If you've been doing this for a while then you know that the rules have a way of changing overnight ( or so it seems). For newbies, or those who have been away for a minute, it seems like getting the right footing is harder than before. It may be the timing, your mood, or even the time of day that's preventing you from writing awesome content.
Whatever it is, one thing is certain...BILLS NEVER GO TO SLEEP!
And when you don't have a lot of money to invest in pricey software that will need to be upgraded not long after you've installed it, your losing time AND money. Something us freelancers can just give away at random. When it comes to direct orders from clients, heading over to the library while the system buffers isn't an option either.
Another thing is that not everything that is popular is all it claims to be. While Grammarly has saved me a few times, it has also failed me as well. Not just because it flags everyday speak (which is what most blog posts are about) but has also come up with some major grammatical faux pas that the writer just has to ignore.
Overall, there's no single tool that can be used if you're under the gun or proofreading isn't your thing. Even though it's best to go over things at least three times before hitting send, complacency is common with many veteran writers (especially if we're covering a topic we know well). However, there are a couple of free tools I've discovered that can limit the client rejections or make you feel more confident about your writing.
Hemingway Editor - this is great for getting rid of filler words or just being too wordy in general. While there is one famous content writing company out there that hates contractions but pays weekly (but low for many who can't churn out SEO articles quickly...and no, I'm not bragging), writing without using proper punctuation and more words can kill a career before it begins. This site has a lot of great suggestions.
Gunning Fog Index - many who've taken journalism in college are most likely familiar with this tool. It basically describes the audience suited to read your article or blog post. While the standard is 8th grade reading level, some marketing and content companies may want something beyond high school. It can also weigh sentence length
Writer's Diet - another tool that eliminates wordy sentences but the visitor can see the breakdown in a simple-to-read chart. All they have to do is copy and paste on the test page to see what can be eliminated. This tool is great for those who want to break out of the content writing mill and move onto private clients that normally pay more.
Sometimes writers and bloggers just need a change of scenery in order to be more productive. Or add something different. In recent, I've discovered that YouTube stations that play chillhop or classical music can be soothing without causing the distraction that most lyrical songs can bring. The above is just one example of how to break writer's block.
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