If you're like most people, you probably have mixed feelings about writing. When the ideas are flowing and you’re in the zone, the process can feel very intuitive. However, when you’re distracted, tired, or busy, it can be hard to come up with ideas, organize your thoughts, and put them into words.

As with any skill, writing well is easier through practice and feedback, but you don’t need to sign up for an expensive class. A free AI writing assistant is a great way to get started on the road to becoming a better writer.

What is an AI Writing Assistant?

An AI writing assistant is a program that uses artificial intelligence to help you with your writing. They were first developed to help people with writing disabilities, but are now used by many people to improve their writing skills or speed.

AI writing assistants train themselves by reading a large number of documents, so they can learn to identify common patterns in writing. They can then offer suggestions to improve your writing based on what they have learned.

The most familiar example may be the grammar checker in Microsoft Word. However, a number of more robust programs have been developed in recent years. They can provide you with feedback on your writing, suggest grammar and style improvements, and even help you plan and organize your writing projects. 

Marketing, public relations, and content writing professionals, including agencies like 1SecondCopy, are increasingly turning to AI writing assistants to produce high-quality content efficiently and at scale.

These programs vary in terms of features and price. However, there are a number of free AI writing assistants, and they can be a great way to improve your skills.

Brainstorm Ideas

Many free AI writing assistants focus on reviewing text you’ve already written. However, some can give you a push at the very earliest stages of writing, when you’re struggling to find an angle and get started.

For example, Quillbot can help you brainstorm ideas for your writing by providing you with a list of related topics and keywords. This can be helpful if you're stuck on what to write about or if you want to make sure you're including all the relevant information in your piece.

Using a program like this is ideal when you need to come up with a lot of ideas in a short amount of time. You can quickly get an overview of what others have written on the same topic, which can help you hone in on what you want to say.

Just be sure to vet the results before you start using them in your writing; these AI programs do not always pull the most up-to-date information, so you’ll need to double-check any facts (such as statistics) that may have changed.

Catch Errors

A number of free AI writing assistants, such as Grammarly and Hemingway, can help you improve your writing by catching errors and suggesting improvements. 

These programs will find errors in your grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and suggest corrections. Meanwhile,  they will analyze your writing for readability and provide advice on how to make it clearer.

The best free AI writing assistants don’t simply flag mistakes, but briefly explain their reasons for doing so. This means you can learn from them over time. You’ll quickly become aware of any bad grammar habits you may previously have been getting away with.

The best programs will also analyze your consistency. For example, if you place a single space after some periods and two spaces after others, they will highlight discrepancies and advise you to stick with just one format.

Both Grammarly and Hemingway can be installed as plugins for your web browser, so they can check your writing as you type. This is a simple, hassle-free way to catch errors before you hit the submit button.

Improve Your Style

In addition to simply catching errors, these free AI writing assistants can provide feedback on any stylistic issues in your writing. 

If you tend to overuse a particular word or phrase, they can suggest alternatives to help vary your word choice. Or, if you’ve used an overly casual word in the middle of an otherwise professional document, they will offer synonyms that better suit the tone you are going for.

Of course, your writing style will change depending on whether you’re crafting a business email or the first chapter of your romance novel. Many free AI writing assistants allow you to set criteria, such as whether you’re going for a casual, professional, or academic style, and make their suggestions accordingly.

Some also base their feedback on your writing goals. For example, if you select that the aim of your article is to excite and engage your audience, they will suggest more evocative language that helps you produce the right effect.

Finding a Free AI Writing Assistant

To find the free AI writing assistant that best fits your needs, first consider what kinds of tasks you need help with. Do you need support with grammar and proofreading? Or are you looking for something more comprehensive, like a tool that can help you plan and structure your writing? 

Once you know what you need help with, you can start reading reviews and comparing the features of the top free AI writing assistants.

One popular option, already mentioned in this article, is Grammarly, which is an AI writing assistant that can help with grammar, style, proofreading, and even plagiarism detection. 

Another option is ProWritingAid, which offers a full suite of writing tools, including help with grammar, style, and structure. 

Once you've decided on the AI writing assistant that's right for you, sign up and start using it to improve your writing.

In Summary

Whether you’re creating a blog article, press release, or social media post, a free AI writing assistant can help you write more efficiently and effectively–and in the process, your own skills and comfort with the writing process will improve.

Just remember to use the AI writing assistant as a starting point, not a finishing point. AI writing assistants can set you on the right path and help you identify areas that need more work, but they cannot fix all of your writing problems.

After you have used an AI writing assistant, revise your writing yourself or have someone else edit it. This way, you'll learn from your mistakes and slowly become a better writer.