Resources

• Microsoft Word
• Google Docs
• Scrivener
• LibreOffice (used to be OpenOffice)

The goal is distraction-free writing and something YOU are comfortable with. There is no right or wrong answer, simply trying them out. On a budget? Google Docs is free. Scrivener offers a low one-time fee for an amazing program. I use WORD. It’s where I’m comfortable, and have used it for years. Easy, great features, and the ability to use it online or off.

Catch errors with ease…

ProWritingAid (Try ProWritingAid for Free!)

My favorite after trying the others...I actually have a lifetime license, because I love them so much. I went to check… I bought it back in Feb. 2014!!! I still use it today.

Most grammar apps a trial, a free version, or affordable options worth checking out.

• Ginger (have tried this, nice program)
• Grammarly (good grammar checker)
• Hemmingway (has an online/desktop checker)

Story Templates? A place to save all those tiny details? Oh yeah, that and a whole lot more! Check out my review of Plottr, along with seeing a list of features. This is a great way to organize your story and plan it.

What is K-lytics and what can it do for you? It saves you time with market research in easy to use reports, targeted at your chosen genre. Grab a free report to check it out, or go read my article about why I like K-lytics and how they’ve helped so many writers.

I’ve got a really cool writing tool to share with you. Yep, you’re going to love this. I’ve been using it since 2017. It helps you leverage data so you can have a better chance at your book being seen amongst an ocean of books out there. Publisher Rocket helps you find niches and pockets within genres and sub-genres and even shows you how competitive it is, along with how many searches the topic gets, and more. Here’s an article I wrote about the details.

Find out why I love Brain.fm here. I go into details on their science-backed research and more, like how it helps me focus and get words down. (If you want to try it out yourself, use code ws-brainfm for 20% off)

While I write books, I love my writing site and let the words spill out of me. Have you thought about starting a blog?

Blog by Number is the best and easiest course I’ve used. She’s got an awesome FREE COURSE to get started.

I love Suzi’s stuff. She’s so generous with her knowledge…

I’ve got a couple of her courses, because I found she teaches in a way that clicks for me. Best of all, she’s earned my trust because she always offers value and over delivers.

I’ve taken many courses (natural learner in me), and she simplifies things beautifully. Don’t even get me started on how many writing courses I’ve taken… yep. A lot!

I’ve been writing blogs for over 20 years. If you’ve been thinking about starting one, you’ll want to know about domains…for example: WritingSmarter.com vs myblog.somebody-elses-domain(.com)

The first is clean/neat. I own the domain. The second is called a subdomain. It’s like leasing a house on somebody else’s property. Think house vs apartment.

Next, you need to host your site. Hosting means, they handle the backend stuff. It’s a fancy way to say your domain has to LIVE somewhere. It’s sort of like a party.

You can go to somebody else’s place—they host it so you don’t have to worry that drunk Uncle John will knock over your rare, expensive vase…

Instead, you get to have fun, then leave…and everything keeps working quietly in the background. Why? Because your hosting company has things under control. Phew!

I use DreamHost. I’ve used them for probably 15 years now. I tried others. Nothing wrong with them, but when I got to DreamHost, I knew they were different.

They offered me plenty of features like one-click installs on popular software, affordable pricing, a massive knowledge base, and even better…responsive customer service if you have a question. I haven’t wandered since. They’re the company I recommend to my friends.

It’s easy. They’re there when I need them. Offer a great price and great service, and haven’t let me down in almost 15 years!