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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45072
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

No, I think there are lots of good writing tools to choose from. Also, as I think editing is as much a part of the act of writing, I've included two editing tools.

So, here are my favourite editing and writing tools after a career as a professional writer/editor:

**Editing tools I'd recommend**

_Stylewriter_ is an excellent tool to check what rules you have broken for writing in plain English, grammar and more. As a successful contract digital writer/editor/technical writer, I used it for 15 years. [Stylewriter](http://www.editorsoftware.com/StyleWriter.html) It will give you a score and mark areas where it sees a problem. You can modify what it looks for. You can download a trial, and the guy running the company (Nick) was always responsive. Windows only. You can localise the version of English to UK, US and Australian etc.

I've also used a remarkably good, free online program to check the clarity of what I am writing, called the ['Hemingway app'](http://www.hemingwayapp.com). Fast and useful.

**Writing tools I'd recommend**

_Scrivener_ is excellent, and my experience of it is that it's better for complex writing tasks. I've half written a book with it, and I found its best feature was to be able move chapters around easily (drag and drop folders in the tree structure). While I think Word is a superb tool, _MS Word_ can't create chapters as easily then re-arrange them. (It uses sections.)

Other have mentioned _MS Word_. Most users use about 30% of what it can do. It just gets better, and the interface is a million miles ahead of what it once was.

_Microsoft OneNote_ is a remarkable piece of software, which let's you blend a whole of lot of creative tasks such as writing, images, drawing with a stylus into a clever well organised interface. Worth a look and available for Mac and Windows. And its **free.** A superb thinking tool, almost a smart whiteboard on my screen.

**Don't overlook apps.** There are dozens of these available, including _Google Docs_, which is so good, one Melbourne university switched to it a few years ago.

Original score: 5