Top ten novel writing software

It automates the process. It makes your life easier. It gives you time to focus on more strategic aspects of your creative writing that deserve your time.

If you are not sure on where to begin, this article is for you. It covers 10 leading novel writing software in detail with their features, pros, cons, pricing details, and more. By the time you finish reading this article, you will know what software you need and why. Trust me on this one. A simple yet effective book software will help you get used to using software for writing. Speed will make you write fast without losing focus. Squibler is the best novel software that is simple and speedy at the same time that helps you complete your novel fast.

It works for non-fiction books, too. Notes can be anything from random brainstorming to character sketches. Whatever it is you want to have around, it will be organized for you within your Squibler project. You can add tags to your notes for better organization and management. Learning how to outline a novel with Squibler is easy. Whether you like to keep things minimal or go full detail, you can do it with Squibler. Organizing files in your project is fairly simple.

They will be kept out of the way but will be easily accessible when needed. This is where Squibler really shines. It allows you to divide your chapters into different documents while keeping them together in your project. This allows you to move around and make changes as per need without ruining the sequence. There is no pressure to keep things in chronological order because you can just drag and drop to rearrange later. No scrolling, copying, or pasting is ever needed.

You can also create separate documents for scenes. Scenes can be moved between chapters or they can be written but kept out of place for a while until you decide a suitable place for them. The goal is to help you write faster. I am sure you know how hard it is to write your first draft as a writer.

It can sometimes take months or even years to get through it. Squibler eliminates this challenge by making everything easier for you. With an efficient and user-friendly design, you can spend all your time on writing without worrying about the organization, management, editing, ordering, outlining, and research. Squibler handles everything for you. There is writing software for almost everything from the broadest of categories to the most specific tasks. If you are looking for a versatile and not a specific writing software like Squibler, Scrivener is your best bet.

Scrivener can do a lot of things and it has a special set of advantages for writers of long-form fiction. Scrivener is a master at keeping you organized. Each project will involve outlines, research, notes, brainstorming, etc. Scrivener keeps all files and documents associated with a project in the same folder. One place for everything. The level of research may vary, but you will definitely need to do research for your novel.

Readers will relate better to your story when things are logical and believable. You need your readers to trust you if you want them to enjoy your novels. Scrivener gives you a space within your project for all your research, then let's your organize it with cards. It is kept out of the way but still accessible. You can create multiple documents for different areas of research. Scrivener also allows you to import existing files for research and reference purposes.

You can also keep track of links, images, and notes. Once you know how to write a novel , the next thing that you should know is how to outline a novel.

Everyone has a different outlining style so it can be hard to pinpoint a process that will work. Regardless of how you end up doing your outline though, Scrivener is there to help. If you like seeing things in list form, this will work best for you.

It is also helpful if you like to keep everything in one central place. You can create a new document for each chapter outline, or each character, whatever works for you. It is a digital cork board that functions and appears much like a real cork board.

You can pin virtual note cards to a screen that looks like a cork board. Each note card is a small rectangle that has a scroll feature.

This means you can include as much information as you want on one card while keeping it small and compact. The cork board is great for those who are more visual. You can lay out your entire novel right in front of you with the cork board. A popular way to do this is to create a note card for each chapter and set them in proper order. They can be rearranged easily by dragging and dropping. You can create note cards for characters, scenes, settings — anything really.

The cork board is extremely versatile and will suit the needs of almost everyone in one way or another. Scrivener allows you to set goals and targets for writing your novel. There are two types of goals you can create with Scrivener:.

This is a word count goal for your entire project. It is hard to know exactly how long a novel will turn out to be. But you can predict a general ballpark and set the goal. For instance, 80, words is a common novel length.

You can make a more educated guess if you already have a detailed outline created. This is a small goal that you can set each time you sit down to write. Maybe you have a couple of hours and you want to bang out words. It includes features such as timelines and writing goals as well as the ability to export your novel to epub. So what are some reasons to consider using Bibisco, as well as some signs that it might not be the right choice for your needs?

On the plus side, Bibisco has an intuitive and easy to understand design. In terms of its drawbacks, some users of Bibisco have reported that they find writing scene by scene to be a little frustrating , at least at first. Bibisco is worth a look if you want an intuitive novel writing assistant, made by an author with the author community in mind.

Of all the apps on this list claiming to help you write a better novel, Dramatica is arguably the one with the loftiest aims. Rather than presenting itself as a software product, Dramatica claims to have a unique philosophy on the concept of story itself.

Dramatica is a tool providing an in-depth look at story structure and character motivation. To get a feel for the lens through which Dramatica sees stories, check out how it breaks down the indie film classic Donnie Darko.

If you want to try out Dramatica, you have both free and paid options. There are also different editions for Windows and Mac, as follows:.

Dramatica is available for Mac and Windows , but each platform has a different version. Dramatica Story Expert is the version for Mac, offering a greater level of functionality than the Windows version. Dramatica Pro is available for Windows and is similar to the Mac version but a little less powerful.

While a lot of apps in this guide offer similar levels of functionality, Dramatica brings something different to the table. The way it analyzes story and character is truly unique and like nothing else out there. A lot of major writers from the worlds of fiction and screenplay have thrown their support and praise behind Dramatica.

Not everyone will agree with or want to learn the theory and philosophy underpinning Dramatica. Those who do will find there is a learning curve involved in understanding its take on story.

Dramatica is one of the most interesting and unique products in this guide. For years, FastPencil was a standalone writing and collaboration platform available in the cloud. The novel writing app is still known as FastPencil, so we will refer to it by that name for the rest of the review. FastPencil is no longer available as a standalone product. If you want to use FastPencil, you simply need any computer capable of logging into the cloud environment in which it operates.

So what are some advantages and disadvantages of opting for FastPencil as your choice of novel software? Unlike some of the other writing apps out there, FastPencil has been going a long time. There are two decades of experience behind the product. You can get a lot of the same functionality elsewhere at a lower price point. By all means, see if you like the way that FastPencil helps you craft a novel, but we feel the majority of authors are better off looking elsewhere.

FocusWriter is very much an example of the latter. Instead, FocusWriter aims to solve a common pain point for novelists — the ability to drill down into your work, get into a creative flow state, and make progress on your word count target. FocusWriter does this by offering a very minimalist writing environment, with some degree of customization. You can set timers and goals to help you write.

You can create a minimalist, distraction-free environment that is customized to your needs. Milanote is a tool that allows you to gather together ideas and inspiration and store them in mood boards and mindmaps. One specific application of Milanote featured on its website is its use as a novel planning tool. You can create story outlines , make character information cards, and more. But how much will it set you back, and is it right for your next book?

You can try out Milanote for free, but the paid option has a lot more functionality, as the following price points indicate:.

Milanote is very stylish and easy to use. Perhaps the major drawback to Milanote is its cost. You need to be comfortable with paying for a research and planning tool, albeit a really good one. If you are comfortable using a separate tool for research and planning, consider checking out Milanote. Novellus is an affordable solution for novelists that offers some advantages over a standard Word Processor app.

Unlike a standard word processor document that quickly becomes cluttered and unwieldy, Novellus allows you to better organize a lengthy project such as a novel into different scenes and sections. Snowflake Pro — The Snowflake method has ten steps that include a high-concept story idea, a Three-Act Structure, a detailed character analysis, a synopsis, a scene list, and more.

Logline : The cornerstone of a great writing project. Description : Asengana - Set the foundation for your writing success with the most powerful writing and project management software for authors.

Learn more. Logline : Everything you need to tell stories. Description : Design your story from initial concept to final draft in one cohesive space.

From character creation to worldbuilding to plotting, Campfire Blaze has the tools to help. Logline : For writing. And writing. Description : Scrivener is the go-to app for writers of all kinds, used every day by best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. Description : yWriter is a word processor which breaks your novel into chapters and scenes, helping you keep track of your work while leaving your mind free to create.

Description : The Novel Factory helps guide new writers through the novel writing process - while completing your first manuscript. Squibler makes the writing process easy.

Say goodbye to your old word processor. Logline : Whatever your story write it with Novlr. Description : A beautiful writing interface, perfect for focusing the mind. Description : A pleasant, focused writing experience combined with effective document management, fast syncing and flexible export options make Ulysses the first choice for writers of all kinds.

Logline : The perfect toolset for an author.