Thanks go out to Kayelle Allen and her Thursday Thirteen post about “Beefing Up Your Writing.” If not for that, I wouldn’t be able to pass on this lovely and beneficial link:
It’s a self-editing aid. This site will analyze your story (you have to copy-and-paste) and generate fourteen separate reports (along with a summary) to help you strengthen your writing. And best of all it’s FREE. We love free. There are plenty of other programs out there that do the same things as this one and more, but those cost $40-$100/yr to use. One such site is AutoCrit, which comes highly recommended by another author I know. I have never tried it though the service looks like it’s worth every penny.
Keep in mind Pro Writing Aid and AutoCrit are not to be used to replace an editor. I never condone, and will never condone, publishing anything without an editor looking at it first. The first sign of a weak writer is the insistence that they don’t need an editor. You can have the greatest grammar and prose in the world and still have a story riddled with plot holes and weak characterization. Editors are essential.
For those, like me, who want a second set of “eyes” before your manuscript goes to an editor/agent, this is a wonderful FREE tool.