Pillarbox is a free to use tool that comes as a browser extension for Google Chrome. The extension provides you with a distraction-free writing interface by setting the browser to full screen. This helps you focus on your writing. Although the app runs from within Chrome, it is completely independent of the Internet. All things work offline and your work is saved locally, not on an online server.

Auto-saving and manual saving are both supported by the application. The app’s helpful tools for writers include a timer, support for all installed fonts, optional spell checks, optional typewriter scrolling, and a live word count. People familiar with CSS can modify the app’s interface to suit their own preferences.

Features:

• A user-friendly browser extension.
• Compatible with Google Chrome.
• Provides you with a distraction-free writing interface.
• Saves data locally.
• Offers live word count, writing timer, and numerous other helpful writing tools.

Check out Pillarbox @ https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lfpkiimneajkmcikgpihhiekhmeemacn (By Umar from AllThatIsApple)

HackerFactor Gender Guesser is a free to use web service that determines the gender of the author of a piece of text. All the site wants from you is a piece of text more than 300 words long. The site then runs the text through its algorithm based on a scientific research regarding how men and women write differently. The text is analyzed for formal as well as informal situations and the analysis estimates whether the author is male or female.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service.
• Lets you determine whether author of text is male or female.
• Analyzes text based on scientific research.
• Separately considers cases of formal and informal writing.

Check out Gender Guesser @ http://www.hackerfactor.com/GenderGuesser.php (By Umar from AllThatIsApple)

The tool is just for fun and works better if the webpage has a lot of text since it gives the tool a lot of choices to pick from. If you don’t like what the tool generated, click on “get a new poem” to refresh the poem. You can also select some pre-defined URLs to see samples of what the tool can do, and share the poems it generates via Twitter.

Features:

• Create a poemize version of any webpage.
• Choose from 3 different rhyming styles.
• Refresh to create a new poem for the same webpage.
• No registration required.

Visit Random Poem Generator @ http://webermartin.net/poem.php

PenZen is a free to use web service that lets you type in a distraction-free environment. The site provides you with a plain white canvas that you can type on. You can set the browser to full screen to spread the canvas over the entire screen. When you are done typing you can choose to download the text as a PDF file or save it as a note on PenZen. You are given the viewing link and editing link of your note.

By visiting the editing link and entering the password provided to you, you can modify your writing piece.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service.
• Lets you write in a distraction-free environment.
• Lets you download your writing as a PDF file.
• Lets you save your writing as online notes.
• Provides viewing and editing URLs for your notes.
• Similar tools: Koi-Writer and Write Space.
• Also read related articles:
  Reduce Distractions and Achieve Writing Goals with FocusWriter
  FocusWriter – Minimalist, Distraction-Free & Beautiful Text Editor
  Eliminate Writing Distractions with JDarkRoom

Check out PenZen @ pen.io/zen (by MOin from ThumbPress)

Citebite is very easy to use. Just copy and paste the text that you want to quote or source into the text box, and then also copy and paste the source URL. Once done, click “Make Citebite” which will get you a unique link leading to the source URL with your quoted text highlighted in the content. This makes it easier for readers to look up the quoted text and view your article in context.

The tool is so easy to use that it might become a reasonable requirement when citing sources online. The app also makes great readability practice for engaged audiences who insist on reading through the sources.

Features:

• Free; no registration needed.
• Link directly to quotes in Web pages.
• Highlights the quoted selection and shows source URL.
• Similar tools: EasyBib, BibMe and Ottobib.

Check out Citebite @ www.citebite.com

Write.li also gives you a space to add and manage research links so you can refer to them as frequently as you want. A dashboard view lets you track your progress for each book and the ability to assign tags lets you link different parts of the book together. You can always search using tags or text inside your book. A left sidebar titled “writing table” gives you quick access to different areas and the ability to do a quick search.

Write.li is in an invitation-only beta phase but 20 of our readers can use the invite code MakeUseOf to sign up right now.

Features:

• Web tool for writing a book online.
• Add notes, characters and research links for your book.
• Add tags to make content easily searchable.
• Add authors and assign tasks to them.
• Also read:
  5 Online Resources For The Aspiring Scriptwriter
  7 Apps That Will Help You Use Your iPad For Writing Projects
  How To Inspire Yourself To Write At Least 750 Words Per Day
  4 Great & Inspiring Sites For Creative Writers To Visit

Visit Write.li @ www.write.li

Obviously, the 140 character limit will compel you to be precise and write only the most important event of the day. When you look back, this diary will probably be the easiest to go through and reflect on the past.

Features

• Create a daily minimalist journal using 140 characters.
• Private diary, needs registration.
• Simple and minimalistic interface.
• Similar tools: 280Daily, MotoDiary, OhLife, Daileez, Memiary, Penzu and Diary.

Check out Current.im@ www.current.im (By Abhijeet from GT Mobiles)

Rawscripts does not store your account information, but instead uses Google and Yahoo integration to let users log in and save their work. You can make a new note and create new scenes which will then allow you to shift through scenes as you work on them. You can check your complete history, view the drafts that you have e-mailed to your cast and crew, and compare scripts. You can also share your script with your friends where they can leave notes and talk about it.

RawScripts is a nice online lightweight tool that is also simple enough for anyone who needs to collaborate on scripts.

Features:

• Write a movie or play script online.
• Collaborate with other script writers.
• Google and Yahoo! login integration.
• No need to download as files sync in the cloud.
• Includes chapter and scene cuts.
• Import/export to other desktop screenwriting software.

Check out RawScripts @ www.rawscripts.com

You can access 280Daily from the web or your smart phone, see a quick stats of how many entries you have with how many characters, print all your entries or even export them to a PDF. You ca sort entries by date they were created, date they were edited or simply their length. Receive email reminders everyday or every week about writing up your 280Daily entry.

Features:

• Free micro journal online.
• Write daily diary in 280 character entries.
• Sort, print, edit, search and export your entries.
• Get email reminders.
• Access from your smart phone.
• Similar tool: MotoDiary, OhLife, Daileez, Memiary, Penzu and Diary.

Visit 280Daily @ www.280Daily.com

Koi Writer Text Editor is a free to use text editing web application that has a lot to offer. Along with an appealing typing interface it offers font formatting; this helps set different headings in your text. You can choose different indentations to assist you in organizing your text. The background texture can be selected from the available templates to suit your mood.

Setting your browser to full screen mode will greatly help you type your work peacefully and free from distractions. When you are done you can click on the Save button. When you revisit the app, your different saved drafts will show up at the bottom where you can open them and re-edit them.

Features:

• Distraction free text processor online.
• Lets you edit text online.
• Saves different drafts of your text online.
• Offers different background textures to suit your mood.
• Supports text formatting and text indentations.
• Similar tools: QuietWrite, Write Space, MyTextFile, Justpaste.it, Writer, FocusWriter and DarkCopy.

Check out Koi Writer Text Editor @ www.koi-writer.com (By Umar from TechCityInc)