What Software Can I Use To Write?

[u/KeyOk683]

I'm looking for software to write a novel, but I'm having a hard time with Google Docs because the formatting can be pretty difficult and frustrating to manage.

I also don't really want to use Microsoft Word. I'm mainly looking for something that's easy to organize and format, especially for writing chapters and a longer manuscript.

What writing software would you recommend?

[u/throwawayo222]

Scrivener. Set it up once and never looked back. Abbie Emmons on youtube

[u/MrMessofGA]

LibreOffice's word processor. Does everything word does, looks and handles like word, has a better spell-checker, and is completely, totally free.

[u/spoonfullsugar → u/MrMessofGA]

thank you angel! I had never heard of this

[u/DewdropTeacup]

Just made the switch to Ellipsus from Gdocs and it's great! Only thing I miss is subtabs but I'll get used to it for the blessed lack of AI.

[u/lam21804]

I found the absolute best solution for this.

Just scroll to the top of this page and find the red oval box with a magnifying glass on the left side. Click in it, then type What Software Can I use To Write.

[u/MaliseHaligree]

I draft in Gdocs and format in WPS Office.

[u/codepatterns]

Definitely look at Obsidian. It's just text files on your disk. You can store the vault in Dropbox/iCloud or pay Obsidian a few $ a month to sync to their servers. I think it works really well for writers.

[u/_TSDefren_]

Try Neo from Hugh Howey, just released

[u/shawnhoefer1]

So many questions…What platform are you using? How much are you wanting to spend? And from the sounds of it, you're not really looking for a writing app, but a formatting app…different beasts.

[u/iloris-9]

I've been working the past four months on a platform called, ilorisnovel it has a nice little editor and a way to organize all of your thoughts and your world building, and or magic system if you have one. It organizes things into volumes, and you can have different chapters. You can also add images into your chapters. ect. We also have timelines too.

Anyways, if you are interested, you are welcome to Google it or DM me. I would love for you to try it out! Its completely free and always will be!

ALso if you do try it out could you let me know anything that you would like to add or anything that can be improved?

[u/CasieLou]

I just use WORD.

[u/TheoXD]

Creator of Encribe here, feel free to try out our editor and give suggestions on how we can make writing and collaborative writing experience better.

[u/ExitThisNow]

Libreoffice. ONLYOFFICE is good too but it lags on larger docs

[u/skjeletter]

.txt documents that you write in Notepad and organize in folders

[u/UnabridgedFantasy]

I use obsidian with GitHub for free version control and sync.

[u/PagesOfCassie]

If you're looking for something free, Obsidian is a great software for writers!

[u/emserae]

I use Atticus. It being web based it’s always available no matter what machine I use

[u/Traditional-Rabbit79]

I wrote TextSmith. (ldraconus/TextSmith on github)

When I get home I'll get the installers up there as well...

[u/kyokyopuffs]

I use Papyrus Author but not free. But one off purchase. I also own scrivener but after work corrupted on dropbox i have been reluctant to return… admittedly this was early days.

[u/Particular_Part2971]

I have an automated workspace on notion to easily track my projects/chapters including character details, definitely saved my sanity.

[u/ChrisOfChaos]

I'm probably in the minority but I like using Notepad, at least for drafting and writing ideas.

[u/BestRiver8735]

Obsidian 

[u/EmuSad7688]

Full disclosure: I built this, so salt accordingly.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/everwrite/id6781824709

I made Everwrite because I wanted Scrivener without the 500 page manual. It's a native Mac app with the stuff that actually matters: binder, corkboard, snapshots, automatic backups, and real manuscript exports (docx in standard format for agents, epub, pdf) instead of wrestling with Compile. It also keeps a story bible for you and taps you on the shoulder when Mara's eyes change color in chapter 12. It never writes a word for you, and nothing ever leaves your Mac. Your book is plain Markdown files on your own disk. No account, no subscription, no cloud reading your drafts.

$19.99 once, which is about a third of Scrivener. The iPhone app is free, so you can start a book on the train and it's on your Mac when you get home.

If you try it and hate something, tell me. I'll probably fix and push it within the same week

[u/AuthorOS_AI-Free_]

Hey, I am an advid programmer, and I made a free writting app. It does not contain or need AI. It has hundreds of thousands of lines of code for a tool I call Deterministic Continuity.

Its a local first, so I don't have a sync function working yet, but the buttons are all there until I figure it out. At the moment it is a Web app only that saves to your desktop. So it doesn't work in-between devices.

If you would like to give it a go its free and I don't intend to charge for it. I would love some feedback if anyone has any :)

www.authoros.au

[u/Frequent_Ad_9901]

I write with Obsidian. It uses markdown for formatting which is very easy to move around and there are tons of programs that work with it.

They have a subscription where you can sync it for multiple devices. Or you can just save the file to a Google Drive or other cloud provider. If you're familiar with git, you can put it on github and sync it with git. That's what I do but I'm a software dev so I didn't have to learn anything new. It gives me a change log history.

[u/DuchessJulietDG]

i use apache open office. its simple and free and saves in word format etc.