Do you want to take your writing and current works in progress to another level? I highly recommend you try one of the self-editing tools on the market. I was initially skeptical, but in the end, it blew me away how helpful the one I chose turned out to be.
To be clear, no one is paying me for this advice. I’m giving my honest opinion of an experience I, as a fellow writer/author, experienced.
When it was time for the second editing of my current WIP, I wanted a little more help than relying on my own eyes and knowledge. At the same time, I wasn’t ready to pay an editor yet. So, after looking at a couple of reviews of online editing tools, I tried Autocrit.
The free version is useless, in my humble opinion. Nothing more than spelling and punctuation. The upgraded, or paid version, however, offered much more depth than I expected. I loved it! There were a few issues when using it for a novel, but for short stories, it was an eye-opener and fantastic help.
I was initially disappointed in the Autocrit upgrade for use on my novel. It took ages to download the full file into the tool. When it was done, each time I tried to change even a word as suggested, it lagged so long that I’d lose my train of thought and be on to the next paragraph. It was unusable.
I soon learned that my trouble with the novel and Autocrit was a case of needing fast internet (which I have) AND a new computer (I do not have). With both in place, I believe the Autocrit tool will work perfectly. I hope.
In the meantime, I implemented my own clunky fix by uploading each edited/highlighted version to Word where I could clean things up. Then I’d upload the next one, such as the one showing stronger word usage suggestions, and do it all again. But by this time I would keep the first corrected version and do a side-by-side with the next uploaded Autocrit version, and so on. Not ideal in the least. But until I get a new computer, this is how I need to play it.
The bottom line is, if you want to edit the full text of a novel (as opposed to breaking it up or only editing short stories), get an upgraded internet and a new computer. If you have these in place already, go for one of the editing tools. You won’t be sorry!
In closing, I want to be clear that the Autocrit editing tool was a huge help with upgrading my writing. Seeing where I was repeating too many words, using weak words, or writing “telling” sentences rather than “showing”, or for that matter, using words that were “telling” instead of “showing”. And so many more categories.
I have every intention of renewing the paid version of Autocrit in the future, or using another editing tool. I think these online tools are amazing for writers at all stages of our careers. You’ll learn more than what you specifically asked for.
Good luck with your writing, and happy reading!
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Inspirational Quote:
“Stay faithful to the stories in your head.”—Paula Hawkins
Book Recommendation:
This book was well written by an amazing author. I wasn’t big on the fight scenes, but I absolutely got attached to all the characters involved and enjoyed following them on their journey.