Useful Writing Sites and Tools

I am always trying to find ways to help with my writing and productivity as I am the Queen of Procrastination. There are quite a few things out there that claim to help you but here are three sites/tools that I’ve found most helpful…

750 Words.

I’ve only been using this one for about a week and I’m already wondering how I managed without it. I LOVE IT. I’m not sure how I managed to not hear about it until now. (I overheard someone speak about it a queue for a writing event.)

Working on the idea of morning pages, it’s an online page where you can write freely for 750 words. You can write more if you find you’re on a roll but 750 words a day is the minimum. They offer little cute badges for rewards for reaching goals (for example, you get a little badge if you write three days in a row.) You create a profile. Your writing remains private and it’s such a good way of making sure you write every day.

There’s a 30 day free trial followed by a subscription fee of about $5 a month (which is roughly £3.)

A Round of Words in 80 Days.

I’ve been taking part in this challenge for over a year (on and off) and it’s one I’ve found incredibly helpful. This is the challenge that knows you have a life and it’s free to take part.

There are four sessions a year, each one running for 80 days. You set your own goals. Many people use it for exercise/life goals as well as writing ones. You check in via their blog twice a week – Sunday and Wednesdays. This is good if you work well with deadlines. All they ask if that, once you’ve checked in, you drop by some of the other participants blogs and say hi and offer support. The community feel amongst the 80 days writers in incredible.

Don’t worry if you stumble on it half way through a session. Just jump in at the next check in.

Freedom.

This was a tool that was recommended to me. Facebook and Twitter are a writers friend and foe. I will be writing and will then pop onto the internet for a moment only to still be looking at things an hour later (I blame Simon’s Cat.) This application is available for Mac and Windows (and can also be brought with an Anti-Social add-on to just block the social network sites for the times where you still need the internet for research.)

It’s great if you want to keep off the internet and get those word counts done as it blocks access to the internet. You can set the amount of time. It does help with that procrastination issue.

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.