As a full-time blogger, your writing workflow likely looks something like this:
- Idea Capture: You stumble on inspiration from browsing articles or while showering
- Writing: You try translating those ideas to words but struggle with writer‘s block
- Editing: You painfully edit your draft only to find lingering mistakes
Not exactly fun or productive, right?
The right writing tools for each step can make a world of difference in overcoming these struggles.
But with literally hundreds of options out there for Mac and PC, just finding the best tools can be overwhelming for bloggers.
Well I’m here to help! In this monster guide, I cut through the clutter and dive deep on the must-have writing tools for powering up your blogging workflow.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Top idea capture tools for snagging inspiration whenever it strikes
- Most user-friendly writing tools for crafting exceptional content with ease
- Smartest editing suites for publishing mistake-free posts every time
Let’s get started!
Top Idea Capture Tools for Endless Inspiration
Coming up with ideas might seem like the easy part. But remembering them all once you finally sit down to write? Not so much.
Idea capture tools solve this by giving you a central place to collect sparks of inspiration the moment they hit you.
But with dozens of options for Mac and PC out there, how do you even choose?
I tested over 14 popular tools hands-on to uncover the very best idea catchers for effortless inspiration:
Idea Capture Tool Comparison
| Tool | Platforms | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evernote | Mac, Windows, iOS… | Web clipper, search, OCR… | Free or premium plans from $7.99/month |
| OneNote | Windows, iOS | Audio notes, free-form boards | Free |
| Milanote | Mac, Windows, iOS… | Visual boards, wiki-linking | Free or premium plans from $9.99/month |
| Notion | Mac, Windows, iOS… | Database-driven notes | Free personal plan or $8/month team |
Evernote
Evernote has been the gold standard for centralized idea capture since way back when. Available on every device imaginable, it makes saving inspiration simple with intuitive workflows.
The web clipper browser extension lets you flag articles, tweets, images or anything across the web in just one click. Likewise, quickly snap photos or scan documents to save offline allowing inspiration gathering even without an internet connection.
Robust organization features like tagging and notebooks keep your hoard of ideas sorted. And remarkably powerful search capabilities help uncover that genius idea just when you need it.
With Evernote, forgetting an inspirational spark again just isn’t an option.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Web
Pricing: Free or premium plans from $7.99/month
OneNote
For Windows diehards, OneNote can capture ideas as efficiently as Evernote thanks to deep integration across Microsoft apps and platforms that Mac can’t match.
Flexible notebooks with nearly unrestricted formatting mean your ideas can be complex living documents with multimedia embed support rather than just simple text notes. Classifying and tagging systems keep things organized even at higher volumes.
One underutilized gem is the audio recording feature so remembering ideas too complex to type is a cinch by just speaking them out. And drawing tools even allow getting graphical inspiration down quickly.
If you‘re all about that Windows/Office lifestyle, OneNote will slot right in as the ultimate assistant for snatching ideas.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web
Pricing: Free
And those are just two of the exceptional idea capture tools available across Mac and Windows today. Whichever route you choose, just be sure it allows frictionless idea collection from anywhere while also keeping your random sparks organized enough to actually locate later!
Now, let‘s talk about transforming those seminary seeds into fully blossomed blog posts…
Best Writing Tools for Uninterrupted Creativity
So you‘ve finally carved out an hour or two to write. You plop down in front of the intimidating blank page. Then as you struggle typing half-baked sentences, distraction popups and notifications keep shredding your focus.
Not exactly a recipe for writing excellence!
The right writing environment can make or break your publishing cadence and content quality.
These writing tools strip away all the digital noise so you can simply focus on translating ideas into compelling copy with ease:
Writing Tool Comparison
| Tool | Platforms | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulysses | Mac, iOS | iCloud sync, focus mode | $5.99/month subscription |
| iA Writer | Mac, iOS | Focus mode, templates… | $29.99 one-time purchase |
| Google Docs | Any | Real-time collaboration | Free |
Ulysses
Purpose-built from scratch purely for long form writing, Ulysses offers the cleanest, most clutter-free interface I’ve seen. No distractions. No unnecessary formatting options. Just you and an empty page.
Handy features like iCloud sync, word goals, markup formatting shortcuts, and extensive export options help take your writing to the next level. The new Ulysses mobile app completes the experience for writing anytime, anywhere.
For serious bloggers tirelessly grinding out epic posts, Ulysses is a sanity saver.
Platforms: Mac, iOS
Pricing: $5.99/month subscription
iA Writer
Another stalwart writing-first app, iA Writer also provides a refined environment for distraction-free writing but spices things up with extras like Markdown support, syntax highlighting, customizable templates, dark mode and more to suit any workflow.
The new mobile version even adds multi-panel capabilities so researching and referencing existing content while writing is finally possible all on one screen. If Ulysses feels too stripped down, iA Writer adds back just enough whistles for a more rounded writing tool.
Platforms: Mac, iOS
Pricing: $29.99 one-time purchase
Whether your goal is cranking out blog articles at breakneck speed or penning your first novel epic novel masterpiece, simplifying your writing environment pays dividends across the board.
Now let‘s tackle the final step of whippping those drafts into pristine publishable shape!
Top Editing Tools for Perfectly Polished Prose
You‘ve conquered writer‘s block to compose a brilliant first draft. But we all know a raw manuscript riddled with grammatical gaffaws and pacing pitfalls still requires heavy editing before it‘s ready for primetime.
While carefully self-editing works, it‘s unlikely you‘ll catch every lingering error. And you want your posts perfect since 62% of readers will stop reading after just one typo, right?
Automated editing suites identify issues human eyes often gloss over so you can publish mistake-free, reader-ready content every time.
Here are my top picks:
Editing Tool Comparison
| Tool | Platforms | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammarly | Any | Detects grammar, spelling, punctuation errors | Free or $11.66+/month subscription |
| ProWritingAid | Mac, Windows | In-depth writing reports | $70/year |
| Hemingway Editor | Any | Highlights hard-to-read sentences | Free |
Grammarly
The undisputed juggernaut of the editing space, Grammarly needs no introduction for most writers these days. It detects everything from tricky grammar and punctuation errors to stylistic fixes for clarity and readability.
I continually find myself amazed by the number of issues Grammarly surfaces in posts I thought were air tight after self-editing. It just goes to show software CAN beat humans sometimes!
And the real-time nature works across thousands of sites from Google Docs to WordPress for mistake-free writing everywhere. If you aren‘t using Grammarly in 2021, you‘re missing out!
Platforms: Browser extensions, Web, iOS, Android
Pricing: Free or premium from $11.66/month
Hemingway Editor
Hemingway takes a boldly different approach by highlighting hard-to-read, complex sentences rather than correcting every error outright. This trains writers to simplify language and tighten structure much like Hemingway‘s famously terse style.
It eliminates the guesswork to reveal weak spots so you can self-correct for ultimate clarity. The distraction-free editing also helps you stay focused on refinement.
Use Hemingway‘s unique approach along with more comprehensive suites like Grammarly or ProWritingAid for multi-angle editing.
Platforms: Web, Desktop
Pricing: Free
Alright, go forth and publish, my friends! With the right toolkit, compelling ideas can efficiently transform into brilliant posts at a pace that keeps readers begging for more!
Now I’d love to hear from YOU in comments:
- What’s your favorite writing tool right now and why?
- What pain points would you like to see better solved?
Let me know and I‘ll include reader suggestions in future updates to this ultimate guide!
){kind=link}