Cool Stuff for Every Writer

There’s tons of cool stuff available for writers on the web these days – some of which you may not even know existed. Listed below are a few of my favorites to help you think, organize, create, manage, and most importantly, write.

Photo by deglispiriti

Buzzword: This is a free online word processor from Adobe. It runs just like any other word processor – just through a web processor. As long as you are connected to the internet, you can access your Buzzword documents. Cool features include a “share” button which allows you to share your document for edits with other buzzword users without having to email. Additionally, the same version of the document is available to all viewers no matter what edits are made – a definite plus for documents that go through multiple edits with multiple collaborators.

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WriteWith: Just like its name says, this web application allows you to work on documents with others, in one functional program, without having to email. It was designed by two news editors who recognized the need for an efficient program to allow collaborative work and project management. WriteWith lets you upload documents directly to the site, assign tasks to other users, edit docs and see the changes immediately. It even keeps a history of all the edits you’ve made – just in case. This program is great for group projects and is extremely efficient.

Wrike: This project management software will send “to do” reminders to your whole team, create tasks from your email, and will create easy-to-read Gantt charts of project timelines. Also, different parts of the plan can be communicated to employees depending on their parts in the project. It’s a great way to keep your whole team on the same page while offering one, simple collaborative environment. One word – efficient.

Mozy: This program is awesome for copywriters, or any writer for that matter, who must save multiple drafts of multiple projects. The free version of Mozy lets you store up to 2GB of your docs online. This means, if your computer crashes, your office gets struck by lightning, or you simply want to make some room on your hard drive, your documents will always be safe and accessible online.

FreeMind: This is super cool mind mapping software that helps you brainstorm, map out your thoughts, keep track of projects and timelines, and lets you change fonts and colors. Basically, you can organize your thoughts any way you want. Sure, this is a good tool for creative writers, but it’s also great for other types of writers who lack organizational structure otherwise.