One night while watching TV, an ad popped up that was perfectly targeted at me thanks to the glory of internet tracking. The ad promoted a software package that promised to take your mediocre writing and transform it into tomorrow’s best-selling novel. (I may be exaggerating slightly…) It demonstrated features ranging that could fix things from grammatical errors to stylistic issues, insinuating that perhaps it could replace the job of a decent editor. Could such programs be useful for a fiction writer? I wanted to find out.
After a few intense minutes of research on Google, I decided to test two leading software programs, Grammarly and ProWritingAid. I selected a short story I wrote that received an honorable mention in the Writers of the Future contest (well-polished), as well as the introduction to an unedited short story that I was working on a while back (it hurts to read it).
Cost
The two programs have slightly different price schemes from monthly memberships upward with escalating discounts for purchasing longer accessibility. Grammarly is more expensive, but it still falls well within the affordable range. As of the writing of this article, you could purchase Grammarly at $34 a month, $69 a quarter, or $168 a year. ProWritingAid is cheaper at $20 a month or $79 a year, but this program does offer lifetime access for $399.
Ease of Use
You certainly get value out of your purchase. The learning curve with both programs is similar, and you can start using them easily right away. For me, Grammarly was easier to use than ProWritingAid, in part because ProWritingAid has more features and tools. If you are fairly comfortable with computers, you should find it relatively easy to get the hang of these programs on your own. If not, they do offer useful tutorials that will walk you through the entire process step-by-step.
Features
Though served up in different ways, both programs offered similar features, with a few unique to each. They can address issues with grammar, readability, vocabulary, delivery, and to a limited degree, style. While ProWritingAid has a bit more bulk, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. The analyses of my writing by these programs were rather different, but both were useful and beneficial. In a way, I wish I could merge the two programs into one.
Assessment
These programs offer beneficial features that have valuable merit, but I felt that the PR and marketing on these and similar software packages were misleading. While powerful, these programs will not transform bad writing into good writing. It merely fixes bad writing and makes it less bad. To my knowledge, only experience and mentorship (especially with an editor or critique group) can do that. What these programs can do is take good writing and give it a nice polish.
Overall, I liked these programs. Both are reasonably priced, so it really boils down to personal preference. If you’re interested in trying out one of these, or similar programs, I suggest getting the trial or free versions and conducting your own test. If you’re on the fence about trying one of these, I recommend that you do. You can always cancel your membership if you’re not satisfied.
Instead of asking which program to select, the better question may be whether using one of these programs is worthwhile. For many writers, especially those with less experience, I think it would be a useful tool, and I do see where it will help me with my writing. For seasoned writers who are confident in both their style and technique, such software may be less useful.
PS: I also threw this article through both programs; I took great suggestions from both and fixed a few grammar (largely comma) issues.
Shutta Crum
Interesting . . . and thank for this assessment. But what happened with your polished short story and your unpolished intro to another? Inquiring minds want to know.
Jerry Tabbott
I use Prowriting Aide and had looked at Grammarly first.You pretty much summed it up well. They both deliver quality value on their features. What finally influenced me was that PWA had more features and was a better price.
Also, since I began using PWA, they’ve added seamless integration with Scrivener and MsWord. I can open those files directly in PWA now, and my changes and corrections will be saved back to the original Scrivener and MsWord documents. It’s Magic!
Rita Boehm
Hi. Would have liked to see what you think about Autocrit. I’ve had a professional subscription with them for a number of years and have enjoyed seeing how their software has morphed and improved over the years. They periodically offer lifetime memberships. I paid something like $100 for my lifetime membership about 5 years ago, so now it costs me nothing. In addition to the editing software, they also have a useful blog and course material which is very helpful.
Richard Jeppesen
I find Grammarly British based English. I also find it actuates without intelligence. Follow it and you will be a robot writer. My advice? Stick to your style, your verbs, your metaphors, your timing. It is your story, and it needs your “edge” in it. Write what you like to read. Your editor will recommend fixes for errors and problems. Beware editors are driven to just “get’r done.” They might miss the underlying messages your are seeding in your story. So, if you find others like your stuff, then you will have a loyal following. Do not write to appease the rule book.
Charles L Jackson
I am a novice writer and I find advantages of using both. I like Grammarly because of the interface with Chrome, FaceBook, and my email server. But I find Prowriting Aide superior revealing my frequent grammar and syntax errors, and I use it for my manuscript and blogging. What benefits me the most is the membership in the local writing critique group.