Technology That Can Help You Write Better

Writing is a creative and magical process. There’s no telling when inspiration will strike—or what unique conditions will help us access our creativity.

Over the centuries, writers have discovered what worked best for them—no matter how unusual. Agatha Christie penned her murder mysteries in the bathtub while eating apples and drinking tea. Gertrude Stein was known for writing on the go, sitting in her Model T with a pencil and notepad while her wife drove her around running errands.

As writers we’re always hunting for better ways to bust through writer’s block and channel our inner muse. So today we’re highlighting some of the wonderful ways modern technology can make your unique writing process quicker, easier, and more productive.

Capturing Ideas

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Do your best ideas come to you far from your computer—like in the shower, walking the dog, or driving to work? With a voice dictation app on your smartphone you’ll have an easy, hands-free way to record your ideas no matter where you get them. Simply speak into your phone and watch your words instantly appear as text. Check out Dragon Dictation for iPhone or Android.

Dictating your words, instead of typing them, can also be a great way to speed up your writing process and turn off your inner critic. Writing through dictation allows you to keep flowing with an idea and not overthink or fixate on specific words. If you’re ready to finally make it through your first draft, check out Dragon Naturally Speaking or the accurate (and free!) Google Docs Voice Recognition.

Conquering the Blank Page

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Still waiting for your next brilliant idea? Staring down a blank page can induce terror and despair in the heart of any writer. Sometimes you need a little kickstart to get your words and inspiration flowing again.

Through the miracle of technology, you can now spark your creativity with writing prompts delivered straight to your smartphone or browser. Download Writing Prompts (Android) or Prompts – Beat Writers Block (iPhone) and get unstuck from the mire of the blank page!

And if you’re a creative writer feeling stuck in your short story or novel? Check out The Brainstormer—an interactive wheel for generating themes and plot lines. You’ll have your heroine back on her journey in no time. (Click here for Android or iPhone).

Staying Focused

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Once you finally sit down to write, why is it so difficult to stay writing? Distractions abound, especially when your writing device is also connected to the Internet.

The struggle is real. Lucky for you there’s a whole arsenal of distraction-fighting apps right at your fingertips.

Need a writing interface that’s free of distractions? Calmly gives you a blank canvas to pour out your thoughts.

Want to stay on task with the Pomodoro Technique? Check out Tomato Timer, a simple Pomodoro timer you can pause and reset, with preset timers for your “short” and “long” breaks.

For those of us who need more extreme motivation, there’s the writing interface Write or Die, whose infamous “Consequence Mode” triggers spine-chilling noises and a blood red screen whenever you stop typing. (You’ll get back to work just to make it stop!)

And if you need to escape the plague of app and Internet notifications . . . there’s an app for that too. Sign up for Freedom and block the Internet while you work.

Staying Ergonomic

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Maybe your best work happens while sitting in a chair, or perhaps it’s while you’re standing (like Virginia Woolf), or lying down (like Truman Capote).

Whatever your peak position is, it’s important to make sure you’re comfortable. (If your chair is causing you crazy back pain, you won’t be writing for very long!) Fortunately, with the rise of office workers there’s been much advancement in ergonomic technology.

Ready to hop on the standing desk bandwagon? Here’s a roundup from inexpensive to fancy, or you can always DIY it with a stack of books or the latest IKEA hack.

For writing in bed or on your chaise lounge, stop trying to balance your laptop or notebook on a pillow and just get a lap desk.

And for those who love to sit: you can browse options for (affordable) ergonomic chairs here.

Organizing Your Writing

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J.K. Rowling mapped out the plots of the Harry Potter books with elaborate diagrams. William Faulkner outlined the plot of The Fable directly on his office walls (don’t try this at home, kids).

Whether you’re weaving together the plot lines of your new novel, or sorting through ideas for your next blog post, your writing could probably benefit from some organization.

Organize your writing (and possibly your life) with Evernote, the ultimate app for organizing, well, everything. Or if you want templates and proven formulas for your next Facebook post or sales page, be sure to check out Airstory.

Getting Your Grammar in Tip-Top Shape

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Okay, real talk: how could we write about tech to improve your writing and not mention Grammarly?!

With Grammarly as your editor, you can go with the flow of your creativity and let your inner muse run free. Let go of the paranoia that your writing will be littered with errors. Grammarly catches the errors and makes great suggestions for improving your writing.

And have you upgraded to Grammarly Premium yet? It includes vocabulary enhancement suggestions, genre-specific writing style checks, even more grammar and spelling checks, and a plagiarism detector that checks more than 8 billion web pages. Click here to supercharge your writing process.

We want to know: what are your favorite tech gadgets that make the writing process easier? Share in the comments section below!

Emigrate vs. Immigrate–What’s the Difference?

• Emigrate means to leave one location, such as one’s native country or region, to live in another.
• Immigrate means to move into a non-native country or region to live.
• Associate the I of immigrate with “in” to remember that the word means moving into a new country.

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Is emigrate an alternative spelling of immigrate? If not, what’s the difference between immigrate and emigrate?

The Meaning of Emigrate

Emigrate is not an alternative spelling of immigrate. Emigrate means to leave a place, such as a country of origin, to settle in another location. Here are some examples. To best understand them, remember that Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Austria.

Arnold Schwarzenegger emigrated from Austria to the United States.

The Meaning of Immigrate

To immigrate is to settle in a country where you were not born. Here is an example of the verb immigrate using actress Natalie Portman, who was born in Israel.

Natalie Portman immigrated to the United States at a young age.

How to Remember the Difference Between Immigrate and Emigrate

Immigrate begins with the letter I. If you associate I with “in,” you can easily remember that immigrate means to move into a different country. Emigrate begins with an E, so if you associate it with exit, you’ll remember that it means to leave your home country.

Examples

“Canadians who marry someone from abroad shouldn’t have to wait for years to have them immigrate or be left with uncertainty in terms of their ability to stay,” says John McCallum, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship.

Canadian Immigrant

Former Deal or No Deal star, Noel Edmonds is planning to leave Bristol and emigrate, according to reports.

Bristol Post

Nine Novellas Dancing Onto Your Reading List

On the ninth day of LitMas . . .

. . . you get nine wonderful novellas!

Novellas tend to fly under the radar. Readers know what to expect from short stories, and they know what they’re getting into with novels, but novellas fall into an ill-defined space somewhere between short story and novel. Some people think of them simply as very short novels—others have more specific criteria. Either way, here are nine novellas, novelettes, or long short stories for you to sink into when the weather won’t let you go outside.

1 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

’Tis the season, after all! A Christmas Carol became an instant classic when it was first published in 1843. You probably know the outline of the story even if you’ve never read it, but it’s still worth reading. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find yourself feeling sorry for old Ebenezer Scrooge.

2 Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

Truman Capote, perhaps best known as the author of the true crime story In Cold Blood, also wrote Breakfast at Tiffany’s. If you’ve only seen the movie, (or even if you’ve never seen it!) check out the original story of Holly Golightly and her mysterious, captivating, and sometimes melancholy life.

3 Three Blind Mice by Agatha Christie

Snowed in? Settle in with Three Blind Mice, a classic mystery by Agatha Christie. The guests at Monkswell Manor have been trapped by a ferocious blizzard, and unfortunately for everyone it seems that one of them is a murderer. If you can solve the mystery before the end, give yourself a pat on the back.

4 The Call of the Wild by Jack London

As Buck, the canine protagonist of The Call of the Wild discovers, life in the wild is cold, hard, and brutal. Read this one for dazzling descriptions of frozen wilderness and for the classic hero-adventure tale of Buck ultimately answering the call of the wild.

5 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is the story of six teenage girls and their teacher, Miss Brodie, who is a person overflowing with passion. Miss Brodie teaches her girls much about life and love, but as one of the novella’s many flash-forwards reveals, she will be betrayed by one of her beloved students.

6 Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Don’t miss Binti, winner of the 2015 Nebula and Hugo awards for best novella. Binti is the first of her people to be offered the chance to study at the galaxy’s most elite university, but the journey will be long and dangerous. Spoiling too much of this beautiful and thoughtful story would be a shame, so give it a chance, even if you don’t normally gravitate toward science fiction.

7 The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

If you’re in the mood for a sweet story about living in the present, The Housekeeper and the Professor might be the gem you’re looking for. Set in Japan, this is the story of a unique friendship that blossoms between the brilliant Professor (whose long-term memory has been obliterated by an injury) and his Housekeeper, who has been hired to care for him and must reintroduce herself every morning.

8 True Grit by Charles Portis

True Grit is the right title for this story. Set in the American West of the 1870s, the story’s central character, fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross sets out to avenge her father’s death. Mattie, however, is no ordinary fourteen-year-old. Through grit and sheer force of will, she allies herself with the one-eyed U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn to see the mission through. Though the story is at times dark and frightening, it’s also full of unexpected humor as well as an oddly affecting friendship.

9 The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

This coming-of-age novella is the story of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago. Esperanza is determined to escape the poverty of her childhood, but is equally determined to return and help the people she has left behind. Beautifully lyrical yet widely accessible, The House on Mango Street is a must-read.

Grammar is Only a Piece of the Pie

This Thanksgiving, Grammarly embarked on a quest to find the most delicious pumpkin pie recipe on the web. We discovered some complicated concoctions from celebrity chefs, some simple secrets from popular brands like Libby’s and Bisquick, and some interesting instructions from online recipe sites.

It was too difficult for us to decide on the “best” pumpkin pie recipe, but we did notice a few trends that we wanted to share with you in preparation for the season of holiday sweets and festive treats.

Individual chefs make cooking “easy as pie.” Celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay and Rachael Ray make the fewest spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors (3.9 errors per 100 words) in their pumpkin pie recipes than recipes from brands or recipe sites. Brands make an average of 5.4 errors per 100 words in their pumpkin pie recipes, while recipe sites such as Cook’s Illustrated and Epicurious seem to eat “humble pie” with an average of 8.6 errors per 100 words.

Brands like to keep it simple in the kitchen. From Pillsbury to Splenda, Libby’s to Eagle Brand, brand recipes call for 61 percent fewer ingredients than pumpkin pie recipes from chefs (who average nearly 13 ingredients in their complicated pumpkin pie concoctions). Pillsbury calls for only six ingredients in its pumpkin pie recipe; Eagle Brand calls for seven ingredients; and Libby’s calls for eight ingredients. On the other end of the spectrum, celebrity chef Bobby Flay has a whopping 21 ingredients in his pumpkin pie recipe.

Brands can “stand the heat” in the kitchen. On average, brand recipes call for pumpkin pie to be cooked at 400 degrees. Chefs, on the other hand, “play it cool” by cooking their pumpkin pie at an average temperature of 365 degrees.

Check out our infographic here:

Best Pumpkin Pie Recipes of All-Time:

Chefs

Bobby Flay: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/bobby-flays-pumpkin-pie-with-cinnamon-crunch-and-bourbon-maple-whipped-cream-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Giada de Laurentiis: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/persimmon-pumpkin-pie-recipe/index.html

Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/317045/classic-pumpkin-pie

Paula Deen: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-pie-recipe/index.html

Rachael Ray: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=3075

Brands

Bisquick/Betty Crocker: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-pumpkin-pie/c0eab3d9-06a3-4829-9125-7581f1d96315

Eagle Brand: http://www.eaglebrand.com/recipes/details/?RecipeId=3929

Libby’s: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18470/libbys-famous-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx

Pillsbury: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/easy-pumpkin-pie/5793eb83-dca1-45e0-96e1-7f73af9e282f

Splenda: http://recipes.splenda.com/recipes/1397029-The-Great-Pumpkin-Pumpkin-Pie

Recipe Sites

AllRecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-fresh-pumpkin-pie/

Cook’s Illustrated: http://www.thedeliciouslife.com/pumpkin-pie-recipe-cooks-illustrated/

Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/The-Ultimate-Pumpkin-Pie-826#ixzz2jigFtwqS

Food.com: http://www.food.com/recipe/best-ever-pumpkin-pie-28758

SimplyRecipes: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/suzannes_old_fashioned_pumpkin_pie/

Spelling counts: make sure you use these words correctly

Do you know the answer? Read on to find out which one is correct!

There are many (perhaps countless) homophones in the English language. These are words and phrases that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Here are three commonly confused homophones worth knowing:

1. A while vs. awhile A while refers to a period of time. In this construction, ‘while’ acts as a noun. “I haven’t read any good books in a while.”

Awhile is an adverb and means for a period of time. “I’m going to think about this awhile.”

In many cases, you can replace ‘awhile’ with the prepositional phrase ‘for a while.’ If you have a hard time remembering the difference between the two, you might want to adopt the prepositional phrase strategy.

2. Stationary vs. stationery Stationary means not moving. “Today I’ll ride the stationary bike in my living room instead of going for a ride outside.”

Stationery is writing materials, envelopes, office materials. “I bought some nice stationery to use for thank you notes.”

Discreet vs. discrete Discreet means respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic; inconspicuous. “I don’t want anyone to know about my secret, so please be discreet.” “The cabin was nestled in a discreet corner of the forest.”

Discrete means individually separate and distinct and is often use in mathematical contexts. “The syllabus was broken down into three discrete sections.”

The correct answer is discreet. Did you answer correctly? What other words do you hate to see confused?

Stop Making Contraction Mistakes Now. Here’s How.

 

Contractions. Everyone has messed up a contraction at one time or another. Sometimes these errors happen because a writer misunderstands the purpose of contractions, but most of the time they’re simply typos. Whatever the reason for your mistakes, we’ve got you covered.

If you don’t quite know the rules for contractions, you can brush up with our handbook.

If typos are your problem, try our free browser extension for help catching those keyboard slips (plus many other  types of writing errors). Add Grammarly to your browser.

What Is Verbing?

• To verb a noun means to use an ordinary noun as a verb in a sentence.
• English is flexible about the grammatical function of individual words. If you use a noun in the verb slot of a sentence, most people will understand what you mean.
• Be careful about verbing in very formal contexts, especially when there is already a common verb that would convey your meaning. Some people find verbing annoying.

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Have you ever friended someone on Facebook? Friend is a noun. Adding an -ed to the end to turn it into a verb is called verbing. Some nouns that people convert into verbs already have verb forms. For example, the verb befriend means to make friends with someone. However, social media made friending popular. Now, the dictionary defines the new verb as “to add a person to one’s list of social media contacts.” What else is there to know about verbing?

How to Verb

There are lots of ways to express the idea of turning a noun into a verb. The noun form of the act is verbification. Besides “to verb,” you might see “to verbify.”

Did you know that noun-to-verb conversions are abundant in English? People have been doing it for centuries. In fact, “verbify” is itself an example of the phenomenon. Nouns from all aspects of life are verbified:

Let’s table the proposal until we get more information.

I plated the asparagus next to the sweet potatoes to highlight the contrasting colors.

The flight has not yet deplaned.

The computer program is taking forever to download.

Modern-day speakers often verbify brand names.

Before the first day of class, she googled her professor.

I had to xerox a hundred copies of my résumé.

When is the last time you skyped your relatives?

Some verbs, like to google and to xerox, become so common that they are included in lowercase form in dictionaries.

How do you feel about new verbs? Some are fads, but others might stand the test of time. If you’d like to try making some verbs yourself, social media is a great place to test your creations. If someone objects, you can always unfriend them!