Grammarly for Writers: Improve Clarity, Style, and Tone

Tools I Use for Writers

Grammarly for Writers

A practical guide to Grammarly settings and workflow that keeps your voice intact while catching errors fast.

Get Grammarly Jump to setup

Disclosure below. No extra cost to you.

At a glance

What it is

A writing assistant that flags grammar, spelling, clarity, and tone in real time.

Best for

Authors working in Word or Google Docs who want quick quality checks before editing and formatting.

Platforms

Browser extension, desktop app, Word add-in, and Google Docs integration.

Learning curve

Low. Set goals once and review suggestions chapter by chapter.

Affiliate

Some links are affiliate links at no extra cost to you. I only share tools I use or recommend to new authors.

Fast setup for book work

Install Grammarly

Add the Word add-in or Google Docs integration. Install the browser extension for web forms and email.

Set writing goals

Audience General. Domain Creative for fiction, General or Technical for nonfiction. Adjust formality to match your book.

Build your dictionary

Add names, places, and invented terms. This cuts false flags and speeds review.

Tune suggestions

Enable Conciseness and Clarity. Keep Tone on. Disable checks that clash with your style, like split infinitives.

Review by chapter

Run a pass after each chapter. Accept clear fixes. Leave voice choices for line edits.

Strengths

• Fast error detection in Word and Google Docs
• Helpful concision and clarity nudges
• Tone guidance for consistent narration
• Personal dictionary for names and series terms

Limitations

• Can flatten fiction voice if you accept everything
• False positives in dialogue, poetry, or dialect
• Live checks can lag on very large docs

Author workflows that work

Draft → Grammarly pass → Editor

1. Draft chapters in Word or Google Docs.
2. Run Grammarly and accept clear fixes.
3. Send the clean file to your editor for Track Changes.

Scrivener → DOCX → Grammarly

1. Compile from Scrivener to DOCX.
2. Review with Grammarly in Word or Docs.
3. Send the polished DOCX to formatting.

How Grammarly compares

Feature	Grammarly	Word Editor	ProWritingAid	Hemingway
Real-time grammar and spelling	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Tone and clarity guidance	Yes	Basic	Yes	No
Deep style reports	Light	Light	Yes	No
Fiction-friendly defaults	Needs tuning	Needs tuning	Better presets	No

Use Grammarly for quick quality passes. Keep Word’s Track Changes for editor reviews. Consider ProWritingAid for deep style reports.

Checklist before formatting

• Goals set for your genre
• Names and series terms added to dictionary
• Conciseness and Clarity enabled
• Voice-breaking suggestions ignored
• Final Grammarly pass on the proof PDF

Next step after cleanup

I format print and ebook interiors for KDP and IngramSpark.

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FAQs

Is Grammarly good for fiction?

Yes, if you review suggestions. Keep dialogue and voice-driven lines intact.

Is the free plan enough?

Free handles grammar and spelling. Premium adds clarity rewrites, tone suggestions, and a plagiarism checker.

Will it change my style?

Only if you accept everything. Use it as a smart proofreader. You make the final call.