What tools or techniques do you use when writing to stay productive and focused?

[fazululrahman]

I use tools like Grammarly, Notion, and Google Docs for writing, and I follow a focused routine with timed writing blocks, minimal distractions, and clear outlines to stay productive.

[Mike Carss]

I purposely use an old laptop to write so I'm less likely to get distracted. I also like the idea of a dedicated system just for writing. It only has Scrivener installed. I dislike writing at a proper desk, so I recline on the couch in the living room. I live alone so there's no people distracting me. 😉

I only do that for my first draft, though. All my editing and revision work is done on a proper desktop system with a big screen since I'll have editing tools side by side. I use QuillBot and Grammerly to catch errors, etc.

[Tim Hobson]

I use MS Word spellcheck (now they call it Editor), and I've built up my own personal dictionary in it, plus the included Thesaurus.

I also use the free version of Grammarly, along with Dictionary.com and The Grammarist (all free). For editing, I use AutoCrit, for which I have a lifetime subscription. It uses AI to do an extremely thorough analysis, even pointing out issues with the plot or characters.

Lately, I've used DeepAI Chat for research, and of course good old Wikipedia and Google Maps. I use a lot of non-English words in my stories, and I like Google Translate for them.

In addition to all that, I have an editor and a beta reader, who help me by providing human reactions! (I also edit other writers' stories.)

One more side to it: I use versioning of the Word docs and a series of folders (Archive--Draft--Beta/Edit--Ready--Posted) to move a story from draft to publication. If I ever need to, I can go back to every prior version throughout the development of a story. That's been a lifesaver at times. I also keep a file called Characters & Places, so I can stay consistent.

BTW--I'm a pantser, not a plotter (so no outlines). I once tried a tool called PLOTTR and didn't find it helpful, but it looks like it would work for the right kind of author. I tend to write a story from beginning to end, but once in a while an idea for a future chapter comes out of the blue, and I write it and save it for later.

This has turned into a dissertation and is probably more than you wanted to know...