Anyone suggest a free online editor?

[Beco]

I see some pay sites. I was wondering if there were any free ones?

 

[RejectReality]

Not sure exactly what you're asking. If you're talking about sites that can provide some self-editing help, this is one I use.

http://prowritingaid.com/

Like any such software, you can't take everything at face value, but I've found the reports it generates useful. I'm especially fond of the repeated word report.

That site is what I check out as my final step before sending it off for a second set of human eyes.

It does have a pay component, but all of the reports I find useful are still within the bounds of the freely provided content.

 

[kathrine_zuta]

If you are wanting an editor to edit work you are doing for this site you can use the volunteer editor program http://www.literotica.com/editors/editors.php

 

[Beco]

I need a free site, like Grammarly, where they check sentence structure, over used words, etc.

 

[RejectReality]

I need a free site, like Grammarly, where they check sentence structure, over used words, etc.

That link of mine should be of use to you then. That's the exact sort of reports it generates.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Not sure exactly what you're asking. If you're talking about sites that can provide some self-editing help, this is one I use.

http://prowritingaid.com/

Like any such software, you can't take everything at face value, but I've found the reports it generates useful. I'm especially fond of the repeated word report.

That site is what I check out as my final step before sending it off for a second set of human eyes.

It does have a pay component, but all of the reports I find useful are still within the bounds of the freely provided content.

Mmm...I just tried this out. I found some things...but that was the way I wanted to say them. For each problem(?) it found, I realized that at the time I was typing it, but that was the way the narrator would have said, told, done them. It did find one problem I hadn't noticed. But it wasn't flagged by the software. I noticed it because it flagged the word after the typo.

I don't know what I'm trying to say here...while interesting...could it help me improve my writing? I don't know. I'll keep it in mind for use in the future.

 

[RejectReality]

Mmm...I just tried this out. I found some things...but that was the way I wanted to say them. For each problem(?) it found, I realized that at the time I was typing it, but that was the way the narrator would have said, told, done them. It did find one problem I hadn't noticed. But it wasn't flagged by the software. I noticed it because it flagged the word after the typo.

I don't know what I'm trying to say here...while interesting...could it help me improve my writing? I don't know. I'll keep it in mind for use in the future.

As I said, it's like anything else, you have to take what you can use and ignore the rest. Almost all of these things are more geared toward technical writing than fiction.

Repeated word, sticky sentences, and a couple of others are the ones I use for the most part.

 

[Beco]

Mmm...I just tried this out. I found some things...but that was the way I wanted to say them. For each problem(?) it found, I realized that at the time I was typing it, but that was the way the narrator would have said, told, done them. It did find one problem I hadn't noticed. But it wasn't flagged by the software. I noticed it because it flagged the word after the typo.

I don't know what I'm trying to say here...while interesting...could it help me improve my writing? I don't know. I'll keep it in mind for use in the future.

There is writing the way you would tell the story, then there is proper sentence structure, that's what I'm after. Trying to tighten my story to make it flow better.

 

[Beco]

Not sure exactly what you're asking. If you're talking about sites that can provide some self-editing help, this is one I use.

http://prowritingaid.com/

Like any such software, you can't take everything at face value, but I've found the reports it generates useful. I'm especially fond of the repeated word report.

That site is what I check out as my final step before sending it off for a second set of human eyes.

It does have a pay component, but all of the reports I find useful are still within the bounds of the freely provided content.

Good site. thanks!!

 

[Handley_Page]

Not sure exactly what you're asking. If you're talking about sites that can provide some self-editing help, this is one I use.

http://prowritingaid.com/

Like any such software, you can't take everything at face value, but I've found the reports it generates useful. I'm especially fond of the repeated word report.

That site is what I check out as my final step before sending it off for a second set of human eyes.

It does have a pay component, but all of the reports I find useful are still within the bounds of the freely provided content.

Does this site 'know' the difference between American English and English English or, for that matter, English written by, say, another EU citizen ?

 

[RejectReality]

Does this site 'know' the difference between American English and English English or, for that matter, English written by, say, another EU citizen ?

One of the things the "Consistency" report checks for either US and UK spelling and makes sure that you're only using one or the other.

So, it should recognize ( ) that you're using UK English and not flag the spelling at the very least.

 

[xelliebabex]

One of the things the "Consistency" report checks for either US and UK spelling and makes sure that you're only using one or the other.

So, it should recognize ( ) that you're using UK English and not flag the spelling at the very least.

Wouldn't be as helpful for those who use a hybrid of both like Australian English and perhaps Candaian where spelling on certain words has both spelling as acceptable.

Like the OP I could use help with sentence structure and flow, I have issues with tense's. I use grammarly, because it adds straight into MSword, but find that it does some strange things at times. This site looks interesting could be good for a look, I would like the frequent word check I think. Thanks RR.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

There is writing the way you would tell the story, then there is proper sentence structure, that's what I'm after. Trying to tighten my story to make it flow better.

The problem with that is people don't talk in proper sentence structure. Nor do we think that way. The story can flow very well without proper sentence structure, especially in dialog.

 

[Beco]

The problem with that is people don't talk in proper sentence structure. Nor do we think that way. The story can flow very well without proper sentence structure, especially in dialog.

Using too much dialog doesn't make for a good story, IMO. You need to be able to write the story, not use dialog to describe it.

 

[xelliebabex]

Using too much dialog doesn't make for a good story, IMO. You need to be able to write the story, not use dialog to describe it.

I have found in my short time here that stories with a fair amount of dialogue do better than those with little, but that's just my opinion. o)

 

[sr71plt]

Wouldn't be as helpful for those who use a hybrid of both like Australian English and perhaps Candaian where spelling on certain words has both spelling as acceptable.

Like the OP I could use help with sentence structure and flow, I have issues with tense's. I use grammarly, because it adds straight into MSword, but find that it does some strange things at times. This site looks interesting could be good for a look, I would like the frequent word check I think. Thanks RR.

Are there style guides available anywhere for Australian and Canadian writing? I can't fathom where/how they differ from American and British styles (and I'm editing an Australian-author book now).

 

[Beco]

I have found in my short time here that stories with a fair amount of dialogue do better than those with little, but that's just my opinion. o)

Read real authors....Stephen King, etc., they dont use dialog to tell the story.

 

[lovecraft68]

Read real authors....Stephen King, etc., they dont use dialog to tell the story.

Some do, some don't.

In shorter works which is mostly what you will find here, paragraph after paragraph of description will put someone to sleep.

Also too much description is the author thinking he needs to spoon feed the reader everything.

A good author can let his characters words and actions tell the reader the same information and people tend to follow dialogue more closely.

 

[A_Little_Show]

[deleted]

 

[Beco]

Im just reading Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemptioin, Stephen King, mostly non dialog. You can find it online for free, that man can write.

 

[patientlee]

Im just reading Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemptioin, Stephen King, mostly non dialog. You can find it online for free, that man can write.

One of my favorites of all time.

 

[lovecraft68]

Im just reading Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemptioin, Stephen King, mostly non dialog. You can find it online for free, that man can write.

Yes he can and we almost never "met" him.

Carrie was rejected multiple times and he and his wife barely had money to eat. When it was rejected again he threw it in the trash and was going to get a job.

His wife pulled it from the trash and sent it to the publisher again and they took it.

That is what I love about the self publishing industry. You no longer have a few dozen paper assholes deciding what the people can read and what is good or not. Scary to think of the talent we never did see.

 

[SamScribble]

Using too much dialog doesn't make for a good story, IMO. You need to be able to write the story, not use dialog to describe it.

Used well, dialogue does not describe the story; it tells it.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Yes he can and we almost never "met" him.

Carrie was rejected multiple times and he and his wife barely had money to eat. When it was rejected again he threw it in the trash and was going to get a job.

His wife pulled it from the trash and sent it to the publisher again and they took it.

That is what I love about the self publishing industry. You no longer have a few dozen paper assholes deciding what the people can read and what is good or not. Scary to think of the talent we never did see.

Well said. On the other hand, Carrie was so poorly written, I couldn't finish it; I think I quit reading before her mother even entered the story. He would never have quit writing over that incident (he was already working as a professor of English at U of Maine) and he would have published eventually no doubt, but he wouldn't be the well-known author he is today.

Carrie was mostly just timing.

Q_C

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Used well, dialogue does not describe the story; it tells it.

All writing should be telling the story, not just dialogue, and that includes the use of description.

Q_C