site about writing, so it's filled with a ton of information. Additionally, you can take part in workshops, attend events, and subscribe to the newsletter.

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26. Jerry Jenkins - Jerry Jenkins is a multi-genre writer with almost 200 titles to his name. He has a ton of advice for fellow authors, which he shares generously on his website.

27. Kindlepreneur - This website provides marketing advice for self-publishing authors, specifically those on the Amazon Kindle Platform. It includes articles (over 200 and counting), courses, videos, and more to help you grow as an author.

28. Language is a Virus - Cure writer's block with this cleverly named website. Each day, this site provides a new writing prompt, making it a go-to for all of you daily writer's out there. It also shares exercises, techniques, games, generators, and more.

29. Marion Roach Smith - Are you writing a memoir? Marion Roach Smith is a memoir coach who can help you unblock and unlock. She offers online classes, a podcast, and an informative blog. Even if you're not a memoirist, you'd still benefit from checking out her site.

30. NaNoWriMo - Short for National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo is the non-profit organization behind the annual challenge to write a novel in one month (specifically the month of November). NaNoWriMo provides resources, encouragement, and a community of fellow writers to help you churn out the rough draft of a novel in 30 days.

31. Nathan Bransford - Nathan Bransford is an author and former literary agent who maintains an insightful and actionable blog for fellow writers. If you need advice on writing, editing, or publishing your book, This site has it all. Nathan also provides coaching. Check out our recent interview with Nathan here .

32. Now Novel - Get the tools, resources, and motivation to finish your novel now. That's the sentiment behind this website. Now Novel offers individual and group coaches, courses, and guides. But we also love the free advice on the Now Novel blog.

33. NY Book Editors’ Blog - Hey, that’s us! In addition to our comprehensive suite of editorial services , we offer a blog for authors of all genres. Gather inspiration, learn how to develop your storytelling skills, and discover tips on how to build your author's platform from scratch.

34. ProWritingAid - ProWritingAid is a grammar checker that helps you improve your writing as you go. This tool points out repetitive phrasing, passive voice, run-on sentences, sentence length monotony, and more. Although the most powerful features are only available through a premium subscription, there is a limited version that you can try for free.

35. Publishers Weekly - Publishers Weekly is one of the biggest names in the literary industry. On this site, you can find book reviews, news about book publishing, and bestseller rankings. It's a go-to for publishers, literary agents, and booksellers, which is why you should be there if you're interested in navigating this industry as a professional author.

36. Query Tracker - Use this website to find over 1,700 literary agents. You can also organize and track your queries. In addition to checking this site, sign up for our literary agent alert service. We send out aggregated alerts directly to your email inbox whenever a reputable agent says they're ready for book queries. Learn more about literary agent alerts here .

37. Quick and Dirty Tips / Grammar Girl - We always focus on spelling, but grammar is a silent killer. This is why you need to subscribe to Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips. This site offers grammatical advice on things like the difference between i.e. versus e.g. It may not be the most exciting content, but it's definitely the most necessary for every writer.

38. Rachelle Gardner - Rachelle Gardener is a literary agent who represents both fiction and nonfiction authors. In addition to representation and coaching, this website provides resources on writing, editing, publishing, and marketing.

39. Reedsy - Reedsy is an author services company based out of the UK. Check out the Reedsy blog for a solid education in marketing your book and improving your skills as a writer.

40. Scribophile - This is a popular and active online writing group. Here, you can find beta readers who will critique your work as you're still fleshing it out. You can participate in a writing workshop, post in their busy forum, or peruse their blog for educational content.

41. Self Publishing Advice.org - This website is maintained by the Alliance of Independent Authors and offers self-publishing advice, from book production to distribution. They also produce an informative and inspirational podcast that’s worth checking out.

42. Self Publishing Formula - Mark Dawson's vibrant website is perfect for authors who'd like to turn their passion into their paycheck. On this site, you'll find a podcast, a blog, free ebooks, courses, and a community of fellow self-publishing authors.

43. TCK Publishing - TCK Publishing is a publisher, but it's also an incredible resource for writers. The blog provides valuable insight into the world of publishing, including self-publishing and hybrid publishing.

44. The Book Designer - The Book Designer doesn't just offer advice on book design. On this site, you can also find professional advice, such as how to build your platform and promote your book.

45. The Creative Penn - If there's one site on this list that you need to check out, it's this one. Joanna Penn is a best-selling author and a creative entrepreneur who shares her experiences. This site contains over 1,000 articles, along with podcasts, videos, and other goodies that will help you grow as an author.

46. Thesaurus.com - A writer needs a thesaurus like peanut butter needs jelly. I’ve used many thesauruses over the years, but nothing beats this oldie, but goodie.

47. Well-Storied - Well-Storied has all the tools you need to turn up your creativity and tell the story you were born to tell. There are articles, tutorials, podcasts, and more.

48. Write to Done - This website provides tips on how to overcome your block and finally get to writing. This site is filled with motivation, inspiration, and usable writing advice.

49. Writer's Digest - Writer's Digest contains an ever-expanding (and almost overwhelming) library of information for all writers, whether you're writing fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Go here to improve your skills as a writer.

50. Your Writer Platform - This website shares a lot of great tips on how to build your website and author platform. It also shares marketing strategies to establish and grow your fanbase.

Have We Missed One?

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Best 14 Websites for Aspiring Writers

on May 17, 2022
in Writing Tips
Last update: October 8th, 2023

According to Benjamin Franklin, you should “either write something worth reading or do something worth writing”. But for writers out there, that is easier said than done. Thankfully, technology has helped us in this aspect, as now you can find lots of blogs and websites that are tailor-made for helping writers.

In this article, we will tell you about the top blogs and websites for writers to get your creative juices flowing. So make sure to keep a pen and paper (or an old-timey typewriter, we won’t judge) next to you, to prepare yourself for your next writing masterpiece.

Top 9 Blogs for Writers That You Need to Check Out

Although some might think that blogs are more of a 90s platform, they are still an up-and-coming phenomenon. Writers definitely can benefit from the many blogs that have writing advice from pronounced writers and authors.

We have compiled a list of the top 9 blogs for writers that you should definitely check out. From how to use quirky, dark humor and incorporate it into your dialogue, to tricks of the trade to self-publish your book, you will find in these blogs any writing advice you’re looking for!

Beemgee is a story development and storytelling blog that can help all types of writers out there. You can also find a Beemgee story development tool that can help you work on your new fantasy novel, even if you will not publish it. Through the tool, authors can write novels, screenplays, narrative video games, and drama scripts; all kinds of writers out there will find a good thing to use on Beemgee!

You will also find that there is a wide range of topics, from Chinese literature to James Bond-themed plots. When you are writing the first draft of your story, Beemgee will help you form the content in your fictional world. This blog focuses on the development of your story’s plot and characters, which will turn your story into a bestseller in no time. You can use Beemgee before, after, or during your first draft, as reading their content will help you along the way.

2. SelfPublishing

Don’t worry; this blog is not just for self-publishing tips and advice only. You will also find a lot of writing topics covered in immense detail. Whether you are a writer who wants to publish your book or a novice writer who does not know where to start, SelfPublishing is the right blog for you.

This blog will give you all the advice you need, such as character bios and in-depth advice on book writing. Additionally, once you subscribe, the blog offers guidebooks and writing tools that will give you everything you need to self-publish your book, including self-confidence in your writing.

3. The Write Life

If you have been looking at writing blogs for a while, then you have probably stumbled upon The Write Life. This blog has a lot to offer and it is a great resource for all kinds of writers.

If you are looking to write a book as a first-time author or you want to become a freelance writer, then you will find that The Write Life is the right place to go. You can also find advice and tips on blogging and marketing.

The articles on this blog cover many writing aspects, so you do not need to look elsewhere! Additionally, you can look through their comment section for feedback from the writing community, which can be extremely helpful.

4. Writer’s Digest

Who is the best person to give writing tips? Someone in the writing industry, of course. This is why you should definitely check out Writer’s Digest, which is one of the best writing blogs out there. Amy Jones, the editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest, is also the managing editor for North Light Books and IMPACT Books.

This blog will help you discover or rediscover your creative potential through simple, yet insightful posts. These posts transform complicated writing issues into simple solutions, which will make the writing process much easier for you.

Moreover, The Writer’s Digest hosts competitions and provides in-depth information on different writing events they host. You can even find blog posts that are featured by editors and writers alike. If you are the type of writer who is looking for a support group in the writing community, then you should give the Writer’s Digest a whirl.

5. The Write Practice

The Write Practice is an extensive writing resource that offers all forms of helpful information for writers. This writing blog covers writing posts on a wide range of topics, including writing exercises to writing prompts that will get your creative juices flowing. With the Write Practice bookmarked on your browser, you will never feel helpless when it comes to writing.

Furthermore, The Write Practice offers free tips through their blog posts, which will help you evolve your writing style and restructure your writing process. It also offers writing programs and contests.

Evolving your author platform is important, which is exactly what the Write Practice can help you with.

6. Terribleminds

Chuck Wendig, the person behind the TerribleMinds blog, has a unique taste that screams dark humor. This author is brutal in his writing and adds a touch of humor to his writing advice for aspiring writers, and his blog is one of the best writers’ blogs to follow.

Terribleminds offer a wide range of topics that are extracted from Wending’s personal work and the writing of other writers to help you out. The best part is that you will never get bored with Wendig’s unique delivery of writing advice. Since Chuck Wendig is a published author, you will find that he has the best insight into any writing obstacle you might face.

7. Write to Done

There are many different aspects that writers need to be aware of in order to build a successful career path in writing. That is exactly what Write to Done will help you with. This creative writing blog gives tips and advice on nonfiction writing, as well. It is the best of both writing worlds, regardless of what type of writing you want to tackle.

Write to Done, which is considered one of the best blogs by writers, will also help you master several writing techniques and habits that you need to fulfill your writing dreams. Make sure not to miss out on all the writing tips that Write to Done has to offer, along with the motivational posts that will help you during tough writing times.

8. Well-Storied

Kristen Kieffer is the author and genius behind Well-Storied. She is also a well-known author and writing coach who gives advice to all aspiring authors that need help. This writing blog offers great writing tips, as Kiffer has dedicated her time to helping writers unleash their true abilities.

When visiting this blog, you will be able to access her free courses, listen to her podcast, and join her community chats. You will also find that Well-Storied has a wide range of topics to help you improve your writing style. Thanks to her great tips and advice, you will find yourself turning to her blog every once in a while!

9. The Creative Penn

If you are planning to transform writing into a full-time job, then you should have a look at The Creative Penn. This writing blog discusses a lot of topics from genre-specific advice to publishing tips. Joanna Penn, who is responsible for managing this blog, is a bestselling author, which makes her advice both practical and beneficial.

The main aim of this blog is to educate writers on how to improve their writing. Penn has several self-help books for the writing community that are available for purchase. You can also access her podcasts, courses, writing tools, and anything else you need to help your writing process move forward; and the best part is that it’s free of charge!

Top 5 Websites for Writers

Blogs can be a great source of writing advice, but sometimes writers need a tool that helps them with the process, and this is where writing websites come in. We have compiled a list of 4 of the top websites for all aspiring writers out there. You will be able to tap into your true potential through these writing websites.

1. The Book Designer

The Book Designer will help you with writing creative disclaimers and using social media in an efficient and effective manner. As mentioned in their tagline, this writing website offers practical tips on how to build better books and how to choose the right platforms for your book.

Inklyo is a writing website that offers tips for writers, bloggers, entrepreneurs, and students alike. This website will give you writing inspiration, along with practical tips that will help you develop your writing skills.

One of the main concerns for writers is remaining productive, which is exactly what Inklyo will help you with. If you are in the mood for getting some writing insight and instruction, then Inklyo offers several writing courses and e-books that help you learn how to write absolutely anything.

3. Kristen Lamb

Chosen as one of the “Best Websites for Writers” by both The Write Life and Writer’s Digest, Kristen Lamb’s website is the go-to for authors looking for consultations or on-demand classes. Lamb is a bestselling author with non-fiction books about writing on social media and blogs, as well as her fiction book, The Devil’s Dance.

Besides the writing classes and videos, this website also offers guidance to writers through comprehensive posts that are seriously detailed. You will find that these posts are funny and easy to read, which is great for writers who do not have the energy to think too hard about their writing style.

4. Warrior Writers

Warrior Writers is a community of military veterans, service members, artists, allies, and healers dedicated to creativity and wellness. Some of the programs they offer highlight turning your pain into art. After all, writers put the ache in heartbreak, right?

If you feel like you are in a writing rut, then you will find this writing website offering inspirational stories that you need to hear about. Here is a review from a veteran who used this platform:

“It has been an amazing experience. It’s a collaborative project and it’s not something any of us could have done alone. I used to write before I went to Iraq, but when I got over there, I wasn’t able to write. So through the Warrior Writers Project, I have been able to slowly begin to find my words again and share my experiences and what happened over there. It’s been a healing experience.” – Eli Wright, Iraq Veteran and Artist

5. Jane Friedman

From paid and free online classes and newsletters to blog posts and resources for writers, this website has it all. The one behind all of this is the published author Jane Friedman, who has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She has also written and contributed to many books that guide the authors through the process of writing and publishing.

Friedman is especially interested in how the digital age is transforming the writing and publishing industry. She aims to help authors find new business models in the internet era. Moreover, she has worked with many prominent institutions, such as IngramSpark , PublishersWeekly , and Authors Guild .

Final Thoughts

Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor; there is an entire writing community that can help you out in any conundrum you may face. These writing blogs and websites will develop your writing skills and show you how to work on your writing style. When you visit these platforms, you will also find writing exercises, writing prompts, and many more tools to help you out!

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Bellinda Porterman

Thanks for the compilation! I totally agree, and I’d also throw in a few more awesome tools for automation and information storage: – If you’re all about structuring your character info and diving deep into plotting, Notion https://www.notion.so/ is a game-changer. The customization options are almost limitless, making it a real powerhouse. – And don’t forget about this name generator https://instausername.com/fake-name-generator for first and last names, and other character data. They’re a lifesaver when it comes to creating characters. You can filter by country, gender, or age, making brainstorming a breeze. – Oh, and speaking of character development, there’s another fantastic tool https://bookraid.com/ai/book-character-generator for generating character biographies. You can tweak the settings for gender, genre, and comments, which makes it super convenient. It’s a real time-saver!

Hi Bellinda!

Thank you for the awesome input! 💡

Notion is indeed a powerhouse for structuring characters and plotting, and that name generator and character biography tool sound like fantastic resources. Collaboration like this makes our writing community stronger. Feel free to share more gems if you come across them!

Happy writing! 🚀📝

Chevey Edwards

Wow! Thank you very much! Your comment was like adding ice cream to my slice of cake! It was helpfully helpful!!!!

Thanks for your thoughtful comment! We’re glad you found this article helpful. 🙂

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Writing Prompts & Exercises

The time is now.

The Time Is Now offers three new and original writing prompts each week to help you stay committed to your writing practice throughout the year. We also curate a list of essential books on writing —both the newly published and the classics—that we recommend for guidance and inspiration. Whether you’re struggling with writer’s block, looking for a fresh topic, or just starting to write, our archive of writing prompts has what you need. Need a starter pack? Check out our Writing Prompts for Beginners.

Tuesdays: Poetry prompts Wednesdays: Fiction prompts Thursdays: Creative nonfiction prompts

Get immediate access to more than 2,000 writing prompts with the tool below:

The Longest Day

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This year’s summer solstice arrives in the Northern Hemisphere on June 20, marking it the longest day, and shortest night, of the year. And yet, no matter the exact number of daylight or nighttime hours measured out, any day can feel like a very long day, just as any night can end in the blink of an eye. Write a two-part lyric essay in which the first part details one long summer day you’ve experienced, and the second part focuses on one short summer night. For the day that seemed to last forever, did it drag on and on, producing exasperation, or did the hours ooze dreamily and pleasurably? For the night that whizzed by, was there nonstop action that was over before you knew it?

Domestication

In an interview published in Salon, Rosemary Mosco, author of A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World’s Most Misunderstood Bird (Workman Publishing, 2021), reflects on the historical connections between pigeons and people, and recounts a process of domestication, obsolescence, and abandonment. “The city pigeons around us…were domesticated by humans a really long time ago,” says Mosco. “They were really bred to be good at living near us. And then, we forgot, and now they keep hanging around us. And we’re like, ‘why are they here?’” Write a short story that involves an encounter or situation with a domesticated animal, whether a pet, livestock, or one wandering the streets. Think about the wild ancestors of this animal, and how they’ve become entwined with humans and civilization. How might you connect philosophical ideas around domestication with other larger themes of your story?

“We tend to treat odor in general as a sort of taboo,” writes Scott Sayare in a New York Times Magazine article about a woman who discovered she could smell Parkinson’s disease, in some cases over a dozen years before medical diagnosis. “Modern doctors are trained to diagnose by inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation; ‘inhalation’ is not on the list, and social norms would discourage it if it were.” This week, focus your attention on your sense of smell as you go about your days, perhaps even ignoring social norms as you inhale all the odors around you. Then, write a poem that focuses solely, or primarily, on smell—perhaps juxtaposing scents that are in your everyday life now and those from a more distant past.

A Question of Belonging: Crónicas (Archipelago Books, 2024) by the Argentine writer Hebe Uhart, who died in 2018, translated from the Spanish by Anna Vilner, contains over two dozen crónicas—a form of narrative journalism popularized in Latin America that is characterized by short, informal musings about everyday topics and observations. In her introduction to the book, Mariana Enríquez notes Uhart’s lack of pretension in her chosen subjects, from what she observed around her to the locals with whom she conversed. “Her fascination with language is not limited to the spoken: She roams around cities and towns taking note of shop names, ads, and graffiti.…” Jot down intriguing or amusing fragments of language you see and hear as you go about your day, perhaps during your commute or while watching your favorite TV show. Write a series of short musings based on your observations, noting any humor or insights gleaned from contemporary language and what it reveals about our current times.

Head This Way

Ayşegül Savaş’s third novel, The Anthropologists , forthcoming in July from Bloomsbury, is narrated by Asya, one half of a young couple setting out to build a new life together in a foreign city. While they solidify friendships, search for an apartment, and accommodate visiting relatives, Asya begins a documentary project. Each of the novel’s vignette titles reference anthropological concepts: Notions of Loyalty, Child-Rearing, Native Tongue, Courtship, Gift Exchange, Division of Labor, Principles of Kinship, and Forms of Enchantment. As Asya reflects on anthropological distance and lenses, these headings raise questions about the conventions, expectations, and routines that constitute a life. What makes a life legible—and to whom? Write a short story with subheadings providing insight or an alternative perspective on scenes. How might they produce additional layers of complexity and ambiguity?

Coming Down Hard

“The sun had just gone out / and I was walking three miles to get home. / I wanted to die. / I couldn’t think of words and I had no future / and I was coming down hard on everything.” In Linda Gregg’s poem “New York Address,” which appears in her retrospective collection, All of It Singing: New and Selected Poems (Graywolf Press, 2008), the speaker recounts bleak existential angst. Despite the pain and darkness, there are glimmers of light. In the second half of the poem, questions are stubbornly answered with snappy, tidy pacing: “Yes I hate dark. No I love light. Yes I won’t speak. / No I will write.” Write a poem that goes all in on angst, channeling a time that felt overwhelmingly uncertain and full of trepidation. How can you experiment with sound and diction to gently steer the dramatic toward the life-affirming?

Attentiveness

Nearly fifty years ago, the writer George Perec spent three days sitting behind a café window in Place Saint-Sulpice in Paris recording everything he saw. In his short book, An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris , his observations of mundane occurrences and objects often considered unnoteworthy—passersby, cars, buses, pigeons, signs, and slogans—are documented. This week situate yourself in one spot, perhaps in your home or workplace, or in a public space like a park, busy crossroad, commercial area, library, or café. Then, jot down the objects and behavior you see, and the snippets of conversation you hear. Write a lyric essay composed of these notes, trying to avoid interpretations or analysis. Taken together, how do your observations create a portrayal of a specific time or place? Pay particular attention to how one observation might lead to another, and to potential rhythms and repetitions.

Power Couple

The 2023 thriller film Fair Play , written and directed by Chloe Domont, follows the lives of a young, newly engaged couple, Luke and Emily, who are colleagues working as analysts in the cutthroat world of high finance in New York. The film focuses on the progression of their relationship, which has been kept hidden from their hedge fund office, and the bitter disintegration of their happiness after a promotion that was initially rumored to go to Luke is unexpectedly bestowed upon Emily, which situates him as a subordinate to his wife within a misogynistic workplace. Write a short story that revolves around an occurrence that catalyzes a shift in the power dynamic between two main characters who have a close relationship. What are the initial responses, and does the transformation happen suddenly or gradually? Are there gender, generational, or other cultural issues that play a role?

Organic Insinuations

“All too often, on a ‘poetry scene,’ people prioritise ‘subject matter,’” says John Burnside in a 2023 interview about his writing process by Jesse Nathan published on McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. “I am sure that, as I am working, environmental concerns insinuate their way into the content of a poem organically, as other concerns will—but I would never start from there.” Inspired by the late Scottish poet, who died at the age of sixty-nine on May 29, write a poem that springs not from a predetermined topic or subject matter, but instead allows you to “trust in the sounds, the rhythms that come out of the day-to-day, the sheer immediacy and truth of the quotidian…and the images that lead, sometimes via fairly roundabout paths, to metaphor.” Later, as you reread and revise, what do you discover is the subject of your poem? What might have organically insinuated itself into your poem?

The maintenance or restoration of native plant and animal species has long been at the heart of many ecological and conservation projects, and has historically been a focus of land and environmental stewardship principles held by native and first peoples all over the world. But what if a beloved plant or animal is considered invasive, like the palm trees of Los Angeles or the cattle of Texas? What are the effects or consequences of centuries of existence with this invasive species in a particular locale? This week reflect on the notion of belonging—what are various places and times when you have felt a strong sense of belonging, and situations when you did not feel you belonged? Consider your own perspectives and responses when you encounter someone or something else that seems invasive or does not belong.

In Stephen King’s 1983 novel, Pet Sematary , a doctor moves into a remote house in Maine with his wife, two young children, and their pet cat, and learns from a neighbor about an ancient burial ground nearby cursed by a malevolent spirit which gave it power to reanimate those buried there. This is put to the test first by the family cat, and then by members of the family who die throughout the course of King’s horror story. While each formerly dead being is returned to the land of the living, they don’t come back quite the same. Write a story in which a creature or person returns from the dead, either in actuality or under circumstances in which their reappearance feels as if they are “back from the dead.” What familiar traits remain the same and what is disconcertingly different? Is their return ultimately for the better or the worse?

“I told a friend about a spill at the grocery store, which—the words ‘conveyor belt’ vanishing midsentence—took place on a ‘supermarket treadmill,’” writes Madeleine Schwartz in a recent essay published by New York Times Magazine about her experience of negotiating with and toggling between the French and English languages after moving from New York to Paris. In the piece, Schwartz notes that as she became more comfortable with living and thinking in French, she noticed a blurring of her linguistic capabilities, including a muddling of her articulative abilities in English. Think about a time or situation when words have failed you, or you’ve drawn a blank as to the mot juste. Write a poem that traces or enacts a loss of language, perhaps using invented words, phrases, and spellings or experimenting with font sizes, line breaks, and spacing.

Edible Memories

Many foods, flavors, and dishes hold a wellspring of emotional associations because they remind us of loved ones, habits and traditions, specific locales, and a different time of our lives when we were different people. Write a series of flash nonfiction pieces this week with each segment focusing on an edible item that evokes particularly resonant memories for you. You might begin by jotting down lists of foods you ate regularly growing up—breakfasts, school lunches, vending machine go-tos, favorite fast-food joints, diners, late night spots, home-cooked specialties—as well as a few momentous meals. Who are the people you associate with each one? Aside from taste and smell, consider the surrounding environment, atmospheric sounds, time of year, and who you were at that point in your life.

Wheels and Nails

While the American proverb “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” may be one you’ve heard time and again, often in reference to the idea that whoever raises or vocalizes a criticism the loudest will be appeased, there is a Japanese saying that translates to “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down,” which points to the positives of conformity in order to maintain a productive and humble society. It can also refer to putting someone who has become too successful back down in their place. Write a story in which your main character diverges from a group of people, and sticks their neck out, so to speak. Perhaps they vocalize a contrary perspective, protest something they feel is unjust, or simply present themselves in an unconventional manner. What are the consequences? Does your story lean toward one proverbial lesson or the other, or does the conclusion demonstrate more ambiguity?

Night at the Museum

If you could spend a night at any museum, which would you choose, and why? The French publisher Editions Stock has a series of books that begins with this premise—each author selects a museum, arrangements are made for an overnight stay, and a book is written about the experience. In Jakuta Alikavazovic’s Like a Sky Inside , translated from the French by Daniel Levin Becker, she spends a night at the Louvre in Paris, where childhood memories of visits with her father are vividly recalled. “From March 7 to 8, 2020, I spent the night in the Louvre, alone. Alone and at the same time anything but,” writes Alikavazovic. Write a poem that imagines a night at a museum of your choosing, anywhere in the world. What memories will you excavate from this imagined, solitary experience?

Chosen Family

Although the origin of the term is unknown and can be defined in many ways, a chosen family is made up of a group of people who choose to embrace, nurture, and support each other despite conventional understandings of biological or marital relationships. Oftentimes a chosen family is formed to take the place of a biological family, however, in some cases, these relationships are formed to expand a family. Write a personal essay about a relationship you have with a chosen family member. How did you first meet? Was there a particular incident that catalyzed what would become an inextricable bond? Has your commitment to each other been tested in ways big or small? Reflect on past memories and experiences you have had with this special person and how your relationship has evolved over the years.

Kingdom of the Planet

In the 1968 science fiction film Planet of the Apes , which is based on French author Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel and has spawned several sequels and a recent reboot, a crew of astronauts crash-lands on a planet ruled by apes who have developed an advanced and hierarchical civilization, complete with systems of governance, labor, scientific research, and a military force. In this far-off place, humans have been reduced to mute primitive beings who are subjugated and kept captive as workers for the primates. Write a speculative story that takes place in another universe with a premise revolving around a role reversal. What are the rules and governing structures of the society that you invent? You might decide to approach your narrative with a tone of horror, satire, or comedy to emphasize your perspective on stereotypical assumptions and social expectations.

Another Country

“I love these raw moist dawns with / a thousand birds you hear but can’t / quite see in the mist. / My old alien body is a foreigner / struggling to get into another country. / The loon call makes me shiver. / Back at the cabin I see a book / and am not quite sure what that is.” In these eight lines that comprise Jim Harrison’s poem “Another Country,” which appears in his final collection, Dead Man’s Float (Copper Canyon Press, 2016), the late poet moves between observations about a natural outdoor setting and the speaker’s own bodily presence, arriving in the final two lines at a sentiment that expresses a feeling of defamiliarization at the seemingly mundane sight of a book. This week write a poem that explores the concept of being so absorbed in one environment or circumstance that to behold a different scene is like traveling to a strange and unknown realm.

Self-Healing

A recent study in Scientific Reports journal revealed that, for possibly the first time, a nonhuman wild animal was seen using plant medicine to heal an active wound. In a rainforest in Indonesia, a Sumatran orangutan was observed ripping off leaves from a climbing vine plant, chewing them, and applying the plant sap to treat a wound on his face, which then healed after a few days. Write a personal essay on the theme of self-healing. Think about experiences when you’ve witnessed another person perform this task, or particularly resonant memories that pertain to your own past behavior. What are the primary emotions present throughout this process? What instances of self-treatment or self-medication in film, art, or literature created an impression on you?

Campus Story

Take inspiration from the concept of a campus novel—which takes place in and around the campus of a university and often involves the intertwined dynamics of students, professors, and conventions about learning and power—and write a story that engages with a school setting, whether prominently situated in the context of the plot or used for a particular scene. Some recent additions to the campus novel canon include Elif Batuman’s The Idiot (Penguin Press, 2017), Xochitl Gonzalez’s Anita de Monte Laughs Last (Flatiron Books, 2024), Kiley Reid’s Come and Get It (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2024), and Brandon Taylor’s Real Life (Riverhead Books, 2020). Will you include a character who is a student, teacher, administrative staff member, custodial worker or caretaker, or possibly an alumni revisiting the past? Consider the multitude of ways the incorporation of an educational environment might permeate the atmosphere of the narrative.

The Last Friend

“The day the last friend / dies / we sit alone. / A visitor / from outer space / tries hard / to summon us. / Someone says / EAT DEATH. / I fish around for answers / but the questions / still won’t come,” writes Jerome Rothenberg, who passed away in April, in his poem “The Last Friend.” Included in his collection of one hundred poems, A Book of Witness: Spells & Gris-Gris (New Directions, 2022), the poem presents a list of statements and observations, many of which refer to death or dying in some personal way, though the connections are enigmatic and the logical progression is oblique. Try your hand at writing a poem that mentions its subject directly, but which also deliberately obfuscates or remains ambiguous in its intentions. How might using the “I” as a witness include the reader into your point of view?

Mind Your Manners

The New York City culture and news website Gothamist recently asked New Yorkers about their thoughts on sidewalk etiquette in the crowded, bustling streets of their beloved city. What are the rules, who has the right-of-way, and who should yield? Respondents focused on always walking to the right of the sidewalk and to “move quickly and never stop.” One thoughtful respondent considered the cultural differences of sidewalks used for recreational strolls versus commuting. But the overall consensus was that among nine-to-fivers, tourists, parents with kids, dogwalkers, bicyclists, and groups, seniors deserve the right-of-way. Write an essay about the unwritten rules or etiquette you have observed in your daily surroundings. How have these common practices adapted to fit the needs of different people? Do they evolve over time as social norms change? Consider some of your own experiences with how public etiquette has helped or hindered harmonious community life.

The term sub rosa means “under the rose” in Latin and refers to something said or done in private. The rose has been associated with secrecy since ancient times, a decorative symbol often carved and painted in places like meeting rooms, banquet halls, and confessionals as reminders of confidentiality. This week write a short story that revolves around a conversation or discussion that occurs sub rosa in an enclosed space. Does a certain detail get leaked out or overheard? How might the secretive nature place a burden on your characters? Consider the ways in which the atmosphere and tone of your story feel distinctive in the time and space of your sub-rosa conversation versus the scenes that take place before or after the talk.

Wisdom in Translation

In the anthology Another Room to Live In: 15 Contemporary Arab Poets (Litmus Press, 2024) edited by Omar Berrada and Sarah Riggs, multinational and multilingual poet-translators challenge foundational narratives and rework mythologies through poetic expression. Yasmine Seale’s poem “Conventional Wisdom (Arabic Saying Translated Twenty Ways)” is composed of translations of an ancient aphorism expressing the inextricable place of poetry within Arab cultural heritage. Each line presents a variation on the truism: “Poetry is the record of the Arabs / The art of poetry is Arabs, collected / Good poetry is a list of Arabs / To speak in verse is to remain in Arab memory / To surpass another poet is the Arab odyssey.” Write a poem inspired by this idea of translating a proverb or maxim—either from another language or from English into English. How might you creatively interpolate different “translations” of the saying by incorporating connotations and riffing on free associations and personal experiences?

In Response

In a recent interview with Aria Aber for the Yale Review , when asked his thoughts on the responsibility of the poet, Jackson Prize–winning poet Fady Joudah says, “I often think that the responsibility of the poet is to strive to become the memory that people may possess in the future about what it means to be human: an ever-changing constant. In poetry, the range of metaphors and topics is limited, predictable, but the styles are innumerable. Think how we read poetry from centuries ago and are no longer bothered by its outdated diction. All that remains of old poetry is the music of what it means to be human.” Write a creative nonfiction piece that presents your personal theory of the responsibility of a writer or an artist. To construct an expansive approach, you might use observations about how different creative disciplines overlap in their goals, or consider what has remained resonant as the arts make their mark throughout various eras.

About Our Writing Prompts

What is a writing prompt and how do you use one? Whether you find yourself in front of a blank page or stuck in a work-in-progress, writing prompts can offer a spark that ignites your creative thinking and can lead to new writing. Prompts offer guidance, fresh ideas, and direction for writers of all levels of experience. First, choose a prompt for the genre in which you’d like to write, then carefully read it and consider what it is asking you to think about. It could be a specific setting, a writing technique, or an element of an imagined character; a specific poem, story, essay, song, book, or film from which you might take inspiration; or a current event or a topical theme. A writing prompt is filled with endless possibilities—and there is no wrong way to use one to generate new writing!

What makes our writing prompts unique? We have an archive of over 2,000 prompts, all original and offered here and in our weekly newsletter . You’ll find a variety of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction prompts—some inspired by recent and classic literature and other forms of art, current events, and writing practices, and others that offer guidance for a particular form, including sonnets, erasure poetry, flash fiction, lyric essays, and more. For more than fifty years, Poets & Writers has supported creative writers with trustworthy information and inspiration, and our weekly prompts provide a regular dose of encouragement and motivation.

What are the benefits of using writing prompts? Writing prompts can help you get unstuck if you’re in a rut and the ideas aren’t flowing. But even if you’re not experiencing writer’s block, writing prompts can offer a fresh take or a new approach to a work-in-progress. Writing prompts can also provide the motivation to experiment with a new form, try out a new genre, or learn about other writing techniques. And writing prompts are an invaluable tool for teachers who want to encourage and inspire their writing students.

What is this list of Best Books? Best Books for Writers is a list of essential books for creative writers that we curate to support your writing practice. Every week, we add a book (whether new or a classic) with a synopsis and highlights. Included are books on the writing life, anthologies of craft essays, collections of lectures, practical guides with writing exercises, and more.

Poetry writing prompts Every Tuesday we post a new poetry prompt to guide you in your practice. Get to know the work of contemporary and classic poets, as well as a variety of poetic forms.

Fiction writing prompts Every Wednesday we post a new fiction prompt to spark your imagination. Take inspiration from recently published short stories and novels, and of course, the classics.

Creative nonfiction writing prompts Every Thursday we post a new creative nonfiction prompt to help your exploration of this ever-changing genre. These prompts include information and inspiration for a variety of essays as well as memoirs. Discover new writers and their craft, and fresh ways to generate writing inspired by your life.

Need a starter pack? Check out our Writing Prompts for Beginners .

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How to Write , Web Writing

How to write documentation for saas products.

Summary : Write product documentation that is easy to scan, keyword rich, and provides immediate answers to customer queries. To help users find information quickly use short headings, front load keywords, and categorize related content into sub-headings.

How To Create Product Documentation

Use the following checklist to document all aspects of a web application.

Conceptual Information

Describe the main features in the application.

Imagine if someone had never visited your web application before.

What would they need to know about the most important features to make sense of how the system works?

To do this, provide some background, describe a typical business scenario or use case , and some examples that put this in context for the reader. Context is important here as it helps the reader understand how the web application will address their specific needs.

So, what can a person do with your system?

Break out the different tasks they can perform with your software application. Prioritize the most important ones and document these first.

How can you ensure that your procedures are accurate?

To test them, print out the procedures and ask another person, for example, someone not in the IT department or has worked on this project to follow the instructions.

This refers to technical documentation, typically aimed at software developers. For example, if your product offers a set of APIs, then you will need to document the endpoints, parameters, and provide code samples to help the developers get up to speed with the APIs.

You might also consider having a section that describes the purpose, function, and settings for any item which can be configured in the system. For example, if your software allows the user to configure different calendars, currencies, or notification settings, explain where and how to do this — and how their experience on the site will be affected.

Internal and External Linking

Just because a link works doesn’t mean that its correct. Check that buttons, images and text link to the correct page?

Check for broken links if you are using a Help system to provide context-sensitive help.

Static Pages

Check the accuracy of static pages, such as Privacy, Copyright and FAQs. Make sure the content is accurate, in the correct language, and has not been update by others ‘on the fly’ which often introduces other errors.

Screenshots

Make sure there is no customer data in any screenshot. Likewise, remove ‘dummy’ data entered by testers. Create meaningful test data for the screenshots.

Check that the metadata for each page is correct. Ensure that there are no duplicate metadata tags or confusing page titles. One suggestion is to define a naming structure for the pages, so there is common naming across the application. This ensures that other team writers follow the same conventions and minimizes the need to update or correct pages later in the publishing cycle.

Check that the logos, icons, and other branding-related imagery is correct. Also, review straplines and other marketing messages to ensure that it’s accurate, consistent, and current.

Is the text on the buttons correct? Could a user misunderstand any of the buttons? Check that the mouse over text is accurate, grammatically correct, and provides useful information to the user. Refine mouseover text where necessary.

Many web applications include popup text that provides additional information to users. In many cases, this is added in manually by developers, sometimes on an ad-hoc manner. For this reason, check every page which offers popup text and study the text carefully. If possible, try to get access to the resource file where this text is stored.

Error Messages

Create generic warning, information, and error messages before the project starts. Use these in scenarios where you simply want to flag a common issue and the steps the user must take to resolve it.

In other scenarios, you need to provide very specific instructions, especially if there is a risk that the user might lose data.

Examples of how to write an error message .

Mobile Content

Writing technical content for mobile devices presents challenges for technical writers. If users will be accessing your web application over a mobile device, write the content so that it can read on a small screen and doesn’t require excessive scrolling to understand the text.

Decide which language to use for the web application, typically US English. Check for spelling on words such as licence v license. Modify colloquial phrases into more formal language, making it easier for translators.

Where did they get confused? What steps were unclear? Were they able to perform the task without assistance?

What suggestions did they have to improve the quality of the documentation?

How to Plan your Documentation

Use the following approach to document your web application:

Identify each procedure that requires documentation.
Go through each procedure to understand how it works.
Makes notes, get clarifications, and ensure your understanding is correct before you start.
Document the procedures, references materials, online help, and error messages.
Print out and test the documentation against the website. Makes notes of changes which may have occurred since you starting drafting the materials. Technical writers working in an Agile environment need to be more aware of this.
Send the text for review. Remind reviewers of deadlines and their responsibility to confirm the accuracy of the content.
Update the web content based on their feedback.

Make a note to do spot checks and periodically review and update the content.

How to Write Product Documentation

Here are some dos and don’t when writing web content, for example, for SaaS applications.

Identify a single writing tasks – a procedure, error message, or concept.
Highlight the steps that need to be performed before this starting this procedure
Use the default settings. Explain how to use additional optional settings
Identity mandatory steps, fields, or conditions that must be applied.
Describe steps in the correct sequence.
Describe optional steps and the consequences of each action.
Version control working drafts.
Archive redundant drafts to avoid contaminating the documentation set.
Update the table of contents before you publish the content
Take screenshots early in the process as these are likely to change.
Assume the reader knows where this screen is located in the application.
Merge multiple procedures. Identify and document each procedure.
Confuse number and list items.

What to include in Product Documentation?

So, what should you include in your online documentation?

If you plan to include a Help section on the site, the following topics are worth considering as these apply to most all web applications.

#1 Getting Started Guide

Explain to the user how to get started , setup, and perform common tasks on your site/application.

For example:

Share a folder
How do I get notified of changes?
My options to share files look different—did something change?

#2 Top 5 questions for specific areas

If you look at Google Analytics, you’ll see the type of questions customers have and the most common issues that keep arising. With this in mind, identify the top 5 issues they have for billing, security, or whatever area that needs attention. Update this periodically.

There’s a charge on my credit card—which account is this for?
Canceling—refunds and other information
Invoices and receipts for subscriptions

#3 Frequently asked questions

Similar to above, answer the most frequent questions that your technical support team has to deal with. This will probably include standard responses that will reduce the work load on your support team and alleviate whatever concerns potential customers may have.

FAQs are often for prospective customers, where the Top 5 type questions are for customers currently using the website application.

Examples may include:

Is this site safe to use?
Sharing an account with someone else
Does it work on Apple Mac?

#4 Policy and compliance

You must have a section about data protection and how you protect the user’s account.

Typical Help topics include:

The copyright policy
Where do you store my data?
How do I delete my data?

#5 Account settings

The first thing most users do when they create a new account is to personalize it.

Explain how to setup their profile, add an avatar, configure notifications, setup security settings, and how to link their account to social media platforms.

Help topics for account settings may include:

Set a profile picture
Supported languages for apps
Opt out of emails

Use the Help section to gather questions related to technical configuration, system requirements, accessibility, and other issues related to getting started.

System requirements and browsers
Accessibility

Provide documentation that encourages customers to use your products and recommend it to their colleagues. Use best practice web writing guidelines to craft pages that help users find information faster, direct them to the correct sales page with the least effort.

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FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Keep Families Together

Since his first day in office, President Biden has called on Congress to secure our border and address our broken immigration system. As Congressional Republicans have continued to put partisan politics ahead of national security – twice voting against the toughest and fairest set of reforms in decades – the President and his Administration have taken actions to secure the border, including:

Implementing executive actions to bar migrants who cross our Southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum when encounters are high;
Deploying record numbers of law enforcement personnel, infrastructure, and technology to the Southern border;
Seizing record amounts of fentanyl at our ports of entry;
Revoking the visas of CEOs and government officials outside the U.S. who profit from migrants coming to the U.S. unlawfully; and
Expanding efforts to dismantle human smuggling networks and prosecuting individuals who violate immigration laws.

President Biden believes that securing the border is essential. He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country. The Day One immigration reform plan that the President sent to Congress reflects both the need for a secure border and protections for the long-term undocumented. While Congress has failed to act on these reforms, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to strengthen our lawful immigration system. In addition to vigorously defending the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals) policy, the Administration has extended Affordable Care Act coverage to DACA recipients and streamlined, expanded, and instituted new reunification programs so that families can stay together while they complete the immigration process. Still, there is more that we can do to bring peace of mind and stability to Americans living in mixed-status families as well as young people educated in this country, including Dreamers. That is why today, President Biden announced new actions for people who have been here many years to keep American families together and allow more young people to contribute to our economy. Keeping American Families Together

Today, President Biden is announcing that the Department of Homeland Security will take action to ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together.
This new process will help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence – status that they are already eligible for – without leaving the country.
These actions will promote family unity and strengthen our economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping U.S. citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together.
In order to be eligible, noncitizens must – as of June 17, 2024 – have resided in the United States for 10 or more years and be legally married to a U.S. citizen, while satisfying all applicable legal requirements. On average, those who are eligible for this process have resided in the U.S. for 23 years.
Those who are approved after DHS’s case-by-case assessment of their application will be afforded a three-year period to apply for permanent residency. They will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and be eligible for work authorization for up to three years. This will apply to all married couples who are eligible.
This action will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen.

Easing the Visa Process for U.S. College Graduates, Including Dreamers

President Obama and then-Vice President Biden established the DACA policy to allow young people who were brought here as children to come out of the shadows and contribute to our country in significant ways. Twelve years later, DACA recipients who started as high school and college students are now building successful careers and establishing families of their own.
Today’s announcement will allow individuals, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers, who have earned a degree at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education in the United States, and who have received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree, to more quickly receive work visas.
Recognizing that it is in our national interest to ensure that individuals who are educated in the U.S. are able to use their skills and education to benefit our country, the Administration is taking action to facilitate the employment visa process for those who have graduated from college and have a high-skilled job offer, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers.

Stay Connected

We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

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Introducing Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that puts powerful generative models at the core of iPhone, iPad, and Mac

MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro show new Apple Intelligence features.

New Capabilities for Understanding and Creating Language

A user opens the Writing Tools menu while working on an email, and is given the option to select Proofread or Rewrite.

Image Playground Makes Communication and Self‑Expression Even More Fun

The new Image Playground app is shown on iPad Pro.

Genmoji Creation to Fit Any Moment

A user creates a Genmoji of a person named Vee, designed to look like a race car driver.

New Features in Photos Give Users More Control

Three iPhone 15 Pro screens show how users can create Memory Movies.

Siri Enters a New Era

A New Standard for Privacy in AI

ChatGPT Gets Integrated Across Apple Platforms

An iPhone 15 Pro user enters a prompt for Siri that reads, “I have fresh salmon, lemons, tomatoes. Help me plan a 5-course meal with a dish for each taste bud.”

Text of this article

June 10, 2024

PRESS RELEASE

Setting a new standard for privacy in AI, Apple Intelligence understands personal context to deliver intelligence that is helpful and relevant

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced Apple Intelligence , the personal intelligence system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence that’s incredibly useful and relevant. Apple Intelligence is deeply integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. It harnesses the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks. With Private Cloud Compute, Apple sets a new standard for privacy in AI, with the ability to flex and scale computational capacity between on-device processing and larger, server-based models that run on dedicated Apple silicon servers.

“We’re thrilled to introduce a new chapter in Apple innovation. Apple Intelligence will transform what users can do with our products — and what our products can do for our users,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Our unique approach combines generative AI with a user’s personal context to deliver truly helpful intelligence. And it can access that information in a completely private and secure way to help users do the things that matter most to them. This is AI as only Apple can deliver it, and we can’t wait for users to experience what it can do.”

Apple Intelligence unlocks new ways for users to enhance their writing and communicate more effectively. With brand-new systemwide Writing Tools built into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, users can rewrite, proofread, and summarize text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.

Whether tidying up class notes, ensuring a blog post reads just right, or making sure an email is perfectly crafted, Writing Tools help users feel more confident in their writing. With Rewrite, Apple Intelligence allows users to choose from different versions of what they have written, adjusting the tone to suit the audience and task at hand. From finessing a cover letter, to adding humor and creativity to a party invitation, Rewrite helps deliver the right words to meet the occasion. Proofread checks grammar, word choice, and sentence structure while also suggesting edits — along with explanations of the edits — that users can review or quickly accept. With Summarize, users can select text and have it recapped in the form of a digestible paragraph, bulleted key points, a table, or a list.

In Mail, staying on top of emails has never been easier. With Priority Messages, a new section at the top of the inbox shows the most urgent emails, like a same-day dinner invitation or boarding pass. Across a user’s inbox, instead of previewing the first few lines of each email, they can see summaries without needing to open a message. For long threads, users can view pertinent details with just a tap. Smart Reply provides suggestions for a quick response, and will identify questions in an email to ensure everything is answered.

Deep understanding of language also extends to Notifications. Priority Notifications appear at the top of the stack to surface what’s most important, and summaries help users scan long or stacked notifications to show key details right on the Lock Screen, such as when a group chat is particularly active. And to help users stay present in what they’re doing, Reduce Interruptions is a new Focus that surfaces only the notifications that might need immediate attention, like a text about an early pickup from daycare.

In the Notes and Phone apps, users can now record, transcribe, and summarize audio. When a recording is initiated while on a call, participants are automatically notified, and once the call ends, Apple Intelligence generates a summary to help recall key points.

Apple Intelligence powers exciting image creation capabilities to help users communicate and express themselves in new ways. With Image Playground, users can create fun images in seconds, choosing from three styles: Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. Image Playground is easy to use and built right into apps including Messages. It’s also available in a dedicated app, perfect for experimenting with different concepts and styles. All images are created on device, giving users the freedom to experiment with as many images as they want.

With Image Playground, users can choose from a range of concepts from categories like themes, costumes, accessories, and places; type a description to define an image; choose someone from their personal photo library to include in their image; and pick their favorite style.

With the Image Playground experience in Messages, users can quickly create fun images for their friends, and even see personalized suggested concepts related to their conversations. For example, if a user is messaging a group about going hiking, they’ll see suggested concepts related to their friends, their destination, and their activity, making image creation even faster and more relevant.

In Notes, users can access Image Playground through the new Image Wand in the Apple Pencil tool palette, making notes more visually engaging. Rough sketches can be turned into delightful images, and users can even select empty space to create an image using context from the surrounding area. Image Playground is also available in apps like Keynote, Freeform, and Pages, as well as in third-party apps that adopt the new Image Playground API.

Taking emoji to an entirely new level, users can create an original Genmoji to express themselves. By simply typing a description, their Genmoji appears, along with additional options. Users can even create Genmoji of friends and family based on their photos. Just like emoji, Genmoji can be added inline to messages, or shared as a sticker or reaction in a Tapback.

Searching for photos and videos becomes even more convenient with Apple Intelligence. Natural language can be used to search for specific photos, such as “Maya skateboarding in a tie-dye shirt,” or “Katie with stickers on her face.” Search in videos also becomes more powerful with the ability to find specific moments in clips so users can go right to the relevant segment. Additionally, the new Clean Up tool can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo — without accidentally altering the subject.

With Memories, users can create the story they want to see by simply typing a description. Using language and image understanding, Apple Intelligence will pick out the best photos and videos based on the description, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes identified from the photos, and arrange them into a movie with its own narrative arc. Users will even get song suggestions to match their memory from Apple Music. As with all Apple Intelligence features, user photos and videos are kept private on device and are not shared with Apple or anyone else.

Powered by Apple Intelligence, Siri becomes more deeply integrated into the system experience. With richer language-understanding capabilities, Siri is more natural, more contextually relevant, and more personal, with the ability to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks. It can follow along if users stumble over words and maintain context from one request to the next. Additionally, users can type to Siri, and switch between text and voice to communicate with Siri in whatever way feels right for the moment. Siri also has a brand-new design with an elegant glowing light that wraps around the edge of the screen when Siri is active.

Siri can now give users device support everywhere they go, and answer thousands of questions about how to do something on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Users can learn everything from how to schedule an email in the Mail app, to how to switch from Light to Dark Mode.

With onscreen awareness, Siri will be able to understand and take action with users’ content in more apps over time. For example, if a friend texts a user their new address in Messages, the receiver can say, “Add this address to his contact card.”

With Apple Intelligence, Siri will be able to take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps. For example, a user could say, “Bring up that article about cicadas from my Reading List,” or “Send the photos from the barbecue on Saturday to Malia,” and Siri will take care of it.

Siri will be able to deliver intelligence that’s tailored to the user and their on-device information. For example, a user can say, “Play that podcast that Jamie recommended,” and Siri will locate and play the episode, without the user having to remember whether it was mentioned in a text or an email. Or they could ask, “When is Mom’s flight landing?” and Siri will find the flight details and cross-reference them with real-time flight tracking to give an arrival time.

To be truly helpful, Apple Intelligence relies on understanding deep personal context while also protecting user privacy. A cornerstone of Apple Intelligence is on-device processing, and many of the models that power it run entirely on device. To run more complex requests that require more processing power, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of Apple devices into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence.

With Private Cloud Compute, Apple Intelligence can flex and scale its computational capacity and draw on larger, server-based models for more complex requests. These models run on servers powered by Apple silicon, providing a foundation that allows Apple to ensure that data is never retained or exposed.

Independent experts can inspect the code that runs on Apple silicon servers to verify privacy, and Private Cloud Compute cryptographically ensures that iPhone, iPad, and Mac do not talk to a server unless its software has been publicly logged for inspection. Apple Intelligence with Private Cloud Compute sets a new standard for privacy in AI, unlocking intelligence users can trust.

Apple is integrating ChatGPT access into experiences within iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, allowing users to access its expertise — as well as its image- and document-understanding capabilities — without needing to jump between tools.

Siri can tap into ChatGPT’s expertise when helpful. Users are asked before any questions are sent to ChatGPT, along with any documents or photos, and Siri then presents the answer directly.

Additionally, ChatGPT will be available in Apple’s systemwide Writing Tools, which help users generate content for anything they are writing about. With Compose, users can also access ChatGPT image tools to generate images in a wide variety of styles to complement what they are writing.

Privacy protections are built in for users who access ChatGPT — their IP addresses are obscured, and OpenAI won’t store requests. ChatGPT’s data-use policies apply for users who choose to connect their account.

ChatGPT will come to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia later this year, powered by GPT-4o. Users can access it for free without creating an account, and ChatGPT subscribers can connect their accounts and access paid features right from these experiences.

Availability

Apple Intelligence is free for users, and will be available in beta as part of iOS 18 , iPadOS 18 , and macOS Sequoia this fall in U.S. English. Some features, software platforms, and additional languages will come over the course of the next year. Apple Intelligence will be available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac with M1 and later, with Siri and device language set to U.S. English. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-intelligence .

Press Contacts

Cat Franklin

[email protected]

Jacqueline Roy

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Apple Media Helpline

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2. Teen Ink. Teen Ink is a literary magazine and website for teens that helps them use their voice and make a difference through writing. This great site is devoted entirely to writing, art, and photos by teens. This site is best for teens who are interested in writing nonfiction essays, articles, poems, and short stories. 3.
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As mentioned in their tagline, this writing website offers practical tips on how to build better books and how to choose the right platforms for your book. 2. Inklyo. Inklyo is a writing website that offers tips for writers, bloggers, entrepreneurs, and students alike.
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The 17 Best Writing Websites

Daily Writing Tips

Janice Hardy’s Fiction University

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Writers in the Storm

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Jerry Jenkins

Writers Helping Writers

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The blog on the best writing websites will cover:

1. selfpublishing.com

2. Self-Publishing School

3. Self-Publishing Advice

4. The Book Designer

5. Paper Help

6. Grammar Girl

7. AutoCrit

8. Janice Hardy’s Fiction University

9. 750 Words

10. Build Book Buzz

11. Language is a Virus

12. Six-Words Memoirs

13. The Writing Cooperative

14. The Write Life

15. Helping Writers Become Authors

16. Association of Ghostwriters

17. NaNoWriMo

18. Scribophile

19. Self-Publishing Formula

20. Almost An Author

21. Creativity Portal

22. Writer’s Digest

23. Insecure Writer’s Support Group

24. LitReactor

25. Now Novel

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The Best 11 Writing Conferences for Authors in 2024

Amazon Author Central: 7 Simple Steps to Optimize Your Author Page

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The 23 Best Writing Tools of 2024: A Guide for Writers

Which writing app is right for you?

Writing tools

1. Reedsy Book Editor

3. LibreOffice

Organization tools

5. Milanote

6. Evernote

8. Scrivener

9. Hubspot's AI Content Writer

Productivity tools

10. Ommwriter

11. To Doist

12. Marinara Timer