I have two programs I use to help me edit. For my legal writing, I like to use a program called WordRake. For my creative writing, I use ProWritingAid (just the regular version, not the AI version. AI still freaks me out.) They work differently.
WordRake highlights words and phrases it wants me to omit or change from whatever draft I turn it loose on. It and I have a slightly antagonistic relationship, although I am always amused when the parts of my work that WordRake lights up like New York on a dark winter’s night are direct quotes from appellate cases. (Hey, we all get our kicks somewhere!) I also enjoy arguing with it about its editing selections. I don’t follow its suggestions mindlessly.
My relationship with WordRake is similar to my mother’s first experience with a GPS. We were visiting Boston, and I rented a car with a GPS system. It was my first experience with GPS, which should give you an idea how long ago this was. My mom (who grew up in Boston) loved to ride with me and have me program the GPS. Then she would tell me the GPS was wrong and direct me to go a different way, giving the GPS a heart attack. At one point, it got so frustrated it stopped giving directions and churned through “recalculating” for about five minutes! However, I am more considerate of WordRake. Sometimes, I agree to its edits just because I don’t want to hurt its feelings by ignoring it too much.
My relationship with ProWritingAid is more of a collaboration. It is not as authoritative in its suggestions as WordRake. ProWritingAid scans a piece of writing and then assigns a score to different aspects of it, like a score for grammar, style, overused words, and sentence length. The program gives you a suggested benchmark to aim for, and while it takes you through the reasons behind the score it gave, you have the freedom to choose which areas to work on and how.
Both programs have a place. Legal writing can be ponderous if you don’t pay careful attention to what you do, and WordRake keeps that in check. ProWritingAid follows the flow of creative writing, recognizing that each creative writer is different, yet there are pitfalls we all seek to avoid.
Do you have an editing program you prefer to use with your writing?
