ProWritingAid

What is ProWritingAid?

ProWritingAid is a writing analysis tool designed for English authors, editors, and story creators. It not only identifies grammatical and spelling errors but also examines various aspects such as readability, repetition, run-on sentences, variation in sentence length, rhythm, structure, dialogue, and sensory descriptions, through more than 25 different types of reports. It is particularly suitable for novels, memoirs, scripts, and other long-form texts.

The product is better described as a \"writing coach combined with an advanced editor,\" rather than a tool that can complete an entire book for the author in one go. Users can receive real-time suggestions through the web editor, Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, and other writing software, and then make revisions step by step using these suggestions along with reports and AI tools.

Core editing skills

1. Grammar, spelling, and real-time suggestions

The editor identifies issues related to grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, and expression throughout the writing process, and offers suggestions for replacements. Advanced style suggestions help to spot weak verbs, passive voice, repetition, redundancy, and unclear sentence structures.

The suggestions are primarily aimed at English writing and cannot replace professional editing. The tone of the characters, dialects, experimental grammar, and the style of genre fiction may be misinterpreted; authors should decide whether to adopt them based on the goals of their narrative.

2. Over 25 types of writing reports

The thematic reports analyze the text from various perspectives, including summary, style, grammar, overuse of certain words, readability, clausal structures, clichés, sentence length, pronouns, transition words, repeated phrases, rhythm, dialogue tags, sensory descriptions, and consistency. These reports provide statistics, information on the locations where issues occur, and suggestions for improvement, helping authors to address problems step by step.

The greater the number of reports, it does not mean that one should strive to achieve all those scores at the same time. When literary works use long sentences, repetition, or unusual rhythms intentionally, mechanical optimization may undermine their quality.

A better approach is to first address the high-priority issues, and then conduct sampling to determine whether the changes improve the reading experience.

3. Author Comparison

The author’s comparison function allows for comparing certain writing metrics of a manuscript with those of specific genres or with samples from published authors, thereby helping to understand the characteristics related to sentence length, rhythm, dialogue, etc. The results of these comparisons serve as a reference point; they do not mean that by emulating the style of a particular author it is possible to achieve the same quality or market success.

4. AI Rephrase

Rephrase allows sentences to be rewritten in a more fluent, concise, formal, informal style, or with a greater degree of emotional expression. The paid version offers unlimited rewriting opportunities, making it suitable for overcoming specific expression challenges and exploring various ways of phrasing text.

AI rewriting can alter a character’s voice, the facts presented, the perspective, and the tense used. In longer works, it is necessary to maintain consistency in the characters’ way of speaking and in the narrative style; one cannot simply optimize each sentence individually and then put them together.

5. Sparks’ creative inspiration

Sparks is used to continue writing, generate details, change wording, or find inspiration for plots, helping authors overcome writer’s block. Premium offers 5 uses per day, while Premium Pro provides 50 uses per day.

Sparks is better suited for providing direction and alternatives; it should not replace the author’s control over the characters, themes, and the causal relationships within the plot.

6. Chapter Critique

Chapter reviews provide feedback on individual chapters from the perspective of the story and the reader’s experience. Premium offers such reviews once a day, while Premium Pro provides them three times a day; these reviews help to assess the chapter’s objectives, conflicts, pacing, and clarity.

AI criticism may lead to misunderstandings of clues and character development when the entire book has not been read; it should be combined with an outline, feedback from test readers, and opinions from human editors. Moreover, the pace standards vary for different types of novels.

Analysis of the entire manuscript

Manuscript Analysis can analyze a complete manuscript of up to 300,000 words within a few minutes, providing prioritized feedback on aspects such as plot and structure, characters, scenes, narrative flow, timeline, dialogue, and the world view. It can be used in web editors as well as in programs like Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener.

A thorough analysis of the entire text helps to identify issues such as unclear causal relationships, weak outcomes, excessive explanations, time jumps, inconsistent characters, and conflicts in the world setting. The report remains a model-based assessment; it cannot guarantee the detection of all logical problems, nor can it replace a human editor who is familiar with the genre and target market.

Story Credits: Points for story analysis

Each execution of Story Analysis, Plot Analysis, Virtual Beta Reader, and Marketability Analysis consumes 1 Story Credit; the maximum text length that can be processed in a single run is 300,000 words. These credits can be purchased by both free and paid users, and they are not included in the unlimited report entitlements provided with regular subscriptions.

For free users, the costs are $1.50 for 1 hour, $3.145 for 3 hours, and $450 for 10 hours; for Premium users, the costs are approximately $35, $100, and $300 respectively.

The costs for Premium Pro users are approximately 25, 70, and 175 dollars respectively. There is no expiration date for these points, but they are usually non-refundable; a refund may only be granted in cases where technical issues on the platform prevent processing of the request.

Each time a full analysis is run, new points are consumed. Authors should verify that the version of the manuscript, its language, and the file are complete before submission, in order to avoid incurring high costs due to repeated testing of unfinished drafts.

Write Mode: Writing tracking

Write Mode is used to set dedicated periods for writing, to keep track of the number of words written in each session and to view historical trends, thereby helping to develop consistent writing habits. It is available in both free and paid versions, and it works with Desktop Everywhere as well as extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge; it is also compatible with applications such as Scrivener, Pages, Notion, Google Docs, and the web version of Word.

The current desktop version of Microsoft Word does not support Write Mode, but it can be used through browser extensions in the web version of Word. This feature serves as a tool for tracking progress; it does not automatically assess the quality of the content based on the number of words written each day.

Supported writing platforms

Web Editor

The web editor can be used in any modern browser and supports common text, Markdown, and document formats. Documents uploaded or created are saved to the user’s account, allowing access from various devices.

Desktop Everywhere

Desktop Everywhere for Windows and macOS displays a ProWritingAid entry in compatible writing applications, offering real-time suggestions and various reports; it is compatible with tools such as Scrivener, Apple Pages, Notion, and Atticus.

Browser extensions

Extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge can be used with Google Docs, Gmail, Facebook, Notion, Wattpad, the web version of Word, and Outlook Web. Other Chromium-based browsers may also be compatible, but full compatibility is not guaranteed by the developers.

Word and Scrivener

Microsoft Word and Scrivener are key integrations in ProWritingAid. Scrivener users can switch to the Scrivener continuous document view, where they can run reports, conduct overall analyses, and use a virtual reader on the entire manuscript, rather than just checking individual chapters.

All applications and integrations require an internet connection. There are no native integrations for Linux, Android, or iOS at the moment, but mobile devices can use a web editor through a browser.

Editing complex, long texts on small-screen devices offers a limited experience.

Free version, Premium and Premium Pro

Free accounts allow users to register and use basic editing functions as well as some reporting tools; however, real-time checks are usually limited to processing shorter texts. Premium and Premium Pro versions enable the execution of more than 25 different types of reports on entire documents, there are no limits on the length of the text for regular reports, and they offer unlimited access to paid features such as Rephrase, chapter criticism, and Sparks.

Premium Pro builds on the Premium version by offering 50 Sparks per day, 3 chapter critiques per day, a discount of up to 65% on Story Credits, as well as live workshops led by the author, daily writing sprints, writing challenges, over 200 hours of customized courses, and opportunities to interact with the author.

Prices for subscriptions and lifetime editions

According to the current official prices, Premium costs $30 per month, $120 for an annual subscription, and $399 for a one-time lifetime license; Premium Pro costs $36 per month, $144 for an annual subscription, and $699 for a one-time lifetime license.

The official website may display different amounts for new users, logged-in accounts, renewals, or promotions; the final amount will be as indicated on the settlement page.

The lifetime version represents a long-term license for the corresponding product benefits; it does not entail free access to all future third-party services or Story Credits. The full text, storyline, virtual readers, and market analysis still require payment based on a specific quota, and cloud-based functions depend on the ongoing operation of the service as well as an internet connection.

Subscriptions usually come with a 3-day refund guarantee, but Story Credits are not covered by this guarantee. If they are purchased alongside a new subscription and cancelled within the refund period, whether the unused credits will also be refunded is determined in accordance with the official rules.

Privacy and manuscript security

ProWritingAid claims to use bank-level security measures to protect the written content, and it does not save or use users’ text to train its algorithms. The Write Mode page also states that no text is saved for model training purposes.

Documents in the web editor are saved to the user’s account to enable access across different devices; this is not the same as the concept of “not being used for training”.

For unpublished manuscripts, content written on behalf of clients, and confidential projects, it is still necessary to read the privacy policy and terms of service in order to understand how data is stored, deleted, accessed by employees, and processed. All functions rely on an internet connection; therefore, they are not suitable for materials that require strict prohibition of cloud-based processing.

Is plagiarism detection supported?

The ProWritingAid website still displays a link to the Plagiarism Checker, but the ways in which this plagiarism detection service can be used, as well as the associated fees or packages, may be separate from those related to editing subscriptions. It is necessary to check one’s current benefits on the account page before using the service.

Any similarity report merely reflects database matches and does not constitute a legal conclusion regarding copyright infringement.

ProWritingAid usage guide

Complete a basic task.

1. Identify the audience, purpose, tone, length, and the facts that must be included;
2. Enter the topic and the verified reference materials in ProWritingAid;
3. Use core editing skills to create an outline, and then complete a preliminary draft by analyzing the entire text and dividing it into sections.
4. Replace generic content with your own data, examples, and terminology;
5. Verify facts, citations, keywords, repetitions, and brand tone;
6. It is published only after manual editing, plagiarism checking, and approval have been completed.

Create reusable professional workflows

1. Create a brand term list, prohibited expressions, and approved sample texts;
2. Organize the core editing skills, the analysis of the entire manuscript, and the scoring for Story Credits into a fixed process;
3. Designate responsible persons for research, the first draft, editing, and fact-checking respectively;
4. Randomly check whether the model fabricates numbers, sources, or examples;
5. Compare readability, conversion rates, search performance, and rework time;
6. The templates and rules are continuously updated based on actual outcomes;

Which users is it suitable for?

• Writers of English novels, memoirs, plays, and long-form non-fiction works;
• The creator who manages the entire manuscript in Scrivener or Word;
• Writers who wish to learn the English style of writing and principles of readability through data reports;
• Independent publishers who need a preliminary structure, plot, and feedback from readers;
• Editors, writing coaches, and teachers of creative writing;
• Creators who continuously track their writing time and word count goals.

Product advantages

• It gives more emphasis to writing long texts and stories than ordinary grammar checkers;
• More than 25 actionable thematic reports are available;
• Supports analysis of entire manuscripts with up to 300,000 words;
• Deep integration with Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener;
• It offers AI tools such as Rephrase, Sparks, chapter criticism, and virtual readers;
• Subscriptions and lifetime licenses coexist.

Restrictions and Precautions

• The product is primarily designed to assist with English writing, and users who speak multiple languages do not necessarily receive the same level of quality.
• All applications and plugins require an internet connection, and there is insufficient integration with native mobile devices and Linux.
• Reports and AI feedback may misinterpret literary style, foreshadowing, genre conventions, and character voices;
• Optimization metrics cannot replace the judgment of authors, real tests by readers, and professional editors.
• A regular subscription does not include unlimited analysis of full stories;
• Each time ManuscriptAnalysis, PlotAnalysis, VirtualBetaReader, or MarketabilityAnalysis is used, StoryCredit is consumed separately;

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ProWritingAid free?

There is a free account that allows for basic editing and reporting; unlimited word count for the entire document, as well as additional AI features and full integration, are available only with Premium or Premium Pro.

Is it suitable for writing novels?

It is suitable. Its reporting features, chapter critiques, overall structure, timeline, dialogue options, and virtual reader function are all designed for story creators, but they cannot replace human editing.

Can it be used in Scrivener?

Yes, it is possible to use Desktop Everywhere for Windows or macOS to run real-time suggestions, over 25 different types of reports, and full-text analysis directly within Scrivener.

How much is Premium?

The current prices are $30 per month, $120 per year, or $399 for a lifetime license; Premium Pro costs $36 per month, $144 per year, or $699 for a lifetime license. The prices during promotions are indicated on the settlement page.

Is the analysis of the entire text included in the subscription?

It does not include unlimited use; one Story Credit is required for each complete manuscript, storyline, virtual reader, or market analysis, with a maximum length of 300,000 words per instance.

Is ProWritingAid open source?

It is not open source. It is a commercial online editing and AI writing service; the complete core source code is not made available, nor is there an official self-hosted version.