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Charles Dickens Vs. ProWriting Aid
I got a software program called ProWriting Aid to help me clean up my worst offenses, and it is pretty cool, but Charles Dickens and I take some big hits. He comes out a lot worse than I do, actually. A big thumbs down. I analyzed the first three chapters of David Copperfield. Pretty hilarious.
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13 Replies
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I more-or-less came to the same conclusion myself about thirty years ago regarding Mr. Dickens.
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I nearly gave our English teacher the vapours when she suggested I might consider doing English A level. I refused on the basis that I would never willingly read Dickens again.
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Notwithstanding its harsh critique, would you recommend it?
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Rick, I can see NUMEROUS ways in which it will help me tighten things up and reduce redundancy. You can take it for a two-week test drive. Check it out. It’s pretty cool.
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I expect it is the best of software and the worst of software. 😂
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*groan*
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Iain,
I have to say that when I went in I didn’t have great expectations.
Boom! Pow! Is this thing on?!
Tip your waitresses!
Rick? What do you say man??
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I say I’m going to wait a little bit, until I have something in the state I want it (as in not now, when I know how many changes are needed) to take it for a test drive. Then, assuming it lives up to the hype, I’ll also be in a position to more comfortable splashing out on the lifetime subscription.
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Sounds like a smart idea Rick. Good luck with your project!!
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In defence of Mr Dickens…
When I was at school studying for A level English Dickens & Hardy were forced on us as part of the course – initially i resisted reading them – partly because at age 17 the books seemed to be incredibly long (the print was tiny as well) which made me think who the hell can write such long books and why bother?
BUT when I did eventually read them I absolutely loved everything – my fave Dickens was Dombey & Son, not one of his most acclaimed but the descriptive writing I found electrifying.
I’ve read in various articles that if they were trying to get a publishing deal today they’d have no chance but they were of their time and if they were alive and writing today they’d be writing contemporary stuff which is what it was when they did it, I guess, so who knows.
I read everything from Rom Coms. zombie apocalypse, Grisham, King, Koontz, Hemingway, Rowling, Orwell, Austin etc etc – I also dip into the self-published writers (guys like RR Haywood’s Zombie books are magnificent – didn’t even mean to read them but boy are they addictive). The thing is Dickens, et all were successful for a reason and that was they struck a nerve or found a niche – or just wrote books that people wanted to read, and isn’t that what we are all aiming for?
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I LOVE Dickens. He is one of the few people who can make me laugh out loud. A Tale of Two Cities is fippin’ amazing. But I love all his stuff.
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I watched an online demo of ProWritingAid last week. It seems to have some cool features and might speed up the editing process because it supposedly finds many of the issues we are supposed to look for when we self-edit. Costs a lot less than hiring a professional editor, too.
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Yes I love it so far. Got a bargain at $25 a year promo. That is about $2 a month. I can see it turning a seven hour chore into a half an hour by just pointing out all the things you need to look at. I consider it a steal and a new part of my workflow. I am also using the Word add-in and it is wicked cool. With track changes enabled in word I can keep track of what I changed using the program. Not using the program now no longer makes sense to me. Again, I love it.
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