Unlocking Your Story: The Best Plotline Alternatives for Writers
Plotline is a fantastic desktop application designed to help writers create and organize characters, plotlines, scenes, and chapters, all within a distraction-free environment. It's a powerful tool for crafting your novel in peace. However, for various reasons—be it platform compatibility, specific features, or pricing—many writers find themselves exploring other options. This guide will delve into the best Plotline alternatives available today, offering you a diverse range of software to suit your unique writing process.
Top Plotline Alternatives
Whether you're a seasoned novelist or just starting your writing journey, finding the right software to manage your narrative is crucial. Here are some of the most highly-rated Plotline alternatives that can help you streamline your creative process, keep your plot organized, and achieve your writing goals.
Scrivener
Scrivener is a highly-regarded Plotline alternative tailored for long writing projects, allowing you to compose text in any order and in sections of any size. Available on Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, and even through PlayOnLinux/PlayOnMac, it offers a flexible, freemium model. Its extensive features include a corkboard, character database, integrated search, scene management, distraction-free writing, a document compiler, and export options to Word, ePub, and PDF. It also supports LaTeX and offers outline mode and visual organization, making it a comprehensive writing tool.
Manuskript
Manuskript is an excellent free and open-source Plotline alternative, perfect for writers seeking a robust tool without the cost. Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux, it provides an outliner for hierarchical organization of thoughts and snippets, character management, plot development, and a distraction-free editor. Key features include tracking characters, locations, and plots, a visual timeline, Markdown support, revision history, and export capabilities to ePub and PDF, making it a versatile writing companion.
Twine
Twine is a free and open-source Plotline alternative that excels in interactive, nonlinear storytelling. Available on Mac, Windows, and Linux, it allows users to create complex narratives without needing to write any code, though it supports extending stories with variables, conditional logic, images, CSS, and JavaScript. Twine publishes directly to HTML, making it easy to share your work anywhere. While not a traditional novel writing tool like Plotline, its focus on narrative structure and an IDE make it a unique alternative for certain projects.
Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor is a commercial Plotline alternative focused on improving writing clarity and conciseness. Available on Mac, Windows, and Web, it highlights common errors like wordy sentences, adverbs, passive voice, and complicated words. While it doesn't offer plot or character management, its strength lies in automated proofreading, grammar checks, and writing assistance within a distraction-free UI. It also works offline and provides readability integration, making it an excellent tool for polishing your prose.
bibisco
bibisco is a freemium and open-source Plotline alternative designed specifically for novel writing. Available as a desktop application for Linux, macOS, and Windows, it simplifies organizing chapters and scenes, managing revisions, and exporting novels in PDF, DOCX, TXT, and EPUB formats. Features include character development, novel planning, a timeline, distraction-free writing, and integrated search. It's portable, requires no installation, and offers visual organization, making it a comprehensive tool for authors.
oStorybook
oStorybook is a free, open-source Plotline alternative for creative writers, novelists, and authors, available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. It helps you keep an overview of multiple plot-lines while writing your texts. Key features include a character database and detailed text editing capabilities, providing a straightforward approach to organizing your narrative elements and maintaining clarity throughout your writing process.
yWriter
yWriter is a freemium word processor and a notable Plotline alternative that breaks your novel into chapters and scenes, helping you track your work. Available on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iPhone, it is designed by an author to free your mind for creativity. Its features include a lightweight design, outline mode, portability, and excellent project organization, making it a practical and efficient tool for managing your novel writing process.
Typely
Typely is a free web-based Plotline alternative focused on precise automated proofreading and writing assistance. While it doesn't offer plot or character management, its strength lies in providing authoritative recommendations to improve prose, aiming for a higher degree of accuracy than other tools. It's an excellent choice for writers who want to ensure their final text is strong and clear, complementing other writing tools by focusing solely on text refinement.
Plume Creator
Plume Creator is a free and open-source Plotline alternative that helps you organize your writing projects, including scenes, notes, and characters. Available on Windows and Linux, it offers rich text editing, full-screen editing, and support for multiple projects. Its features include an outliner, distraction-free mode, a note manager, and the ability to split files into sections and write in separate documents, making it a flexible writing tool for managing your creative works.
True Novelist
True Novelist is a free web-based Plotline alternative designed to simplify the novel writing process. It offers auto-saving, customization options, the ability to divide content into infinite sub-divisions, a night mode/dark theme, and an outliner. While it doesn't offer desktop application features, its focus on streamlined organization and user-friendly interface makes it an appealing choice for authors working primarily online.
Ultimately, the best Plotline alternative for you will depend on your specific needs, preferred operating system, and budget. Each of these tools offers unique strengths, from comprehensive project management to focused text editing. Explore their features and find the perfect fit to bring your story to life.