✨ Open Source • Free Forever

Write Your
Masterpiece

A professional desktop application for novel writers with AI-powered writing assistance, world-building tools, and everything you need to bring your story to life.

📥 Download for Windows ⭐ Star on GitHub
22+
AI Writing Modes
8
Genre Templates
6
Export Formats
4
AI Providers
100%
Free Forever

Everything You Need to Write

Powerful tools designed specifically for novel writers

🤖

AI Writing Assistant

22+ AI modes to help with every aspect of your story. Continue writing, expand scenes, rewrite for impact, improve dialogue, add description, create action sequences, deepen emotions, analyze your writing, brainstorm ideas, create outlines, and build your world. Works with OpenAI (GPT-4), Anthropic (Claude), Ollama, and LM Studio. Use cloud APIs for advanced features or local models for complete privacy.

📋

Genre Templates

8 proven story structures to jump-start your novel. Fantasy Hero's Journey, Romance Beats, Thriller Structure, Sci-Fi Three Act, Mystery Whipplet, Horror Structure, Literary Fiction, and more. Each template includes detailed story beats with writing prompts to guide you through every chapter.

✏️

Rich Text Editor

Professional writing environment with TipTap editor. Full formatting support including bold, italic, headers, lists, and more. Features include Split View for writing and referencing simultaneously, Focus Mode for distraction-free writing, and Typewriter Mode that keeps your cursor centered while you write.

📤

Export Options

6 export formats for any need: PDF (print-ready A4 documents), DOCX (Microsoft Word), EPUB (eBook for e-readers), TXT (plain text), JSON (full backup), and HTML (web document). Professional formatting with proper chapter breaks and scene separators.

🏁

NaNoWriMo Mode

Built-in writing goal tracker designed for NaNoWriMo and daily writing habits. Set your daily word goal and session goal. Track progress with visual progress bars, see words-per-day needed to reach your target, and maintain writing streaks. Stay motivated throughout your novel project.

💾

Backup & Restore

Never lose your work. Export your entire workspace to a JSON file for safekeeping. Import backups to restore all projects, characters, locations, notes, and settings. Perfect for moving between computers or as a disaster recovery solution.

📊

Story Planning Matrix

Visual chapter and scene organization with drag-and-drop. Track Scene Goals (what the scene should achieve), Conflict (the tension driving the scene), and Outcome (how it resolves). See your entire story structure at a glance and easily reorder scenes.

📖

World Codex

Build your entire fictional world in one place. Create detailed profiles for Characters (appearance, backstory, motivation, arc), Locations (climate, culture, history, population), Items (origin, powers, history), Lore (world-building rules and history), and Events (timeline of story events).

🔗

Character Relationships

Visual relationship map with draggable character nodes. Define relationship types (family, friend, enemy, romantic, mentor) and strength (strong, weak, complicated). See how all your characters connect at a glance. Color-coded connections make complex character webs easy to understand.

📅

Visual Timeline

Chronological story events with year-grouped visual timeline. Add events with dates and descriptions. Click-to-edit for quick updates. Filter by character or location. Perfect for tracking complex plots across multiple timelines or building history for your world.

🏷️

Tag Management

Organize with custom colored tags. Create tags for any category: POV character, setting, plot thread, status, or custom categories. Apply multiple tags to scenes, characters, and notes. Quick filtering lets you find related content instantly.

📚

Research Notes

Keep all your research in one organized place. Categorize by topic with unlimited categories. Search and filter to find what you need quickly. Link notes to characters, locations, or scenes. Perfect for historical research, world-building details, or plot inspiration.

📈

Writing Analysis (Local)

Advanced text analysis that works completely offline - no API needed. Get detailed statistics including word count, sentence complexity, readability scores (Flesch-Kincaid), dialogue-to-description ratio, passive voice detection, and sentiment analysis. Includes story structure detection (Three-Act, Hero's Journey).

📜

Revision History

Automatic version tracking for every scene. Browse past versions with timestamps, see what changed, and restore any previous version with one click. Never worry about accidentally deleting content or making changes you regret.

💬

AI Chat

Have a conversation with AI about your story. Ask questions about plot holes, character motivations, or world-building. Get writing advice, brainstorm new directions, or get feedback on scenes. Context-aware responses that understand your story.

🎯

Writing Sprints

Timed writing sessions to boost productivity. Set a word count goal and time limit. The sprint tracks your progress in real-time. Great for beating writer's block or just focusing on getting words down.

🎨

Themes

Three beautiful themes to suit your writing environment: Dark Mode (default, easy on the eyes), Light Mode (bright and clear), and Sepia Mode (warm, reduces eye strain for long sessions). Customizable font size and family.

🔒

Local-First Privacy

All data stored locally on your computer. No cloud storage, no subscription, no tracking. Your novel, characters, and notes stay private on your machine. You're in complete control of your data.

📋

Genre Templates

Jump-start your story with 8 pre-built templates: Fantasy Hero's Journey, Romance, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Horror, Literary Fiction. Each template includes detailed story beats.

✏️

Rich Text Editor

Full formatting with TipTap editor. Split view, Focus Mode, Typewriter Mode for distraction-free writing.

📤

Export Options

Export to PDF, DOCX, EPUB, TXT, JSON, and HTML. Professional document export for manuscripts and eBooks.

🏁

NaNoWriMo Mode

Built-in writing goal tracker with 50K target. Daily progress tracking, words-per-day calculator, and session goals.

💾

Backup & Restore

Export and import your entire workspace. Full project backup to JSON for safekeeping.

📊

Story Planning

Visual matrix view with drag-and-drop. Track Goals, Conflict, and Outcome for each scene.

📖

World Codex

Characters with deep profiles, Locations, Items, Lore, and Events. Build your entire universe.

🔗

Character Relationships

Visual relationship map showing connections between characters with types and strength.

📅

Timeline

Chronological story events with visual timeline. Year-grouped view with click-to-edit.

🏷️

Tag Management

Custom colored tags to organize scenes, characters, and notes. Quick filtering.

📚

Research Notes

Keep all your research in one place. Categorize by topic, search and filter easily.

📈

Writing Analysis

Local text analysis - no API needed! Word stats, readability, dialogue ratio, sentiment, story structure.

📜

Revision History

Automatic version tracking. Browse past versions and restore any previous version.

💬

AI Chat

Ask questions about your story, characters, or plot. Get writing advice and brainstorming help.

🎯

Writing Sprints

Timed writing sessions with word count goals. Stay focused and track your progress.

🎨

Themes

Dark, Light, and Sepia modes. Easy on the eyes for long writing sessions.

💾

Auto-Save

Your work is automatically saved. Never lose a word with local storage.

🔒

Your Data Stays Yours

All data stored locally on your computer. No cloud, no subscription, no tracking.

How It Works

Get started in minutes - from download to first chapter

1

Download & Install

Download the .exe file from GitHub Releases. Double-click to install - no admin required, no complicated setup. The app is ready to use in seconds.

2

Create Your Project

Click "New Project" and give your novel a name. Set your target word count (50,000 for a novel, more for epic). Optionally choose a genre template to get started with proven story beats.

3

Build Your World

Add characters with detailed profiles, create locations with history and culture, and build your lore. The Codex keeps all your world-building in one organized place.

4

Plan Your Story

Use the Matrix view to organize chapters and scenes. Track goals, conflicts, and outcomes for each scene. Drag and drop to reorder as your story evolves.

5

Start Writing

Begin writing in the Write view. Use the AI assistant to help with any part of your story - continue writing, improve dialogue, expand descriptions, or brainstorm. Enable Focus Mode for distraction-free writing.

6

Export & Share

When your novel is ready, export in your preferred format. PDF for printing, DOCX for editing, EPUB for e-readers, or JSON for backup. Share your finished work with the world!

Why Novel Studio?

See how we compare to other writing tools

Feature Novel Studio NovelCrafter Scrivener
Price Free $15/month $49 one-time
AI Writing Modes ✓ 22+
Genre Templates ✓ 8
Export Formats ✓ 6
Local AI (Offline) ✓ Free
Character Relationships
Timeline View
Revision History
Writing Sprints
Themes ✓ 3
Data Storage Local Only Cloud Local
No Subscription

Join Our Community

Help make Novel Studio even better

Contribute & Collaborate

Novel Studio is open source! Whether you're a developer, writer, or just want to help, there are many ways to contribute.

💻

Code

Fix bugs, add features

🎨

Design

UI/UX improvements

📝

Documentation

Improve guides & README

🐛

Report Bugs

Help us find issues

Star

Show your support

🌟 Star on GitHub 🐛 Report an Issue

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Novel Studio

Is Novel Studio really free? What about hidden costs?
Yes! Novel Studio is 100% free and open source. No hidden fees, no subscription, no premium version, no paid features. You can download, use, and modify it however you want. Ever. Forever. No catch.
Do I need an API key for AI features?
It depends on which AI features you want to use: Cloud AI (GPT-4, Claude) requires an API key from OpenAI or Anthropic. Local AI (Ollama, LM Studio) works without any API key - just install the software. Our Writing Analysis feature works completely offline - no API needed!
What platforms does Novel Studio support?
Currently Novel Studio supports Windows (x64). The app is built with Tauri, so Mac and Linux versions are technically possible and planned for future releases. The core functionality remains the same across all platforms.
Where is my data stored? Is it safe?
All your data is stored locally on your computer. Nothing is sent to the cloud. Your novel, characters, locations, notes, and settings stay private on your machine. We don't collect any telemetry or tracking data.
Can I use Novel Studio for commercial projects?
Yes! Novel Studio is licensed under MIT License. You can use it for personal or commercial projects without any restrictions. The content you create is 100% yours.
How do I get started with Novel Studio?
Simple: 1) Download the .exe from GitHub Releases, 2) Double-click to install, 3) Create your first project, 4) Start writing! The app includes tooltips and the built-in templates guide you through the writing process.
Can I collaborate with others on a project?
Currently Novel Studio is designed for single-user local editing. You can export your project as JSON and share it with collaborators who can then import it into their own copy. Real-time collaboration is on our future roadmap.
What's the difference between Novel Studio and other writing apps?
Novel Studio combines AI assistance, world-building tools, writing analysis, and project management in one package - all for free. Unlike subscription-based services, you own your data forever. Unlike basic editors, it has professional-grade features for novel writers specifically.
How do I report bugs or request features?
Head to our GitHub Issues page to report bugs or suggest new features. We welcome contributions from the community! Whether you're a developer, designer, or writer, there are ways to help improve Novel Studio.
What export formats can I use?
Novel Studio supports 6 export formats: PDF (print-ready), DOCX (Microsoft Word), EPUB (eBook), TXT (plain text), JSON (full backup), and HTML (web document). All exports include proper chapter breaks and formatting.

Start Writing Today

Download Novel Studio and start writing your masterpiece. It's free, forever!

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💻 Windows 📦 Open Source 🆓 Free Forever 🔒 Local Storage