Writers free software

Some of their great organizational features include their writing templates — some of which are user-created, and others are created by Evernote themselves. If you spot a chapter outline, a storyboard template, or character development profile you enjoy, you can save it and come back to it each time. The web clipper function is also popular amongst writers — especially for genres like sci-fi or historical — as you can use the clipper to save pertinent facts or articles you come across online, and save them right into your Evernote folders.

At its core, Evernote excels as a brainstorming tool. This is why its syncing ability is also key — if you're out and about, you can drop ideas into your Evernote app and continue working on them at a later point. This software is exactly what it sounds like: it helps you laser-focus your efforts onto writing , and nothing else. You can still format your manuscript and check your word count and daily goals via offscreen tools, but the default state is simply a blank page.

You can also use full-screen mode so the only thing you see is the page in front of you — just like writing IRL. For authors who struggle to concentrate on their work more than anything else, FocusWriter is a dream come true.

You might also consider combining it with app-blocking software, like the next entry on this list, to achieve maximum productivity. And that rounds off our section on free writing software! Now let's get into your options for paid programs. Writers who procrastinate uncontrollably, get ready for a game-changer: Freedom.

This is by far our favorite time management software due to the crisp user interface, the thoughtfully designed features, and the crucial fact that it works — unlike that fickle mistress, human willpower. Freedom allows you to block specific apps, sites, or the entire Web for any amount of time.

You can schedule your blocks in advance and sync across all your devices, so you can't have a last-minute, Netflix-based change of heart. And if you're prone to mid-work moments of weakness, simply put Freedom in Locked Mode! This completely prevents you from disabling it until that time is up. Yes, Freedom might be a difficult adjustment for someone unaccustomed to any kind of discipline, self-imposed or otherwise — but hey, we're writers. We all need a little tough love sometimes to get us going.

In that sense, there's no novel writing software more effective than Freedom. Scrivener is one of the most storied no pun intended programs in use today. You can shuffle your notes, outlines, and even chapters around wherever you need. When you do decide to pull the trigger, make sure to apply a discount!

The only potential catch with Scrivener is that some authors might find it a little too liberating. Whether or not you choose Scrivener just depends on how much guidance you feel you need.

As all authors know, writing isn't always linear, because thinking itself isn't linear. Too often, straight-laced writing apps can't match up to the messy, chaotic, and wonderful way in which writers brainstorm and develop their stories — especially when they're just starting to take shape.

That's where this software comes in! Milanote is a super-versatile app that allows you to organize your research, ideas, characters and outline in one single place. Its visual workspace lets you clearly connect your thoughts, create mind maps, and develop moodboards.

And for those who really struggle to get started, Milanote's amazingly detailed templates see above could be just what you need to hit the ground running. In other words, Milanote is ideal for the initial planning stages of your novel.

Not to mention it's incredibly easy-to-use, so authors can concentrate on the important stuff — their writing — rather than trying to figure out all the complexities of the app. When it comes to writing apps that really push you to improve, Novlr is pretty darn effective. A relative newcomer to the novel writing software scene, Novlr has been climbing the ranks since , with constant improvements being made based on user feedback. In terms of actual writing, Novlr features a clean word processor which users can customize as they please.

Making even the smallest formatting change, such as font size, will automatically update the entire text — convenient for writers who like to keep their aesthetics fresh. Then when it's time to edit, the Proof Reader function at the bottom of the screen offers suggestions re: punctuation, adverb use, passive voice, and more.

And for authors hoping to boost their productivity as well as their prose, a quick trip to the Dashboard reveals tons of useful features: a place to set your writing goals, an analytics tab for progress, and so on.

It is a very handy feature, which gives the reader a great start to enjoy the story you are telling. Verdict: One of the best freeware tools out there for authors of books, short stories and articles is Papyrus Author. It is a great free novel writing software with a strong focus on developing solid character development in your stories, instead of just being good at writing interesting scenes.

The way Papyrus Author blends fiction and non-fiction that it is truly a remarkable product. You can write a scene using the context menu and then select chapters in the story as if you were simply creating a text document. FocusWriter - Our Choice. All desktop operating systems Typewriter mode Attractive interface Timers and alarms. No syntax highlighting. Interface is outdated. Supports markup Handy keyboard shortcuts Totally free.

Only works with TXT files. Creates locations Creates detailed character biographies Detailed character interview Ability to add extensive details. Writing interface is strange. LibreOffice Writer. Exports individual notes Attaches audio to a note Clean interface.

No mobile format. Papyrus Author. But all of these options are time-consuming and hard to search. Evernote provides a simpler option. Using Evernote's web clipper, you can capture full articles online in a couple of clicks. The articles are then added to Evernote where you can organize collected research into different notebooks, read the full-text of articles you've saved, search all of your collected research at once, and share your collected research with others.

Plus, you can automate your note taking with Evernote's Zapier integrations. With Evernote's premium plan, you can use its mobile app to scan in handwritten notes, pages of books, and business cards. Scanned documents are also searchable, making it easy to find what you're looking for regardless of its format.

This makes it a great place to keep things you may need to reference in the future. If Evernote isn't right for your needs, find an alternative in our guide to the best note taking apps. Best free writing software for finding free copies of paywalled research. You conducted a Google search and found a result for a research paper or article that seems like it has exactly the data you need to cite.

Unfortunately, you can't read it because the site you landed on wants you to pay a fee to access the full-text version.

Instead of shelling out to read a paper that may or may not have the information you need, use Unpaywall 's Chrome and Firefox extensions to see if there's a free copy of the paper available anywhere online. When you land on a result for a paywalled paper or article that's available for free elsewhere, a green unlocked icon displays; click it to open a free copy of the paper. Unpaywall harvests data from sources like journals' open-access repositories and university and government databases, ensuring you're never infringing copyright when you access a paywalled article for free.

Unpaywall doesn't work on everything—for example, it won't get you past the paywall on your favorite news site—but if you need to reference paywalled scholarly articles from time to time, it's absolutely worth installing to save yourself some time and money. Unpaywall Pricing: Free. Best free writing software for transcribing interview and video content.

If part of your writing process consists of transcribing audio or video interviews or content, oTranscribe removes some of the more time-consuming aspects of the process by putting your audio controls and word processor on a single screen.

Simply upload your audio or video file, press play, and start typing your transcription onto the blank page. This removes all of the back-and-forth of playing audio in one app and typing in another.

Plus, keyboard controls let you play and pause the audio easily by tapping the Esc key. Other controls let you jump forward or back a few seconds or adjust the speed of the audio playback. When you're finished, you can download your transcription in Markdown, plain text, or oTranscribe formats, or sign in to Google to save it directly to your Google Drive.

Tired of transcribing? Use our guide to the best transcription apps and services to find an automated transcription tool or human-powered transcription service to do the work for you. Looking for a free word processor, a distraction-free writing app, or a way to collaborate with others on a piece without losing your original content? These apps have just what you need. Best free writing software for freewriting. There's an old adage in the writing world: Write drunk, edit sober.

The point? Some of the best writing happens when your mind is unhindered and free of distraction. In that spirit, BlindWrite forces you to write blind and edit… not blind.

The app's interface is a simple white-on-black text editor that asks you what you want to write about and for how many minutes.

From there, you can type away, but BlindWrite blurs out your text until the timer hits zero. This method encourages you to just start writing. When you can't see what you're typing, you can punch out all of your thoughts before considering things like word choice and sentence structure, eliminating perfectionist tendencies that lead to writer's block. We've spoken with Blurt's maker, and he assured us that he has no plans to shut BlindWrite down.

BlindWrite Pricing: Free. Looking for more ways to eliminate distractions while you're writing? Check out our roundup of the best apps for staying focused and blocking distractions. Best free writing software for collaborative writing. With a free Google account, you can use Google Docs to write, edit, and archive your work.

It autosaves your document to Google Drive after nearly every word you type—ensuring you never lose part of your draft—and it backs up everything you write to the cloud automatically. Plus you can automate your document creation using Google Docs' Zapier integrations.

And while this makes Google Drive a great tool for any type of writing, where it really stands out is with its collaborative features. With a few clicks, you can share your document with others and give them viewing, editing, or commenting permissions.

And best of all, everyone you share the file with can edit the document together at the same time without overriding others' changes. Just like Word's Track Changes tool, the Suggesting mode in Google Docs allows collaborators to recommend changes, which anyone can either reject or accept. If you accept it, Docs automatically incorporates the suggestion so you don't have to type it in yourself. Docs also maintains a version history of every document you create, so it's easy to access earlier versions or see who made specific changes.

Google Docs Pricing: Free. Not a fan of Google Docs or don't want to create a Google account? Find another great option in our guide to the best collaborative writing apps. Best free writing software for version control. Though Google Docs has great collaborative editing features, it doesn't offer the same editing insurance of Draft. Draft's take on editing is that a collaborator's changes shouldn't immediately alter the original document.

Instead, a new version is created for each round of editing. After someone submits edits, it's up to the document owner to individually accept or reject them. Each time this is done, a new version of the doc is automatically generated, and the doc's owner is given the ability to switch between these versions.

It works like Google Docs' Suggesting feature, but it ensures that the original document is always easily accessible. When you've finished writing a draft, you can share it with others via a link; download the content in Markdown, plain text, or HTML formats; or email it to yourself as a PDF, Google Doc, or Word file.

Draft Pricing: Free. Editing your own writing can be a beast.