Grammarly - I tried it

[gunhilltrain]

I'm on another site that proofreads submissions. This time they told me to do it myself, at least for the first pass, and try using Grammarly. (I must have missed more than usual.)

I got the free version of Grammarly, and I'm impressed with it so far. There's a feature that allows you to edit without downloading the document - that works very well. It even works in forum posts. Of course, you have to use your own judgment somewhat when accepting their suggestions.

I don't think I'm subscribing to the advanced version just yet.

 

[oggbashan]

I wouldn't bother with the advanced version. It finds faults you wouldn't recognise as faults when writing fiction. They might be in an academic document but not fiction.

 

[SyleusSnow]

As Ogg says, Grammarly is geared for academic/business writing. I've found ProWritingAid much better. You can set it for creative writing and it has checks for dialog tags, pacing and other fiction oriented stuff. It's much cheaper too.

(Insert standard disclaimer here about how all automated tools suck, nothing beats a human, etc.)

 

[HeyYoureThatGuy]

I got the subscription when I was doing a lot more professional writing. The "goals" adjustment helps weed out some of the 'errors' it points out. (Though there isn't a way I've found yet to dial it in to let the rules be looser in dialogue.)

I use the extensions a lot of Twitter, Facebook, and now here. (The Google doc extension doesn't allow for as much tone customization, which is a little annoying, but I can reject suggested changes with the bot the same way I can with a human editor or copy-paste it into the website version.)

The check for plagiarism tool is helpful to double-check that what you wrote doesn't sound too close to what someone else has.

It still has the occasional spellcheck error where you've used the wrong word, but it's not out there enough for it to get flagged.

The one REALLY annoying thing is sometimes when you go to edit something in the web version, it skips to the next suggestion, and you lose your place.

4 out 5. If you have the cash to burn, I'd go for it.

 

[KeithD]

I wouldn't bother with the advanced version. It finds faults you wouldn't recognise as faults when writing fiction. They might be in an academic document but not fiction.

This.

There are no programs yet that can capture, control, and maintain the freshness of what fiction permits. Your voice can be hurt by the programs almost as much as helped. Using them to the best advantage is taking what they provide only as suggestions, not necessarily good advice for your own style of fiction writing.

The best thing to do is to study grammar yourself and write a lot, using as few props as possible.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I got the subscription when I was doing a lot more professional writing. The "goals" adjustment helps weed out some of the 'errors' it points out. (Though there isn't a way I've found yet to dial it in to let the rules be looser in dialogue.)

I use the extensions a lot of Twitter, Facebook, and now here. (The Google doc extension doesn't allow for as much tone customization, which is a little annoying, but I can reject suggested changes with the bot the same way I can with a human editor or copy-paste it into the website version.)

The check for plagiarism tool is helpful to double-check that what you wrote doesn't sound too close to what someone else has.

It still has the occasional spellcheck error where you've used the wrong word, but it's not out there enough for it to get flagged.

The one REALLY annoying thing is sometimes when you go to edit something in the web version, it skips to the next suggestion, and you lose your place.

4 out 5. If you have the cash to burn, I'd go for it.

Thank you, but I don't have cash to burn now! It works very in the draft mode of the other site. On Literotica, it's a bit wobbly in draft mode. At first, I had trouble saving the changes, but I seem to have figured it out. Simply clicking on the suggestion on the right side might not result in it being saved. Actually typing the change, in the Grammarly window, seems to work better.

It doesn't replace the human eye and mind, but it helps. I'm especially unsure about comma use, and it's pretty good at that.

 

[UsuallyPresent]

Even with all the 'false-positives' (they're not, they're real flaws in the grammar I've used, but they're acceptable in fiction) I find Grammarly useful to the point I have a subscription and I use it for my submissions here. Given the dearth of editors willing to deal with verbosity and digital diarrhea such as mine, it is a big help, IMO.

Note that I don't use it on the submissions page - I use it in MS Word and copy/paste the edited text over. I do wish it'd take regular expressions, then I could put in custom rules for the few allowed tags and enforcing double-line spacing between paragraphs, but it's MUCH better'n nothing.

 

[HeyAll]

I also use grammarly for stories and I wish I had used it from the start many years ago. It's a great free tool which catches small, sometimes difficult to spot errors. But of course, it doesn't always catch everything, which is why manual edits and deep reading are still a necessity.

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

I use Grammarly strictly for typos and comma usage. I refuse to pay for a subscription for anything. Which is why I no longer use office. I used 97 until I got a new computer and it wouldn't install. I now use Only Office. It's not great but works with docx.

I also use Hemminway Editor for passive voice, ly words and other issues.

They have helped me get less comments about bad spelling grammar and punctuation.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Even with all the 'false-positives' (they're not, they're real flaws in the grammar I've used, but they're acceptable in fiction) I find Grammarly useful to the point I have a subscription and I use it for my submissions here. Given the dearth of editors willing to deal with verbosity and digital diarrhea such as mine, it is a big help, IMO.

Note that I don't use it on the submissions page - I use it in MS Word and copy/paste the edited text over. I do wish it'd take regular expressions, then I could put in custom rules for the few allowed tags and enforcing double-line spacing between paragraphs, but it's MUCH better'n nothing.

Yes, for my files that are still in Word I will cut and paste. It happened that the first two times I used it the files were already in drafts. I had already made too many changes to go back to the Word file.

That brings up the point of keeping a story out of the drafts folder for as long as possible, but inevitably changes are made in that mode. I've had a couple of times when I went back to the original file (before Grammarly) and later I go, "Oops, I forgot." It can be a pain when there further changes made in Word that are not in sync with the draft. I rarely use the track changes feature in Word, although maybe I should.

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

Yes, for my files that are still in Word I will cut and paste. It happened that the first two times I used it the files were already in drafts. I had already made too many changes to go back to the Word file.

That brings up the point of keeping a story out of the drafts folder for as long as possible, but inevitably changes are made in that mode. I've had a couple of times when I went back to the original file (before Grammarly) and later I go, "Oops, I forgot." It can be a pain when there further changes made in Word that are not in sync with the draft. I rarely use the track changes feature in Word, although maybe I should.

I don't save anything in Grammarly. I cut and paste teh text into it and then copy and paste back into the original file.

I sync with google docs so all revisions are saved.

 

[Rustyoznail]

I don't save anything in Grammarly. I cut and paste teh text into it and then copy and paste back into the original file.

I sync with google docs so all revisions are saved.

Lol... This is the exact problem I use Grammarly for...

 

[gunhilltrain]

I don't save anything in Grammarly. I cut and paste teh text into it and then copy and paste back into the original file.

I sync with google docs so all revisions are saved.

Tell me about Google docs. It's amazing sometimes the bits of tech improvements I haven't learned yet.

 

[HeyYoureThatGuy]

Tell me about Google docs. It's amazing sometimes the bits of tech improvements I haven't learned yet.

docs.gooogle.com

I have it linked to my Gmail. It allows for easy document collaboration and editing. You can assign people as editors or commentators. Use track changes. Multiple people can actually be working in the document simultaneously.

I've been using it for various projects for years.

(There are some security concerns about google 'reading' what you put there so people can try to sell you shit, but the reason services like that are free is that you aren't the customer; you're the product.)

 

[Rustyoznail]

docs.gooogle.com

I have it linked to my Gmail. It allows for easy document collaboration and editing. You can assign people as editors or commentators. Use track changes. Multiple people can actually be working in the document simultaneously.

I've been using it for various projects for years.

(There are some security concerns about google 'reading' what you put there so people can try to sell you shit, but the reason services like that are free is that you aren't the customer; you're the product.)

I use GD all the time now. I can write and edit on any device, and as long I'm careful to save on the Ipad or phone it will sync across them all. I can then download a Word Docx version for submission. On the PC you can get a Grammarly extension for Chrome which will look at your GD file. And, as That Guy said, you can send a link to others and restrict them to view, comment or full edit rights.

And yes, you do attract targeted advertising. I did a search for micro bikinis for my summer story and now ads that displays models wearing not a lot continuously pops up. Not the worst thing to see.

***edit - I've linked it to the Gmail account I use for Lit. Make sure you do the same if you want to stay anonymous.***

 

[ElectricBlue]

And yes, you do attract targeted advertising. I did a search for micro bikinis for my summer story and now ads that displays models wearing not a lot continuously pops up. Not the worst thing to see.

That's along with your dryzabone, tanks'r'us and sheep dip ad-feeds, right?

 

[Rustyoznail]

That's along with your dryzabone, tanks'r'us and sheep dip ad-feeds, right?

Yeah nah, don't need to research those. Just nip down to the corner shop and there they are. Shop's even open here, not like those poor bastards in Melbourne who can't go to Bunnings for six weeks.

 

[HeyYoureThatGuy]

That's along with your dryzabone, tanks'r'us and sheep dip ad-feeds, right?

I don't know what those words mean and now I'm afraid to look them up because I don't know what I'll be getting ads for.

 

[Rustyoznail]

I don't know what those words mean and now I'm afraid to look them up because I don't know what I'll be getting ads for.

***Sigh***

Bloody Yanks.

A Dryzabone is an oilskin raincoat.

Tanks'r'us is a water tank retailer

Sheep dip is an insecticide you put into a water bath where you literally dip the sheep into to.

I dunno EB, I think we're gonna have to kick off "Oz lingo 101" again...

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

Tell me about Google docs. It's amazing sometimes the bits of tech improvements I haven't learned yet.

Me to. I spent 8 hours practicing typing the, and I still type teh more often. damn fingers.

 

[Emirus]

Yeah nah, don't need to research those. Just nip down to the corner shop and there they are. Shop's even open here, not like those poor bastards in Melbourne who can't go to Bunnings for six weeks.

I’ve used Google docs and it is good for sharing although I now use Pages because you can do the same thing and it allows me to write using my iPhone which I do all the time. Does Grammarly pick up such things as sack instead of sac and drug instead of dragged?

I liked two things about Bunnings attitude. They “strongly encouraged” customers to wear masks and masks would be available to buy as you enter the store. Really positive attitude. I assume it hasn’t worked?

So would those who use Grammarly “strongly encourage” others to use it? Or is it just a case of it’s handy if you think you need it? Are there other similar products and are they all free? I assume there are products you can buy. Are they better than the free ones? I’ve never used anything like it. If I’ve been unsure, whether about spelling or punctuation, I’ve just googled.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I don't know what those words mean and now I'm afraid to look them up because I don't know what I'll be getting ads for.

Consider it an adventure playground of the mysterious and unknown, a lucky dip of pleasure, the joy of discovery, the delight of dangerous delights!

But you can trust us, you know we won't lead you (too far) astray .

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

I’ve used Google docs and it is good for sharing although I now use Pages because you can do the same thing and it allows me to write using my iPhone which I do all the time. Does Grammarly pick up such things as sack instead of sac and drug instead of dragged?

So would those who use Grammarly “strongly encourage” others to use it? Or is it just a case of it’s handy if you think you need it? Are there other similar products and are they all free? I assume there are products you can buy. Are they better than the free ones? I’ve never used anything like it. If I’ve been unsure, whether about spelling or punctuation, I’ve just googled.

I Grammarly tells me lept is outdated and use leaped. Style guides say but both "leapt" and "leaped" are acceptable past-tense and past-participial forms of the verb "leap." It's fine to use either one. According to Garner's Modern American Usage, traditionalists prefer "leapt," so if you want to keep the grammar curmudgeons happy, stick with that.

Grammarly does pick up incorrect word usage... based on context. It is pretty good for free, but I never tried the paid version. TBH it's a glorified spell check. But it works pretty well.

 

[SamScribble]

That's along with your dryzabone, tanks'r'us and sheep dip ad-feeds, right?

I'd be lost without my Akubra (Cattleman). Mind you, I did purchase it from a shop in Mayfair.

 

[HeyYoureThatGuy]

So would those who use Grammarly "strongly encourage" others to use it? Or is it just a case of it's handy if you think you need it? Are there other similar products and are they all free? I assume there are products you can buy. Are they better than the free ones? I've never used anything like it. If I've been unsure, whether about spelling or punctuation, I've just googled.

I got it because I had professional writing to do. I have dyslexia, and Grammarly catches enough things for me that when I submit them, editors don't pelt me with stones. (That first year I got to write it off on my taxes.)

You can use Grammarly for free, but it doesn't come with all the bells and whistles.