Free Stuff for Writers and Writing Groups

Don't spend money when there are free tools!

Writers benefit immensely from using tools to aid in their writing process. Dedicated tools, plus the support you can get from writing groups, make for a winning combination.

But chasing up a bunch of tools can be an expensive proposition. Especially when—no surprise—the prices for staples like food and shelter, along with overall inflation, are ticking up, while unemployment is increasing, too. (That's not me saying that. It's the February 2025 results from the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.)

Luckily, there are several free tools that can replace more costly choices. That’s why I’ve collected a few links that you and your writing group may find useful as part of your work on writing, developing and editing stories:

Start With a Good Idea

The Write Practice offers a simple Book Idea Worksheet for free. Whether you plan to write a novel, memoir or nonfiction, this worksheet prompts you to articulate key elements of your idea so that you can focus sharply on the premise. If you’re part of a writing group that discusses works-in-progress, this one-pager can serve as a useful discussion tool.

Research It Up

All writers need to gather data and information for their stories, and Evernote is a terrific research-support tool. Writers who I’ve chatted with use the free version and agree it’s their preferred app, because it's always accessible and doesn't require carrying extra gear. Another plus: You can sync info across devices, which means, as you switch from phone to tablet to laptop, your research is always handy.

Get It All Down

You don't need to subscribe to costly word processing or writing platforms when there are several free word processors available, including Google Docs, Microsoft Word for the Web, OpenOffice and LibreOffice. Each platform comes with its advantages and limits, and you’ll have to test them to see which serves you and your project best. Note: A couple of critique-circle contacts told me Google Docs is their go-to platform, because it’s so easy to share works-in-progress for feedback.

Keep the Inspiration Flowing

You're working on your first draft and feel stuck, not knowing what should come next. Instead of going into a deep freeze, play with the free versions of ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to brainstorm. (These three are suggestions. Use the AI tools that you're most comfortable with.) Select the ideas that intrigue you and test them with your writing group to gain a better understanding of how the new directions might land with your target audience. You'll feel the sparks! Then, get back to writing!

Stay on Task

Writing groups help you stay productive and focused on your project. But with so many demands from sites, social media, and apps, it’s easy to get distracted during your day-to-day writing tasks, when your group buddies aren't around. You can address the problem by managing your technology. Freedom is a blocker that works on any phone or laptop and syncs across devices, too. Basic access is free.

Speed Through Your Writing

I love writing sprints! For the writing sprint groups I lead, I set the timer for 25-minutes, take a break and then repeat. Conveniently, there's a free timer that helps me stick to the schedule. The classic Pomodoro, pre-set to 25 minutes, is ready to go wherever I am. Pomodoro is the choice among several writing-sprint groups I’ve worked with because of its no fuss simplicity.

Check Your Work

If you’re in a group that exchanges manuscripts, you want to make sure yours is clean and without errors. Many word processing platforms (even free ones) have grammar and proofreading features already built in. But if not (or you don't like the automated checker), you have a couple of great free options: Try Grammarly’s proofreading tool or ProWritingAid’s basic access. Both provide instant results so that you can fix grammar, punctuation, spelling, and syntax errors quickly and easily.

These are just a few tools that you and/or your writing group can put to good use. You probably have some of your own recommendations and I'd love to hear them in the comments below. Keep writing!