If you’re writing a novel, it’s important that you have the right tools to help stay organized and write your book efficiently.
There are a few things you need to make sure you have:
- A word processor you can write and save in.
- Software or a processor that allows you to make notes, comments, or jot down ideas for your book.
- A way to organize your manuscript with an outline, plot, or storyboard, so you can quickly see the big picture of your story while you’re working on it.
- Grammar checkers and software that will help you improve your writing.
With these things in place, writing a novel will be a whole lot easier.
The Best Novel Writing Softwares
Here’s our list of the best novel writing software tools we recommend.
1. Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is one of the oldest word processors out there, and is still widely used for writing books. Word has a lot of features to offer, and with new productivity features added regularly, this software makes writing more accessible to the average writer.
Word has been around for so long that most people are already familiar with using it. If that’s you, it’ll probably be a lot easier and better to keep using Word than switching to another program because it takes time to learn new software. You can use headers to organize your chapters, use the navigation pane to navigate through them, and create templates that you can use repeatedly in multiple manuscripts or projects.
You can collaborate with co-authors and editors, reorganize your draft in outline view, use it as a brainstorming tool, and even go distraction-free when you want to. You can even format and publish an eBook using a Microsoft Word template.
2. Scrivener
Scrivener is an advanced writing software created with serious novelists and nonfiction writers in mind. It has a collection of templates for both fiction and non-fiction writing. Both Mac and PC users can use Scrivener. You can export books easily to other digital platforms like Kindle, Kobo, and iBooks which is handy because it’ll save you time when it comes to formatting your manuscript.
This software is made for writers, and you can tell. It’s easy to drag and drop sections, create outlines and scenes, and you can even develop sub-files so that your manuscript is organized. It is also super easy to keep track of all your research and notes with a project binder.
3. Ulysses
Ulysses is a tool that creates a document out of fragments and makes it a complete story. It has a feature that inserts words with automatic synchronization. Programmers especially love this function. This tool lets you work anytime and anywhere you want.
4. Google Docs
Google Docs is a simpler version of Microsoft Word. It’s a simple word processor that does not offer much regarding formatting and outlining. While it is simple, it’s quite a capable word processor for those writers looking for free writing software. Features offered are; it can share files and content and communicate via comments on the link. You can even access previous versions of your work to review all the changes that have been made to your book.
If you want to use Google Docs as your main writing software, you’ll want to make sure you enable Google Docs for offline use so you can still write without internet access.
5. Evernote
Evernote is an application for storing, creating, and searching through notes in a very sophisticated way. You don’t need to type everything manually and you can access all your notes in any of your devices. It even allows you to search the handwritten words and you can share it with your friends and family.
6. Grammarly
Grammarly is one of the best-known grammar tools used by millions of people. You can install it in any web browser, and it’ll automatically let you know if there are any errors in your grammar, spelling, or other typos in anything you write online; including email, websites, and other documents.
It can detect errors such as grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, contextual spelling, and writing style. Grammarly is free. You can upgrade to a premium plan that supplies language enhancement hints to increase your writing knowledge and skills. The premium version also includes a plagiarism checker software tool that’s pretty beneficial as well.
Writing Prompts
Have you ever looked at the blank page and found it difficult to get started? Looks like you’re in need of some great adult writing prompts?
A writing prompt is a fragmented sentence or writing idea that is used as a topic to start writing.
Never go blank again through the use of writing prompts.
Why Use Writing Prompts?
Whether you are trying to improve your writing skills, or you are writing a book, writing prompts can give you the spark of creativity needed to get started. The purpose of using a writing prompt is to expand your point of view or thoughts on a topic to get your creativity and words flowing.
Many people forget about writing prompts after high school, but it turns out they aren’t just for high school students. They are extremely useful even for the best of writers.
A good prompt will help you start writing when you feel like you’ve got nothing to say or when you don’t know how to begin your work.
They’re also particularly useful for new writers who want to build a habit of writing every day but are unsure of what to write about, and especially useful for short-story writing.
Examples of Writing Prompts
- “I remember the first time I…”
- “I remember the last time I…”
- “The next time I…”
- “It tasted like…”
- “It felt like…”
- “It sounded like…”
- “We were wrong about…”
- “We were right about…”
- “That was the day we…”
- “This is our new…”
- “It’s here.”
- “I learnt that…”
- “I made a terrible mistake when…”
- “Nobody expected us to…”
- “Do you know why…”
- “It’s always important to…”
- “Most people don’t know this but…”
- “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but…”
- “Here’s a secret nobody knows…”
- “I do this because…”
So, next time you’re suffering from a severe case of the ‘Writer’s Block’, pick up one of these writing prompts to fire up your imagination.