As a travel writer for 8 years now, you get used to typing up articles so fast and posting them on the move. I’m the first to admit I don’t often proofread my stuff and indeed a lot of my readers have pointed out mistakes in my work (and I thank you for it). However there are some tools that help with the process to enruse i dont’ mkae AnY mour mis steaks. [to ensure I don’t make any more mistakes].
How do you spell the capital city of Brunei?
Is there an apostrophe in backpacker’s budget?
What’s another way of saying awesome that is not over-used?
One such useful online tool is Grammarly. If you’re a budding writer, not just in travel but in other niches, this is the latest tool on the streets. “Better Writing Made Easy” is the catchline used by Grammarly. It’s an online tool that claims to make you a better writer
by finding and correcting up to ten times more mistakes than your word processor. The good news is, it works and it’s very cool and innovative.
While in my latest base in Hong Kong preparing for my next adventure, I put Grammarly to the test this week. Here are some of the features of Grammarly that I love:
1. Grammarly enhances your vocabulary with word choice suggestions. This is great for great articles when I greatly over-use the same great terms in a great way. If I re-read my sentences like that, they should read “This is a marvellous platform for fantastic articles when I outrageously over-use the same terms in an inspiring way.”
2. Grammarly helps you write mistake-free in Gmail, Facebook, WordPress, Linkedin, and anywhere else you write on the Web. Basically, you’re covered even on your Facebook Page.
3. You can install Grammarly to Google Chrome and it sits on your menu bar and acts as a guide in everything you type on the web.
4. Grammarly is not telling you what to write – it is best used as a “second set of eyes” for your writing as opposed to a replacement for a professional proofreader. So it gives you ideas on what you should be writing.
5. Correctly spelled words used in the wrong context can look like embarrassing mistakes for you. Grammarly spots these and corrects erroneous use of lose/loose, affect/effect, lie/lay, there/their/they’re, we’re/were/where/Weir and many more commonly confused words.
6. As I’m typing this very document in WordPress, Grammarly is giving me tips on what to write here!
So if you want to be the next budding travel writer, then give it a try for free! Even a novice can enhance their writing skills through Grammarly and it doesn’t use any extra effort or time really as the updates just show on your screen as you type and if you like their suggestions, change what you have written there and then.
Don’t forget I have also shared my tips on becoming a professional travel blogger and why travel blogs are better than printed media. Grammarly is certainly a quirky new idea and I’d recommend giving it a try!
Safe travels and happy writing!
* On a final note, I’d be seriously embarrassed if you find any mistakes in this article!
Hi Jonny,
Wow this is a really great tool for writing! I make so many mistakes writing, even though I proof read it.
I might give this site a crack!
Thanks for sharing
Abbi
Abbi recently posted…Saturday Snapshots from Brussels, Belgium
Hi Abbi – yes it is a good tool. I am useless some times – too busy to correct my own mistakes so this cuts out the need for that. Worth a try! Safe travels. Jonny