Why does writing have to be so hard? Not the actual “thinking up the words part”, but the “motivate yourself and follow through” part. 
Because it is, by its nature, a solitary and self sufficient activity, you have to be able to push yourself to complete each task. It doesn't matter if you are writing a novel, a blog post, or a technical manual.
Having a few good tools to use can make all the difference in the world. These ten writing tools are probably the best I have personally found. They are sure to blow your creative mind.
1. SERPstat
SERPstat is a keyword research tool on steroids. Apart from keyword suggestions expanding your core term, the tool has a wealth of other helpful features keeping you inspired and your content optimized and ranked high:
- Cluster research: Various words that have the same URLs ranked in top 20. The more URLs the words have in common, the closer the cluster terms are. This is a great keyword discovery feature!
- Questions: Find lots of questions containing your keyword people type in the search box. Most of these questions will look like an article idea to you!
- Missing keywords: Find keywords many of your competitors are ranking but you are not. Some of these will be new content ideas, others will prompt you to go back and optimize your old content
This is one of the most powerful content marketing and writing tools I am aware of.
2. Hemingway
The first step to writing anything is just to sit down, shut up, and write. Editing a you go along can mean adding a ton of time to the process, and possibly weakening the results.
“Write drunk, edit sober” was Ernest Hemingway's motto, and while that isn't exactly what is required with this app, it does follow the general idea. You write first, then wait until you are done to edit. It even provides you with tips on how to better form sentences for readability.
Recommended Reading: How to Find Your Writing Voice
3. Reedsy
Reedsy is technically a marketplace, where you can find professionals ready to help you with your book (editors, publishing experts, etc). But I want to point out their awesome Book Editor tool.
This handy feature gives you a powerful editing application that includes professional looking typeset and formatting. When you are done, you can export the file in a ready-to-publish digital format. It is awesome for people who want to self-publish online.
4. Squibler
Squibler promises to help you “Write & Publish Your Book in 30 Days. Store all your ideas without ever losing them, then filter by tags. Store all your chapters, scenes, and notes safely. Then, drag and drop them into the right place.” Keep your notes and outlines organized with this innovative tool.
5. ProWritingAid
Improve your writing, including blog posts, by getting helpful advice based on what you have so far. Eliminate errors in grammar and syntax, catch run on sentence and overused words, and receive suggestions on how to improve the overall structure.
ProWritingAid can be used in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, the ProWritingAid Chrome Extension, or integrated into other apps using API. You need the pro version for using it in Word or Google, but it is only $40 a year. And for $45 a year you also get a plagiarism checker.
6. Duplicate Content Checks
Speaking of plagiarism, you'll be surprised how many times your content has been copied without you getting any credit. Have your articles checked for plagiarism using this handy tool to make sure your blog posts are not being copied without permission.
7. Jasper
Artificial intelligence makes it fast & easy to create content for your blog, social media, website, and more! Watch this short demo of using Jasper template.
8. Grammar Monster
This site might not seem much, but it is actually a great little resource. Improve your grammar through learning. Check out their tip of the day. Take tests to see where you stand since passing High School English. Get a list of easily confused words. (airplane and aeroplane, sympathy and empathy, etc).
They also have a link to Grammarly, which will check your grammar and catch up to ten times more mistakes than you would on your own. In spite of it being a pretty simplistic page, especially in comparison to some of the other items on this list, this one is probably my personal favorite. I use both Grammar Monster and Grammarly all the time.
9. Ulysses
Have a lot of writing projects? If you are a blogger, the answer to that is probably a resounding “YES! Please save me!” Ulysses is a simple – but effective – dashboard that puts all of your writing projects in one place.
You can access all of those projects from the app, and work on it from your iPhone, iPad or Mac. It is clean, easy to use, and designed to keep you focused without distractions. As a writer, I love this dashboard. Especially as I am your classic “jump from piece to piece” style of author who can't just work on one thing at once.
10. Polish My Writing
Is your writing the best it can be? Probably not, none of us get it write on the first, second, third, or even fourth try. Polish My Writing will take your text and make suggestions to how you can improve it.
It catches spelling and grammar mistakes, gives tips on better word choices, catches word overuse, and offers advice on better formatting choices that could improve readability. Also, it is free. Who doesn't love that?
If you have a tool that you feel should go on this list, let us know in the comments!