In an effort to encourage and support other developing writers, please to refer to the following resources (in no particular order). They may or may not be applicable to you or your current writing situation, so feel free to take them with a grain of salt, but know they are presented with good intent:

1.) Any .DOC or .DOCX Word Processor: To keep your writing preserved in a digital format, it is advisable to use a word processing program found within an office suite such as Microsoft 365, iWork, or Apache OpenOffice—the former two requiring a paid subscription or license, while the third remains open-source software that is free to download. Also, these word processors have specific features (like custom fonts, spell check, word synonyms, page setup, and edit tracking, for example) that will prevent typos and help your document align with proper manuscript formatting.

Most publishers of written works will require submissions to be in a .DOC or .DOCX format, though some may also accept .PDF or even .RTF files. Be sure to check a publisher’s submissions guidelines and adhere to their requirements before sending them a story, poem, or non-fiction piece for consideration. (And for heaven’s sake, remember to be appreciative and courteous!)

If you have a Gmail Account, Google Docs can be a handy tool when traveling with mobile devices. It synced with your Google Account, which provides up to 15GB of free storage with Google Drive, and allows users to download Google documents as .DOCX files. However, Google Docs has limited features compared to the aforementioned office suites and requires an internet connection (though Google files can be synced to be edited offline).

Microsoft Office Online is another free program, similar to Google Docs, but also requires you to create an email account (in this case, a Microsoft Account).

2.) Organize Your Folders: No doubt, you will develop your own system (if you don’t already have one) for efficiently sorting through your device’s file directory to find your documents. Should this not be the case, I would highly recommend dedicating a parent directory folder to your writing, be it simply titled “My Writing” or “Original Works.” Please, please, please . . . do yourself a favor and make sure to keep an additional copies of this folder on a USB thumb-drive, external hard drive, or in cloud-based storage!

It may also behoove you to keep each folder dated with the most recent time you accessed that folder (for example, “My Writing 2020 08-21”). Within this parent directory, create a separate folder for each genre or format applicable to you—feel free to date these folders as well:

My Writing xxxx xx-xx > Novels xxxx xx-xx

My Writing xxxx xx-xx > Poetry xxxx xx-xx

My Writing xxxx xx-xx > Short Fiction xxxx xx-xx

Using this same concept, create separate folders for every writing project within the genres or formats you choose. Then, make a new copy of each specific .DOC or .DOCX at the start of each day you access them, before adding material or editing previous text. Also, date these individual files, after you name them whatever makes most sense to you.

This method of organization, in combination with the “Tracking Changes” feature of Microsoft Word, will provide you with a greater amount of flexibility and insurance that your writing is preserved at all times and at different stages.

3.) Google Dictionary: This link essentially brings you to Google’s main search engine, under which you can utilize the box labeled, “What word do you want to look up?” to search for the definition of any given word.

Conversely, you can also type “define” in any Google search in front of the word you are looking for (for example: define literature).

4.) Google Books Ngram Viewer: This online, graph-based tool allows you to input a correctly-spelled word and generate a chart showing its usage over the past 220 years! What’s more, using commas to separate pronouns, words, or phrases in the search bar, you can simultaneously compare the historical usage of multiple names, titles, or any general vocabulary.

5.) Document Formatting: This article, from The Write Life, lists the top 10 suggestions for crafting a professional manuscript: font size 12, Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, left-justified, .5 inch paragraph indents, single spaces between sentences, etc. These basic tips for formatting your documents will ensure they are easy to read and ready for an editor or publisher.

6.) Standard Manuscript Format*: Expanding on the previous point, some publishing companies may require submissions to align with the standard manuscript format. Make sure to follow it to a tee. Unless specifically requested to be in the “Classic” edition, it’s a safe bet to default to the “Modern” edition. Also, actually read the sample manuscript because it cleverly explains the formatting details as if an essay/story in and of itself. Courtesy of fiction writer Mr. William Shunn. *Can be downloaded as a PDF

7.) The Punctuation Guide: This online guide provides the basic rules and innuendos of punctuation. Nothing improves the professional appearance of your document more than proper grammar, syntax, and punctuation.

8.) MS Word Speak Function: If you are able to gain access to an offline version of Microsoft Word (not to the online option), locate the “Speak selected text” function, which can read highlighted text aloud. This affords you the opportunity to listen for proper syntax, grammar, missing words, etc. It may not catch all the nuances a human might, but you can’t beat this feature.

9.) S. T. Joshi’s Grammar Points: Mr. Joshi—a literary critic, publisher, editor, writer, and award-winning scholar—kindly provides 14 basic points of proper grammar on his blog. Personally, I have found him to be quite approachable, as well as generous with both his precious time and vast wisdom, should you merely ask for a sliver of them.

10.) Document Your Ideas: It may go without saying, but when you’re out and about, or even at work, having a way to record ideas at the drop of a hat. Inspiration can strike at any moment, so capturing a voice message or organizing your thoughts in a designated “writing notebook” can help jog your memory when you’re reaching for details later on (in your writing space).

11.) Ask for Feedback: Once you feel satisfied with the state of a particular piece, you may have friends or family whom you trust to read your work and offer constructive criticism. This is especially helpful when the individuals you confide in have a background or experience with preparing written material.

Be sure to make multiple electronic copies, both before and after you have others critique your manuscript. In this way, you have each stage of your work documented before solidifying any changes, edits, rewrites, or suggestions.

12.) Consult a Professional Proofreader: If you have the means to do so, you can take your work to a professional, like John Thornberry of JPRT Creative. He is accredited and offers proofing services (typos, grammar, syntax, etc.) at a reasonable rate. Edits are tracked through Microsoft Word and offer you great insight into the complexities that arise within the English language, as well as leave you with a “polished” piece of literature ready for submission in the eyes of an editor or publisher.

13.) Connect with Other Writers: Whether you are looking for simple tips for cleaning up your writing or hoping to make contacts within the literary world, opportunities to connect with others are abound online.

Writer’s groups, such as Joe Bunting’s The Write Practice, can provide for you a safe environment in which to share and get feedback on your work. This group, for example, offers free writing tutorials, exercises, prompts, assessments, and other great resources.

Established organizations, like the Horror Writers Association or the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, offer support in your specific genre. Hundreds, if not thousands, of writers keep yearly memberships with these types of groups to stay abreast of opportunities to collaborate, seek mentors, promote their work, apply for grants, or submit their writing for awards.

So, let fly your imagination! And remember, the wisdom of renowned children’s book writer E. B. White (as shared by my sixth grade Language Arts teacher):

The best writing is rewriting.