Collaborative novel writing tools

For authors who struggle to concentrate on their work more than anything else, FocusWriter is a dream come true. You might also consider combining it with app-blocking software, like the next entry on this list, to achieve maximum productivity.

And that rounds off our section on free writing software! Now let's get into your options for paid programs. Writers who procrastinate uncontrollably, get ready for a game-changer: Freedom. This is by far our favorite time management software due to the crisp user interface, the thoughtfully designed features, and the crucial fact that it works — unlike that fickle mistress, human willpower.

Freedom allows you to block specific apps, sites, or the entire Web for any amount of time. You can schedule your blocks in advance and sync across all your devices, so you can't have a last-minute, Netflix-based change of heart. And if you're prone to mid-work moments of weakness, simply put Freedom in Locked Mode! This completely prevents you from disabling it until that time is up.

Yes, Freedom might be a difficult adjustment for someone unaccustomed to any kind of discipline, self-imposed or otherwise — but hey, we're writers. We all need a little tough love sometimes to get us going. In that sense, there's no novel writing software more effective than Freedom. Scrivener is one of the most storied no pun intended programs in use today.

You can shuffle your notes, outlines, and even chapters around wherever you need. When you do decide to pull the trigger, make sure to apply a discount! The only potential catch with Scrivener is that some authors might find it a little too liberating. Whether or not you choose Scrivener just depends on how much guidance you feel you need. As all authors know, writing isn't always linear, because thinking itself isn't linear. Too often, straight-laced writing apps can't match up to the messy, chaotic, and wonderful way in which writers brainstorm and develop their stories — especially when they're just starting to take shape.

That's where this software comes in! Milanote is a super-versatile app that allows you to organize your research, ideas, characters and outline in one single place. Its visual workspace lets you clearly connect your thoughts, create mind maps, and develop moodboards. And for those who really struggle to get started, Milanote's amazingly detailed templates see above could be just what you need to hit the ground running.

In other words, Milanote is ideal for the initial planning stages of your novel. Not to mention it's incredibly easy-to-use, so authors can concentrate on the important stuff — their writing — rather than trying to figure out all the complexities of the app. When it comes to writing apps that really push you to improve, Novlr is pretty darn effective. A relative newcomer to the novel writing software scene, Novlr has been climbing the ranks since , with constant improvements being made based on user feedback.

In terms of actual writing, Novlr features a clean word processor which users can customize as they please. Making even the smallest formatting change, such as font size, will automatically update the entire text — convenient for writers who like to keep their aesthetics fresh.

Then when it's time to edit, the Proof Reader function at the bottom of the screen offers suggestions re: punctuation, adverb use, passive voice, and more. And for authors hoping to boost their productivity as well as their prose, a quick trip to the Dashboard reveals tons of useful features: a place to set your writing goals, an analytics tab for progress, and so on. The one thing Novlr noticeably lacks is templates for story elements like plot, characters, etc.

This may be a dealbreaker for writers who require or simply prefer that kind of structural guidance. But for seasoned writers looking for a sophisticated, web-based writing tool — and who don't mind paying for access to it — Novlr could be just the program for you. Its interface is pretty basic, with a planning toolbar and a sidebar to keep track of the actual writing.

You can select a character and type of idea — in a maneuver reminiscent of choosing personality traits on The Sims — and the program will spit out creative prompts for you to integrate! This program may seem a bit on the pricey side, but the license fee does cover both Mac and PC. In any case, WriteItNow absolutely lives up to its name in terms of helping writers get their work done. For book formatting software, check out this post on Vellum.

In some cases, such as submitting an academic paper or screenplay, the wrong format will instantly disqualify your work no matter how good the writing is. Scrivener gives you many options for templates. There are many customizable components in Scrivener. Among the most important are editor settings. You can also set up Full-Screen mode, which makes your document the whole screen and blocks out the rest of your desktop.

Folders in Scrivener perform a similar function to folders in other software programs. You use them to store important information such as a list of your characters, topics for your book, or anything that you need. All of these folders for any project combine to form a binder.

Just like a traditional binder, the Binder in Scrivener stores all the folders you create for any project. Depending on the nature of your document, a binder might consist of book chapters, movie scenes, or topics for a report. Research plays a big role in challenging writing projects such as novels, nonfiction books, academic works, and technical articles.

When you use a traditional tool such as Word for writing, you usually have to keep the research separate from the main document. Your research will be included in a binder, making it easy to access.

The Corkboard view is especially useful for research. You can use this index card format to show you any type of material, from scientific formulae to the names of characters in your novel. Another useful research tool is the Split Screen view. One way to use this is to have your document on one side of the screen and your research on the other. Once again, you can display the two screens either horizontally or vertically.

Thus, while working on your manuscript you can bring up a relevant website or file on your computer that has the information you need. The Compiler lets you combine parts of your manuscript that may be formatted differently such as the title page, preface, table of contents, and chapters of a book. One of the most efficient compiling tools is Collections. You create Collections using any criteria you want. This allows you to reorder material in your manuscript by dropping and dragging folders into a new Collection.

You create a Collection out of this material and compile it the way you want. The Corkboard is an outlining tool that performs a similar function as a standard cork or bulletin board. Corkboard view lets you see all of your documents as note or index cards. This is a powerful visual tool that gives you a broad perspective on your document and may suggest changes you want to make such as adding, deleting, or rearranging sections.

For example, you may have two notecards, each representing a chapter in your book. You may decide that you need another chapter in between to clarify the story. You can then add another notecard to your Corkboard. This feature is also good for helping you decide where to put different sections or chapters.

Looking at notecards, you might decide to reverse the order of two sections for clarity. The Corkboard is a visual tool, so it helps that you can customize it. You can adjust the size and appearance of notecards to your preference. As valuable as Scrivener is, every software has its drawbacks. Draft makes it easy to import and add images to your documents, and it offers a number of export options beyond the standard text and HTML formats.

You can download your document as a Microsoft Word file, you can save it as a Google Doc, or you can even download it in Markdown format for easy styling. This open-source tool allows writers and editors to collaborate in real time.

Each person working on a document is assigned a specific color, and their changes are highlighted in that color. The tool offers some innovative features not found in traditional writing apps. This stream makes it easy to stay on top of recent changes and know who made those changes. These features add a bit of fun to the collaboration process and encourage communication. In addition to in-document comments, Quip offers chat-room functionality, so team members can discuss their work within the platform instead of switching to Slack or another messaging tool.

Dropbox has long been a terrific platform for sharing documents; now, the cloud-based Dropbox Paper adds new capabilities to simplify collaborative content writing. Dropbox Paper also offers Markdown support, and it renders your Markdown code on the spot so you can instantly see what your formatted document will look like.

The difference is that Penflip is designed for the creation of prose instead of code. Like DropBox Paper, the minimalist look and feel of Penflip makes it easy to concentrate on writing. Markdown formatting is available in the Penflip editor, but you can also use the text editor of your choice and then push your work to your Penflip repository.