There are, literally, a plethora of resources available for writers today.  From books to software to websites, a multitude of tools to aid your writing activities are regularly within your reach.  So why aren’t you using them?

Sure, you have to let the words flow when you’re putting together a first draft.  I appreciate that.  In fact, I even encourage it.   Once that rough initial burst of expression is laid to paper, though, you should definitely dip into the resources right in front of you to improve it.

When a phrase doesn’t sound right, for instance, don’t just let it sit and wait for the correct construction to dawn upon you.  Call a friend and ask them for input on what could be wrong.  Or go to the internet, type the phrase into Google and see what comes up (sometimes, you can get lucky this way).  Or run it through your favorite writing software and see what it says.

Sure, sometimes you can guess correctly.  Other times, luck might play a part.  Don’t put your faith on them, though.  Instead, take advantage of all the writing tools our modern times have afforded us.  That’s what they’re there for, after all.

Sure, you can write with nothing but a pen and a pile of blank paper.  After all, there’s no doubt some of the greatest books, essays and novels of all time have been written that way many years ago.

There’s no reason, however, to restrict yourself to such meager supplies.  It’s a modern world, after all, with a veritable treasure trove of tools and equipment that can help streamline your writing life.

1. A good desk.  Every writer needs a good work area, so invest in a sturdy desk with enough space to accommodate your computer setup comfortably.  Similarly, make sure there’s an empty area where you can review books and printouts, as well as occasionally handwrite stuff, in case you’re in the mood for that.
2. A mid-range computer.  If you’re going to use a machine primarily for writing, you won’t need one of those high-end systems.  A low-voltage laptop with one of the lower-end CPUs should handle all the processing power you require.
3. A word processing software.  Invest in a good one.  Free software like AbiWord or Open Office Writer are decent, but lack the heavy feature set available in Microsoft Office’s suite.  The last thing you want is to suddenly develop a need for a capability and not have it available to you.  In case you’re interested, my personal favorite software for writing is Microsoft Office OneNote.   I recommend it to everyone.  Just a note: regardless of what software you pick, make sure you have a way of converting it to a Word-compatible format.
4. A good writing improvement software.  While Word will have its own spell and grammar checker, we find dedicated writing software  to be a much more effective solution on the long-term.  Not only do they have more features (e.g. style checkers, programmability), they’ll also tend to play better with a variety of tools in your computer.
5. Standard office machines.  You want to have regular office equipment on there, from faxes, landlines, answering machines and such.  If you’re more tech-savvy, you can arrange for all the same conveniences right on your PC, though, so that can save a whole lot in initial equipment.

Many people still treat the computer as a mere word processor – a fancier, more modern typewriter.   While there’s nothing wrong with that, you’re only barely scratching the machine’s abilites when you do so.

Truth is, the computer can be so much more for your writing.  It can be an editor, a proofreader, a co-writer – an all-in-one writing assistant, in fact.

Do you work best when stating your thoughts aloud?  No need to use a separate recorder – the computer can do it.  Need those recordings transcribed?  No need to hire a transcription specialist – lots of software tools can now dependably convert speech to text.

Are your spelling skills not up to par?  A spellchecking software can do it on the fly, correcting your mistakes as you type.  Skipped too many classes in grammar school?  Any comprehensive writing software worth its price should be able to fix up your syntax and usage in minutes.  Need to stick to a specific writing style?  Those same software titles usually integrate a stylechecker, that checks for compliance with any guideline you prefer, from MLA to AP to scientific formats.

To put it mildly, your computer (along with a helping of quality software) can be the best writing assistant you’ve ever hired.  Not only can it do so many things, it takes no breaks, leaves and doesn’t bill by the hour too.

Writing online can be just like writing for traditional media.  You’re still bound by the same conventions, grammatical structures and instruments of effects.  Those people saying that the informal nature of the web should allow you to get away with murdering the English language?  Don’t buy it a second.  Just like in print, poor writing on the web gets you poor results.

Reasons For Reading

People on the web read for many reasons.  Some do it to be amused; many do for research; others do for learning.  Regardless of their motivations, you’ll have to identify your particular audience, composing your piece with them (and their specific reasons for poring through your work) in mind.

Writing Software

What’s the role of writing tools in your work online?  I’d gander it’s the same as with the rest of your writing duties.  It will sort out errant grammar, offer style suggestions and improve the text as best as it can manage.

Looking to pay extra attention to several keywords?  You can use your all-in-one English software to help compute keyword density, making sure the significant word or phrase appears the proper amount of time.  In the same way, you can produce variations of those key terms by using the built-in thesaurus and word tools.

To put it simply, give the work you intend to publish online the same amount of attention and care you’d provide if you were writing for print.  Despite the differences in format and some adjustments in layout, they both have the same purpose – to be read and understood.

Writing, on its own, is usually enough of a challenge.  This is as true for pros as it is for non-writers who need to compose text on a regular basis when accomplishing their jobs.  To undergo the task of having to proofread and correct your own writing is nothing short of a burden.   As such, it isn’t uncommon for people to skip this second phase and turn in writing that’s less than ideal, filled with avoidable mistakes every step of the way.

While mistake-prone text may be acceptable for casual, friendly correspondence, this is hardly the case for professional communication.  What kind of image are you building in your client’s mind, for instance, if you send them emails fraught with spelling errors and grammar flounders?

That’s why we’ve long been campaigners for the adoption of English writing software for everyone, who does any amount of putting words into paper.  While these types of applications won’t turn you into a language specialist, it should help cut out the propensity to commit the critical error of bad grammar in your writing.  Requiring nothing but a few minutes of extra time after composing a text, you’d be foolish not to employ one to help “clean up” your writing.

It requires none of the dedicated effort that both proofreading and correcting entails, yet will probably help fashion your writing in a better form than ever.  Seriously, if you care at all about making a good impression on the people you deal with on a regular basis, it makes no sense not to use a simple grammar and writing tool.