The digital age has shifted many tasks from manual to automatic. Things that used to take hours to create can now be accomplished in minutes, paving the way for higher productivity levels with generally the same output quality.
The same can be said about writing apps and tools that help one write better. Such technology was first used as a supplement to writing faster and more meaningfully but, now, with artificial intelligence (AI) continuing to get better at mimicking how the human mind works, it is possible for a person with minimal writing experience to become a better writer.
Still, nothing beats the power of the human brain when creating content that tells relevant stories creatively. There are so many intricacies about the brain that baffle scientists to this day. However, it doesn't hurt to have technology on your side to help make the writing process easier and faster. If you are learning how to become a better writer, here are some tools that might interest you.
Writing Exercises and Prompts
Writing prompts and generators are great tools if you find yourself short on ideas, need a jumpstart to kick your project off, or just want to improve your writing through practice. There are plenty of these softwares online, like Squibler and Servicescape, that help fiction and nonfiction writers come up with a good first line or even provide an entire story plot to build on. Those learning how to become a better creative writer find that random generators and prompts are helpful in awakening their creative juices, enabling them to overcome writer's block faster.
You can use prompts and generators to help you create your actual project or just have fun with the various writing exercises to harness your skills. Some generators encourage you to engage in stream-of-consciousness writing, where you have to type everything that comes to mind without stopping to replicate the experience of thinking.
Plot Builders
Some software specializes in helping writers map out an entire storyline or even a novel, such as Plottr and Plottapus. If you’re learning how to become a better writer, you’ll find these apps extremely useful. They help you outline and plan your story, suggesting plots, scenes, and story arcs that you can reorganize and filter until you reach a flow that meets your vision. You can also create plotting templates so you are better prepared for your next project or writing exercise, thereby reducing the amount of time you take to plan a piece.
Writing Games
We've found some pretty fun games that help improve your writing, ranging from simple to hardcore.
The Habitica app, for example, is an RPG that helps you stick to your personal and professional targets — something that professional writers need to stay consistent and meet deadlines. On the other side of the spectrum, we found this software called Write or Die which, as its name implies, forces writers to get things done and match their preset writing pace or their work gets deleted ("die"). That’s pretty harsh, admittedly, but it’s a great way to compel yourself to quit slacking and making excuses, and just get to work.
Text Prediction Software
Lightkey is an AI-powered predictive text software that can offer up to 12 words, including punctuations, in a single prediction based on your typing patterns and content theme. It also has the ability to correct spelling and grammatical errors in real-time.
Composing unique and creative content is fun, but if you've been writing for a long time, the repetition can take a toll on your quality.
Lightkey grows with you the more you use the software, learning your typing patterns and choice of words as you go and eventually offering multi-word predictions that meet your tone and voice. Soon enough, you'll be writing documents, letters, essays, and even reports faster and more seamlessly, as if you had spent plenty of time composing them yourself.
Lightkey can generate predictive text in any content area, pulling recommendations from a wide range of content domains, including art, business, academics, entertainment, and sports. The app is suitable for writers of all skill levels, making it a must-have tool for anybody who wants to write better.
Skill Building and Refinement Apps
Two of writers’ favorite writing tools are Grammarly and Hemingway, both of which exist to help you refine your writing by fixing grammar issues and recommending better ways to express ideas. Grammarly focuses more on the technical side of the writing process by showing grammatical errors, misused words and phrases, and assessing your overall writing by giving it a score. Hemingway, on the other hand, focuses more on your piece’s readability and structure, offering alternative words or phrases where applicable.
One important thing to note about both these software is that they help you refine your writing AFTER you’ve completed your sentence or paragraph. They do not offer real-time, in-line suggestions and feedback.
Leverage Technology & Improve Your Writing Using Lightkey
Struggling to move past the first line in every essay or creative piece can be very frustrating, and it doesn't help that writing tasks come with deadlines and pressure. Fortunately, there are apps and tools that exist to take the load off writers' backs and help them to improve their writing skills in more systematic ways.
Lightkey is a powerful, intelligent typing tool that aims to help both novices and professionals write better. By combining various language models with AI to improve typing speed, typing accuracy, and typing quality, this software brings ease and efficiency to writing. Whether you're a seasoned author, an administrative staff, a student, or a writing enthusiast, learning how to become a better writer is a continuous process; and there's no better way to enhance the experience than to harness the power of technology to make everything less complicated.
To learn more about Lightkey's impressive personalized and real-time text prediction features, contact us today.
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