Automatic Text Analysis
ProWritingAid will automatically analyze your text using various statistics and proprietary algorithms. The analyses are based on the established rules of good writing which can be evaluated. Use adverbs sparingly, less transitions, fewer pronouns, glue words, and so on. If you’re interested in good writing, you’ll probably try to stick to these rules more or less in your head. ProWritingAid makes them systematically evident.
Realtime will let you quickly edit any errors in spelling, grammar or style.
After you’ve corrected the mistakes, you can start editing the individual reports. They will let you examine your sentence and word choices, structures as well as repeated words. To identify the areas in which you need to concentrate for the greatest results in the shortest period of time, run a Summary Report.
How to Use It
ProWritingAid comes in many formats. You can make use of the Web Editor to modify your documents. Their browser extensions allow you to fix grammar issues quickly on sites like Twitter, WordPress and Gmail. The Word extensions are available for Windows or Mac which allow you to directly to modify your Word documents.
Today, we’ll focus on their Desktop App. This app is perfect to work with Ulysses documents.
ProWritingAid.com registration will be required in order to use the tool. There are a variety of options available for working with Ulysses documents. Ulysses writers can utilize the free online Web Editor, or download the desktop application. You’ll need a premium license to edit more then 500 words at a time or use our desktop app.
The desktop application can read eight kinds of files (Markdown included). Markdown File is a way to export Ulysses text. Then, you can make use of ProWritingAid for editing and bring it back to your Ulysses library. This is fast and efficient however it doesn’t permit you to save your images or attachments such writing objectives. After testing the application, I found that I used the following as my preferred workflow:
Open ProWritingAid and then create a Markdown File.
Go to Ulysses, choose a text section and then select the Copy as Markdown option from the Edit menu.
Paste into ProWritingAid.
Then, go one at a time through the reports, and edit within ProWritingAid.
Once you are done, you can select the edited text, and then copy it.
Copy the text back onto your Ulysses sheet, replacing it with the latest version.
The Reports
ProWritingAid reports highlight the issues in your text. If you hover your cursor over an underlined paragraph, you will get an explanation and/or recommendation. Click on a suggestion if it is applicable, e.g. To use it, you can click on an idea (e.g.
The reports include an explanation of the report and an online link that will take you to a wealth of details about the report on ProWritingAid. You will find some examples to provide you with an idea of the length and depth of my explanation.
Writing Style The report can aid you in improving your writing skills. It is based on several rules that are good to follow when writing. You can see that the report highlights passive voice usage in your text. However writing using active voice tend to be more interesting. Writing Style Check will also identify repeated sentences starts and suggests ways to improve the readability of your text.
Words that are frequently used checked This report contains words that are that are so commonly used in daily life that they’ve almost lost their significance. It is impossible to always avoid them, but ProWritingAid can identify if you have been using them in excessive.
Verify the length of sentence
Texts that have sentences that differ in length can be more engaging to read. The report shows the length of your sentences are in a bar graph. This allows you to see where there is room for improvement. It can identify long sentences that make it difficult to comprehend.
Pricing
The ProWritingAid online tool is available free of charge. Although it’s not as user-friendly and does not offer all the reports that are available, it can help you get a first impression. You can use the desktop app and other add-ons with a premium membership. It’s $79 for a year, or $399 for a lifetime licence. ProWritingAid is backed by a 14-day money-back guarantee so you can consider your options and determine whether it’s the right choice for you.
Final Thoughts
ProWritingAid cannot (and isn’t meant to) substitute for an editor who is human. It highlights specific elements of text and performs a thorough job. ProWritingAid can’t replace manual editing process of your texts. But it can make the process easier and more efficient.