Automatic Text Analysis
ProWritingAid analyzes your text using a variety of metrics and its own algorithm. The analyses are based on the established guidelines for writing that can be measured. Make use of adverbs sparingly, fewer transitions, fewer pronouns, glue words etc. These rules will be more or less apparent when you are writing well. ProWritingAid helps make the rules accessible.
Realtime lets you quickly edit any errors in grammar, spelling or style.
Once you’ve fixed the errors, you can start to edit the individual reports. These let you examine your sentence structures, repeated words and more. You can run a Summary Report to find out where you need to focus to achieve the greatest improvements in the most time:
How to Use It
ProWritingAid is available for download in many formats. It is possible to use the Web Editor to modify your documents. Their browser extensions let you make quick grammar fixes on websites such Twitter, WordPress and Gmail. The Word add-ins are compatible with Windows or Mac that allow you directly to edit your Word documents.
Today, we’ll focus on their Desktop App. This application is perfect for working using Ulysses documents.
ProWritingAid.com registration is required for access to the tool. There are a variety of ways to work with Ulysses documents and ProWritingAid. Ulysses writers may choose to use the online Web Editor or download the desktop program. You’ll need a premium licence to edit up to 500 words simultaneously and also to use the desktop application.
The desktop app is able to read and write 8 different types of files, Markdown among them. Markdown File can be used to export Ulysses text. ProWritingAid will then edit the text and then you can import it back to Ulysses to further process. It’s fast and effective however it doesn’t permit you to keep your images or attachments such writing goals. After some play with the app, this was a great fit for my workflow.
Start ProWritingAid and then create a new Markdown file.
Visit your Ulysses file, select a passage of text, and then use “Copy a Markdown” command from the Edit menu.
Paste into ProWritingAid.
Then go through all of the reports, and edit within ProWritingAid.
Once you’re finished, click and copy the text you edited.
Copy the text from the original text onto the Ulysses sheet.
The Reports
In each ProWritingAid report, issues found in your text appear underlined. When moving your cursor over a text that is underlined, you’ll get an explanation or suggestion. Click on the suggestion, e.g. To use it, click on a suggestion (e.g.
The reports come with brief explanations and a link to comprehensive details about the report’s topic on the ProWritingAid website. To give an idea, I’ll provide examples and more information.
Writing Style Review This report is intended to help you improve your writing skills. The report highlights passive voice usage in your writing. But, sentences written using active voice are more engaging. Writing Style Check also identifies repetitions in sentences and offers 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 meaning. ProWritingAid will help you find those words that have been extensively used.
You can determine the length of your sentence.
Texts that contain sentences of varying lengths are more engaging to understand. The report will show you how long your sentences are in a bar graph. This allows you to see where there is room to improve. Additionally, it will highlight lengthy sentences that could make the text difficult to understand.
Pricing
ProWritingAid is accessible on the internet for free. Although it is more difficult to use and doesn’t provide access to all reports, it could be helpful in creating a first impression. Premium memberships can be purchased at a price of $79 per calendar year and $399 per life license. ProWritingAid is backed by a 14-day money-back guarantee which allows you to take your time and decide if it is right for you.
Final Thoughts
ProWritingAid isn’t designed to replace a human editor. It can help highlight specific aspects of the text and performs an extensive job. You will still have edit your text by yourself, but ProWritingAid will help you improve the process and speed it up.