Proofreading Resources
There are dozens of grammar tools out there, AI-powered or not. How do you find the proofreading tools that are right for you? I found out mostly through experimentation, but once you know what you’re looking for, there’s plenty of great tools out there.
Here’s three proofreading resources I use for my work.
Sorry if this gives you major flashbacks to your college Writing days, but your professors were right. AP isn’t a universal standard by any means, but it's a formidable stand-in for most journalism and media. If you’re a writer and you don’t know this thing front and back, you should keep a copy bookmarked. And I’m not trying to preach--just save you time. Where else can you find a compendium of absolutely everything related to formatting? Well, of course, any of the other style guides, but like I said, this is the one that’s most-used by journalists, media, and literary mags.
This came recommended to me by other writers, and I see why. Who doesn’t get stuck with a word on the tip of their tongue? You can easily search for definitions and similar words. You can also narrow down words by vibe or meaning, which is super useful when you’re not exactly sure what word it is you’re looking for. This is super helpful, especially when you’ve caught yourself in a repetitive loop.
Grammar.com Grammar checker
I love this tool at work because it’s so breezy and efficient to use. Copy and paste your work in, and quickly get grammar and spelling suggestions back out. Plus, if you happen to be copy-and-pasting your work around a bit, this doubles as an “on-deck” window to help stay organized.
A note on AI: I don’t use AI for my personal writing. That’s my choice, and it’s in part because I don’t want my creative ideas leaking out there into the World Wide Web. It’s also because I’m interested in writing as a process and don’t often create things without a personal connection. I prefer to edit in a way that’s constructive rather than prescriptive--something that doesn’t always jive with AI processes. I’m also concerned about the environmental impact of AI, so I limit my use to absolutely-necessary professional work.