Navigating the diverse landscape of writing tools available for students can be a daunting task. That’s why I’ve put together this comprehensive guide to the best writing tools out there, designed to meet various needs and enhance different aspects of writing for students. From graphic organizers that aid in structuring thoughts and developing ideas, to digital storytelling platforms that bring narratives to life, this guide covers a wide range of resources.
More specifically, we arranged these writing tools in various categories namely AI Writing Assistants, AI Story Generators, Digital Storytelling Websites, Comic Strip Tools, Mind Mappings Tools, Story Starters, Writing Mechanics (Grammar and Style), Graphic Organizers, and Websites to Publish Students Writing
Each category in this guide is tailored to address specific aspects of the writing process. Whether it’s organizing ideas, enhancing creativity, improving technical writing skills, or sharing and publishing written work, these tools provide valuable support for students in their writing journey.
For educators, these resources offer versatile and adaptable methods to enrich the teaching of writing and inspire students to engage more deeply with the craft. Let’s dive in and explore how these tools can make writing a more accessible, enjoyable, and successful endeavor for students of all ages and abilities.
Online Writing Tools for Students
Here is our collection of the writing tools for students:
AI Writing Assistants
AI writing tools have become invaluable tools for students and educators alike, offering a blend of technological innovation and writing support. Tools like Jasper, CopyAI, WriteSonic, ChatGPT, Frase, and Rytr are at the forefront of this digital revolution, each offering unique capabilities to enhance writing skills. From generating creative content to refining grammar and style, these AI assistants provide a range of services that cater to diverse writing needs.
Whether it’s crafting a persuasive essay, developing a research paper, or simply improving everyday writing tasks, these AI tools can significantly streamline the writing process. Their integration into the educational sphere represents a significant step towards combining technology with learning, making the art of writing more accessible, efficient, and engaging for students and educators.
1. Jasper
Known as a top-tier AI content generator, Jasper excels in creating unique, less plagiarized content. It’s versatile for various content types, offering ready-made templates for quick, efficient writing. Ideal for educational, commercial, and media content.
2. CopyAI
A competent AI writer, similar to Jasper but without a chatbot feature. It offers a wide range of content creation templates, including various writing aids and idea generators.
3. WriteSonic
Offers a ChatGPT-like chatbot and over 100 AI templates, supporting 25 languages. Features include an AI article writer, Sonic Editor, paraphrasing tool, text expander, and Article Summarizer.
4. ChatGPT
Known for its conversational AI capabilities, it’s useful for generating outlines, brainstorming, and tutorial assistance. Requires fact-checking due to potential issues with factual accuracy and plagiarism.
5. Frase
Tailored for bloggers and SEO professionals, Frase offers content creation tools including sentence autocompletion, templates for blog intros and content briefs, and features for improving writing quality.
6. Rytr
An AI assistant that generates content quickly, offering a variety of templates, over 20 tones of voice, integrated plagiarism checker, and tools for rewording or enriching text.
AI Story Generators
In the realm of creative writing, AI story generators have emerged as revolutionary tools, offering both students and educators an innovative approach to storytelling. These AI-driven platforms, such as Sudowrite, NovelAI, Picsart AI Story Generator, Simplified, Plot Factory, and Shortly AI, provide a plethora of features that can enhance the writing process.
They assist in generating ideas, structuring narratives, and offering stylistic suggestions, thereby aiding students in overcoming writer’s block, refining their writing skills, and expanding their creative horizons. By integrating these tools into the classroom, educators can provide a unique, engaging, and supportive environment that fosters creativity and improves writing competencies in students of all levels.
1. Sudowrite
A comprehensive tool for novelists, Sudowrite guides users from idea inception to chapter development. Key features include enhanced autocomplete for narrative continuity, scene expansion, rewriting assistance, critical feedback, plot and character idea generation, and visualization tools for artistic storytelling.
related: 5 Best AI Voice Changers
2. Novel AI
Tailored for AI-assisted authorship, NovelAI offers a high degree of storytelling freedom. Its AI, trained on real literature, adapts to user styles. Unique AI Modules allow thematic direction, style replication, and personal data training, offering a diverse and immersive storytelling experience.
A versatile tool suitable for both professional and personal storytelling. It allows customization in tone, length, and creativity level, making it adept at creating stories across various genres, from thrillers to romances.
4. Simplified
This tool suits both experienced and novice writers. Features include Long Form Writer and Short Form Assistant’s templates for crafting story elements like plot twists, character descriptions, and emotional depth. It also supports collaborative writing and social media sharing.
5. Plot Factory
Plot Factory An online writing tool that excels in story planning and execution. Notable features include a text-to-speech option, collaborative writing similar to Google Docs, character development sheets, and export options for both ePub and docx files, catering to self-publishing and querying needs.
6. Shortly AI
A dynamic writing partner offering features to continue writing in your style, brainstorm ideas, and develop narratives. Its user-friendly interface and /commands for instant rewriting or sentence expansion make it ideal for writers seeking creativity and focus in their writing process.
Digital Storytelling Websites
The advent of digital storytelling websites has opened up new avenues for enhancing writing and narrative skills in educational settings. Platforms like Adobe Express, Storybird, Book Creator, and Animoto offer unique opportunities for students to engage with storytelling in a modern, digital format.
These tools empower students to combine text, images, audio, and video, thereby enriching their narratives and making the storytelling process more interactive and multidimensional. For students, this means not only honing their writing skills but also learning to communicate effectively in a digital world.
These websites are particularly effective in fostering creativity, digital literacy, and critical thinking, as students learn to construct and convey their stories through various media forms. By integrating digital storytelling into the curriculum, educators can provide a more engaging and relevant learning experience, encouraging students to express themselves in innovative ways while developing essential 21st-century skills.
This is a versatile tool that allows for the creation of videos, web pages, and graphics. It’s user-friendly and offers a variety of templates and design options, making it great for creating compelling digital stories.
2. Storybird
Specializing in art-inspired storytelling, Storybird lets users create visual stories with access to a library of artwork. It’s particularly good for younger students or for projects that emphasize visual storytelling.
3. Book Creator
This tool is fantastic for creating interactive and multimedia books. It’s very intuitive and allows students and educators to incorporate text, images, audio, and video into their digital books.
4. Animoto
A video-making tool that’s great for creating quick, professional-looking videos. Animoto is perfect for digital storytelling projects that require a blend of images, text, and music.
5. VoiceThread
This is a unique tool where users can add narration to slideshows. It’s excellent for projects where voice-over explanations or narratives are essential.
6. Canva
Known for its graphic design capabilities, Canva also offers features for creating presentations and infographics, which can be used for storytelling purposes.
7. Pixton
This is an online comic-making tool, ideal for creating storyboards or comic strips. It’s particularly engaging for students who enjoy visual and creative storytelling.
8. WeVideo
A cloud-based video editing platform that’s great for creating and editing videos online. It offers a range of editing tools, making it suitable for more advanced storytelling projects.
9. Scratch
Developed by MIT, Scratch allows students to create their own interactive stories, games, and animations. It’s especially good for integrating coding and storytelling.
Comic Strip Tools
The integration of comic strip tools into the educational toolkit offers a unique and engaging approach to storytelling and writing. Tools like Storyboard That, Witty Comics, Make Beliefs Comix, Pixton, and Canva Comics provide students with a creative platform to express their ideas visually.
These tools are particularly effective in enhancing narrative skills, as they require students to think critically about story progression, character development, and visual storytelling. By crafting comic strips, students not only improve their writing and storytelling abilities but also develop a deeper understanding of visual literacy and sequential art.
This method of storytelling can be especially appealing to reluctant writers or visual learners, as it combines artistic expression with narrative construction. Incorporating comic strip creation into educational activities encourages students to engage with content in a fun and imaginative way, fostering creativity and a love for storytelling.
1- Storyboard That
Create and narrate your stories using beautiful visuals and storyboards. It’s a fantastic tool for mapping out narratives in a visual and structured way.
2-Witty Comics
Provides you with a set of pre-designed characters, scenes, and dialogue boxes to write your story. A user-friendly tool, but remember, you need to log in to save your work.
3- Make Beliefs Comix
Create amazing comics using a wide variety of materials including characters, speech bubbles, props, backgrounds, objects, and many more. It’s great for younger students or those new to comic creation.
4- Pixton
This tool allows you to create stunning comics using a drag-and-drop editor. With fully posable characters, dynamic panels, props, and speech bubbles, every aspect of a comic can be controlled in an intuitive click-n-drag motion.
5. Canva Comics
Canva offers a range of comic strip templates that you can customize to your storytelling needs. It’s an easy-to-use tool for creating visually appealing comic strips, combining the simplicity of Canva’s interface with the creative flexibility of comic design.
Mind Mappings Tools
Mind mapping tools represent a pivotal shift in how we approach writing and brainstorming in the educational arena. These tools, which also include platforms like MindMeister, XMind, and Coggle, offer students a visually engaging and efficient way to organize their thoughts and ideas.
By visually structuring information, mind mapping assists students in conceptualizing complex topics, enhancing their ability to plan essays, structure research papers, and develop creative stories.
These tools are particularly beneficial for visual learners, as they turn abstract ideas into tangible diagrams, facilitating a deeper understanding and retention of information. The interactive nature of mind mapping also encourages collaborative learning, allowing students to work together on projects and share ideas in a more dynamic and interconnected way.
Integrating these tools into the writing process not only aids in the organization of thoughts but also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a more profound engagement with the writing process.
1- Bubbl.us
A good tool for creating visually attractive concept maps. No software download required and maps you create can be saved as an image. It also supports different sharing and collaborative features.
2- Popplet
It offers various features including: recording notes in different formats with text, images and drawings; link notes to each other; export your final work as PDF or JPEG; supports several languages and many more.
3- MindMup
Lets you ‘create unlimited mind maps for free, and store them in the cloud. Your mind maps are available everywhere, instantly, from any device.’
4- Lucidchart
You can use Lucidchart to design concept maps, flowcharts and different types of diagrams. It also support collaborative features and works across several devices.
Story Starters
In the world of creative writing, initiating a compelling narrative can often be the most challenging part. This is where story starter tools come into play, offering an invaluable resource for students and educators. Tools like ChatGPT, Scholastic Story Starters, The Story Starter, StoryToolz Half Title Generator, and others, provide a diverse array of prompts and ideas to ignite the creative process.
These tools are particularly beneficial in helping students overcome writer’s block, sparking their imagination, and guiding them in developing coherent and engaging stories. By offering a starting point, they encourage students to explore different narrative paths and styles, enhancing their storytelling skills and boosting their confidence as writers.
Incorporating these story starters into classroom activities or writing assignments can lead to a more dynamic and interactive learning experience, fostering creativity and expression in student writing.
ChatGPT can generate creative story prompts, continue a story based on an initial idea, or even help overcome writer’s block by providing suggestions. Its AI-driven approach offers a unique and modern way to engage with storytelling.
This tool provides a fun, interactive way for young students to generate story ideas. The student spins a wheel to get a prompt that includes a character, setting, and format.
This website offers over one billion randomly generated story starters for all ages. It’s a simple yet effective way to kickstart the writing process.
4. StoryToolz Half Title Generator
Aimed at more advanced writers, this tool generates intriguing half-titles to inspire stories. It’s perfect for those looking to challenge their creativity.
5. Writing Prompts by Writing.com
This app provides a variety of prompts, including scenes, words, sketches, texts, and more. It’s versatile and suitable for diverse writing levels and styles.
This tool offers a range of options including genre-specific story prompts, character generators, and even entire plot outlines. It’s great for more in-depth story planning.
This is a physical tool but also available as an app. It provides images on dice that students can roll to generate visual prompts for story creation.
8. Storybird
While primarily a tool for creating digital books, Storybird also offers prompts and challenges to inspire writers and help them get started with their stories.
Writing Mechanics (Grammar and Style)
In the journey of developing proficient writing skills, tools that focus on writing mechanics play a crucial role. Resources like Grammarly, Hemingway, Quill, OWL, and others on the list provide invaluable assistance in refining the technical aspects of writing. These tools are designed to help students with grammar, punctuation, style, and overall clarity, ensuring their writing is not only correct but also compelling and readable.
They act as virtual tutors, guiding students through the nuances of the English language and helping them avoid common pitfalls. For educators, these tools are instrumental in teaching the intricacies of writing mechanics in an interactive and accessible manner.
By incorporating these resources into their writing process, students can significantly improve their writing proficiency, gain confidence in their abilities, and develop a stronger command of language. This is particularly important in an academic setting, where clear and precise communication is essential for success.
1- Grammarly
A comprehensive tool that enhances your writing by checking and correcting spelling and grammatical errors. It’s an essential assistant for ensuring accuracy and clarity in your text.
2- Hemingway
This application sharpens your writing style, streamlining your language structure and enriching your vocabulary. It’s designed to make your writing bold and clear, mirroring the style of Ernest Hemingway.
3- Quill
Quill provides a suite of tools specifically designed to bolster students’ writing skills. This includes Quill Grammar for grammar improvement and Quill Proofreader for refining their written work, making it a versatile resource in the classroom.
4- Pudue OWL (Online Writing Lab)
A comprehensive resource from Purdue University, the OWL offers an extensive library with materials on various writing aspects. This includes guidance on grammar, professional writing, research, APA and MLA formatting, resume crafting, and specialized writing topics, making it an invaluable resource for students and educators alike.
This tool offers in-depth writing analysis, helping users improve their style, tone, grammar, and punctuation. It’s great for older students or educators looking to refine their writing at a more advanced level.
6. QuillBot
QuillBot is an AI-powered writing and research tool that enhances writing efficiency and quality. It features a sophisticated paraphrasing engine, helping users to rephrase and refine their sentences while maintaining the original meaning. Ideal for academic writing, content creation, and general editing, QuillBot also includes a grammar checker and a summarizer, making it a versatile tool for improving overall writing clarity and effectiveness.
Also check Best Online Grammar and Spell Checkers
Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers are a cornerstone tool in the educational toolkit, offering a structured visual approach to writing and idea development. Tools such as Venn Diagrams, Story Maps, KWL Charts, and others in the list serve as effective aids in organizing thoughts, structuring arguments, and planning narratives.
These visual aids help students break down complex ideas into manageable parts, fostering a clearer understanding and more coherent writing. Especially beneficial for visual learners, graphic organizers make abstract concepts tangible and facilitate critical thinking. They encourage students to see the relationships between ideas, leading to more logical and well-structured writing.
For educators, graphic organizers are versatile instruments that can be adapted for various educational objectives, from brainstorming and planning to analyzing texts and synthesizing information. Incorporating these tools into the writing process not only aids in organization and planning but also enhances creativity, making the act of writing more accessible and engaging for students of all skill levels.
1- Plot Diagram
The Plot Diagram is a visual tool shaped like a pyramid or triangle, designed to help map and visualize the events in a story. By structuring the story’s progression, it enables both readers and writers to understand and analyze the key components and structure of narratives.
2- Essay Map
This interactive tool assists students in structuring essays, guiding them to create a coherent outline. It helps in organizing an introductory statement, main ideas, supporting details, and a conclusion, ensuring a well-structured and thoughtful essay.
3- Compare and Contrast Map
An interactive organizer, this tool aids in structuring comparison essays. Whether for a whole-to-whole, similarities-to-differences, or point-to-point comparison essay, it helps students outline their ideas methodically and clearly.
4- Venn Diagram
This tool enables students to create two or three overlapping circles to visually organize and compare concepts. It’s ideal for identifying and recording relationships and differences between ideas, promoting logical and analytical thinking.
5- Persuasion Map
An interactive organizer designed for planning persuasive essays or debates. Students map out their thesis and then structure supporting arguments with evidence. It’s an excellent tool for developing critical thinking and argumentative skills.
Websites to Publish Students Writing
The availability of websites where students can publish their writing marks a significant advancement in nurturing young writers and broadening their audience. Platforms like Book Creator, Google Sites, Google Docs, Edublogs, and others in the list offer students the unique opportunity to share their work with a wider community.
This act of publishing not only provides a sense of accomplishment but also exposes students to feedback and engagement from diverse audiences. Such exposure is invaluable in developing writing skills, as it encourages students to consider their readership, refine their voice, and communicate their ideas more effectively.
For educators, these platforms serve as powerful tools to motivate students, showing them the real-world impact of their writing. Additionally, publishing their work helps students develop digital literacy skills and understand the nuances of online communication. By leveraging these websites, students can transition from writing as a purely academic exercise to seeing it as a form of meaningful expression and connection with a broader community.
1- Book creator
This dynamic platform enables students to craft and publish their own books, combining text, images, and audio. It’s an engaging way for students to share their writing creations with a wider audience.
2- Google Sites
A user-friendly tool that allows students to create their own websites. Here, they can publish and share their writing projects in a web format, offering a real-world experience in digital publishing.
3- Google Docs
Versatile and accessible, Google Docs allows students to publish their writings in various formats, including shareable web links. It’s an excellent option for collaborative writing and easy online sharing.
4- Edublogs
Specifically designed for educational purposes, Edublogs lets students share their writing in blog format. It’s a great platform for ongoing writing projects and class blogs.
5. StoryJumper
An excellent platform for younger students, StoryJumper allows them to create and publish online books. It’s particularly good for creative story writing.
6. Medium
For students looking to reach a broader audience with their essays, opinions, and stories, Medium is a great platform. It’s more suited to high school students due to its public nature.
Bottom line
From the visually structured world of graphic organizers to the innovative realms of AI story generators and digital storytelling platforms, each writing tool we’ve explored offers unique benefits to support and inspire young writers.
The beauty of these tools lies in their ability to adapt to different learning styles, making writing more accessible and engaging for every student. Whether it’s organizing thoughts for a clearer narrative, refining grammar for more polished prose, or publishing work to share with the world, these tools provide the support and encouragement students need to express themselves confidently and creatively.
