kindling is a free, open-source desktop writing app for fiction writers who outline. Each scene opens with its beats as prompts, with your characters, locations and notes close at hand, so you draft from the plan instead of a blank page. Rolling Outline lets each scene stay Fixed, Flexible or Undefined. Novels and screenplays.

Import from Scrivener 3, Plottr, yWriter, Obsidian Longform, novelWriter or Markdown. Export to DOCX (Standard Manuscript Format), EPUB, HTML, plain text or Markdown, or back to Scrivener, Longform and novelWriter.

New in 1.3: editorial review, an export workspace with saved profiles, writing goals and statistics, and custom shortcuts.

No AI, no subscription, no account. Projects are local SQLite files and the app has no analytics or telemetry; it goes online only for updates and optional feedback. MIT licensed, for macOS, Windows and Linux.

Features

  • Draft each scene from its beats, with characters and notes beside you
  • Import Scrivener, Plottr, yWriter, Obsidian Longform, novelWriter, Markdown
  • Editorial review: work through an editor's comments and suggestions
  • Story templates: Save the Cat, Hero's Journey, Three-Act, Snowflake and more
  • No AI, no subscription, no account; local files, no telemetry

Project Samples

Project Activity

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Categories

Word Processors

License

MIT License

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kindling Web Site

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Additional Project Details

Operating Systems

Linux, Mac, Windows

Languages

English

Intended Audience

End Users/Desktop

User Interface

Svelte

Programming Language

JavaScript, Rust, TypeScript

Database Environment

SQLite

Related Categories

JavaScript Word Processors, Rust Word Processors, TypeScript Word Processors

Registered

2026-02-27