Are you one that works too many hours? They probably don’t pay you by the hour, do they? More about results than time, right? Certainly, all three are a yes answer for me. And I like to find ways to reduce time on simple, mundane tasks. So my favorite online writing tools add a great deal to making my work life easier.
We’re living in an age where online writing tools make learning writing skills much easier and more fun than it’s ever been. Learning such skills is and always will be an important part of our continuous learning. In fact, you might say that today it’s more important than ever. Online writing tools make it easier to achieve, too.
Self-publishing is on the rise, and job markets are far more competitive than they’ve ever been. These are just two examples of how our ability to communicate with words will affect how successful we can be.
I love to read, learn, and try new things. Like new tools for my content marketing. Often, I’ll see something that I want to try, save, and connect with other new apps I am using. Ideas that come from previously unconnected planes of thought, as Mootee states. There are many apps for workers looking to improve productivity like me that can be a big help in this regard. And less wasted time? Yes, splendid for that also.
But what does “great content” really mean? And is “great content” really enough?
“Content is like an arms race right now. Even publishing epic stuff isn’t sufficient. To stand out, you need to give your content that extra “umpph” that makes it spread like Nutella. Content like this.” – Brian Dean
This makes you think: What writing tools were you not using two years ago that today you can’t imagine living without today?
So here are my favorite online writing tools in 3 categories:
Online writing tools … editing
Wordcounter—Wordcounter ranks frequently-used words in any given body of text to help you see if you’re overusing any particular words. It also helps to locate keywords.
Hemingway—Hemingway helps you write like the great man himself; simple, clear, and bold. Short sentences boost readability by 58%. Run your content through The Hemingway App at the proofing stage. Then use it to simplify long sentences that may be hard to read.
Cliche Finder—As the name suggests, use this tool to help you spot any cliches in your content.
Grammarly—Grammarly helps you hone your writing skills by finding and correcting any errors. More errors than a standard word processor.
Autocrit—This is an online manuscript tool for fiction writers. Quickly self-edit your work anytime, anywhere.
Online writing software … writing
My Writing Spot—This clutter-free online writing workspace features autosave capability, a word counter, and a built-in dictionary/thesaurus. It also contains document groups for organization and collaboration.
Ohm Writer—The original distraction-free ambient writing space, and still a favorite with writers of all kinds all over the world.
Write Space—This is a Google Chrome plug-in that provides a fully customizable text editor right in your web browser.
Brainstorming
Stormboard—A versatile multicolored collaborative space where you can add sticky notes, photos, and videos to a shared wall.
Wridea—Wridea is a web service that lets you share, organize, and improve writing ideas collaboratively.
Bubbl.us—This is a fun and simple mind mapping tool. It enables you to organize and plan ideas. It also can present them to colleagues in a clean and stylish manner.
Note-taking
Evernote
Easily the best note-taking app on the app store. Hands down my favorite. Evernote will not only store out the notes you tap onto the onscreen keyboard but also the notes you record with your voice. You can even store photos and synchronize your notes with your Mac or Windows-based PC. You can also geotag notes to make them location-based.
Evernote is an organizational tool that you can use as a storing place for short notes, or as a place to collect all your thoughts—links, photos, notes, checklists—for larger projects. An app that is super versatile.
You can take notes, create to-do lists, record voice reminders, and save your ideas and URLs to websites you visit. Access to Evernote is available on almost any device, and you search through your notes by keyword. Stacks, Notebooks, Notes, and Tags, are how you keep track of everything in Evernote. It’s a great app for eliminating clutter and staying organized while working on multiple projects or collaboration with several clients. Amazing.
Scanner Pro
ScannerPro is one of those Evernote-related apps. It is designed for quickly getting a hard document into digital form for easy sharing and sending. Scan documents, business cards, receipts, and more by taking a picture with your iPhone, and then save or send the document. By linking ScannerPro with Evernote, you can go entirely paperless by taking pictures of all your papers and then saving them to Evernote. Photos will be saved, and we’ll recognize the text in them, making all your documents searchable and accessible from anywhere.
Goodreader
Working with PDF documents is something I regularly do, and this app is a good way to do it. It has many features that make viewing and editing PDFs productive, including full markup capability.
There is a file manager built into Goodreader that works with both local files and those stored in primary cloud storage services.
The bottom line
Ponder for a moment … the iPad, Cloud computing, and Apps. A few years ago, they barely existed. Now they’re an integral part of our lives.
That swift journey from nonexistent to indispensable seems to happen a lot these days. But it gives us unlimited access to improve our learning and utility for idea connection.
What are your favorite productivity apps that you can’t live without? I would love to hear your recommendations.
