Automatic Text Analysis
ProWritingAid automatically analyzes your text based on various statistics and its proprietary algorithms. The analyses are based on established rules for good writing that actually can be assessed, e.g. Adverbs should be used sparingly, be more careful when transitions are used and use fewer pronouns, glue words, etc. These rules are important if you value good writing. ProWritingAid makes them easily visible.
Realtime is an excellent tool that can speed up the process of working through documents.
After these errors are corrected, you can proceed to separate reports for thorough editing. They will let you examine your word choices and sentence patterns as well as repeat words. You can run the Summary Report to pinpoint the areas that need improvement the most quickly.
How to Utilize It
ProWritingAid offers a variety of formats. You can use the Web Editor to modify your documents. The browser extensions let you fix grammar issues quickly on websites such Twitter, WordPress and Gmail. The Word add-ins are available for Windows or Mac that allow you directly to edit your Word documents.
Today we will focus on their Desktop App that is fantastic to use alongside your Ulysses files.
ProWritingAid.com registration is required for access to the tool. There are a variety of ways to utilize Ulysses documents, as well as ProWritingAid. Ulysses authors can utilize the web-based Web Editor for free or download the desktop application. It is necessary to purchase a premium license in order to edit more than 500 words in a session or make use of the desktop software.
The desktop app supports 8 file types including Markdown. Export a Ulysses document as Markdown File. Next, use ProWritingAid to edit the text and then import it back to your Ulysses Library for further processing. It’s quick and simple however you can’t save sheets or images such as writing goals. After some testing with the application, I found that the following workflow is effective for me:
Use ProWritingAid to create a Markdown file.
Visit the Ulysses file, select a passage of text, and then use “Copy Markdown” option in the Edit menu.
Paste into ProWritingAid.
Then, go through each report individually and edit within ProWritingAid.
Once you are satisfied, go ahead and copy the edited text.
Paste the text from the original passage to the Ulysses sheet.
The Reports
In each ProWritingAid report, the problems that you have identified in your report are underlined. If you hover your cursor over an underlined paragraph, you will receive an explanation and/or a suggestion. If you need an idea, click it. Click on an idea, e.g.
The reports include a short explanation along with a link to ProWritingAid’s comprehensive details. To give an idea, I’ll provide examples and more information.
Writing Style Check This report is meant to assist you in improving your writing skills, based on a variety of rules that are essential to excellent writing. As an example, the report identifies the use of passive voice within your writing, as sentences that are written in active voice are more engaging to read. Writing Style Check will also identify repeated sentences starts and suggests ways to increase readability.
Overused words examined This report lists words so frequently used in everyday life that they’ve virtually lost their significance. ProWritingAid might not be able to tell the frequency with which you use them in excess.
Verify the length of sentences.
Texts that contain sentences of varying lengths are more enjoyable to read. This report visualizes the length of your sentences in a bar graph so you can see at a glance if there’s an opportunity to improve. You will be able to see which sentences are particularly long, so you can determine them.
Pricing
ProWritingAid provides an online tool that is completely free. While it’s less user-friendly and doesn’t provide all the reports available, it could be helpful for getting 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 license. ProWritingAid offers a 14-day assurance that you’ll be completely happy with the purchase.
Final Thoughts
ProWritingAid cannot (and is not meant to) substitute for an editor who is human. It focuses on specific elements of text and does an excellent job. While you will still need to make changes to the text you write, ProWritingAid can speed up the process and make it more efficient.