Under the Hood

novelWriter is built with platform independent tools. It is coded in Python 3 on the Qt 5 GUI framework, connecting the two with PyQt5.

novelWriter is tested regularly on Debian, Ubuntu, Windows and macOS. It may also run on other platform where the Qt library and Python is available.

Releases of novelWriter

The latest stable release of novelWriter can be installed from pypi.org with:

pip install novelWriter

Alternatively, you can clone the repository on GitHub, or download the code as a tar.gz or zip file. You can run the application from the command line as a Python application, or use the setup script to add launcher icons for Linux. Further instructions are available on the repository page and in the documentation. Install packages will be provided at a later time.

Latest Release Notes

  • Release 1.0
    Based on my own testing and usage, and no serious bugs discovered in quite some time (aside from a few corner case issues), it appears that novelWriter is stable enough for a 1.0 release. Thanks to all the new users who keep providing feedback on bugs, cosmetic issues, or suggesting improvements and new features. I’m … Continue reading Release 1.0

Windows Installer

The Inno Setup logo

An installer has been created with Inno Setup, available on the releases page on GitHub. You can download the latest version here: novelWriter 1.0.2.

Key Features

A screenshot of the main window of novelWriter. On the left we're seeing a tree view of folders and document files with the structure of the novel. On the right side of the window is the main document editor. For a full description of novelWriter's functionality, see the documentation.

Easy Project Overview

novelWriter allows you to break down your novel in whatever way you need, and your documents can be dragged and dropped, and organised into folders.

Cross-references to your project notes are defined by convenient meta keyword/value tags. You can even insert comments.

A screenshot of the main window's outline tab. On the left we're seeing a tree view of folders and document files with the structure of the novel. On the right side of the window is the main outline view, which is another tree, but now showing the headings (chapters and scenes) of the novel itself. For a full description of novelWriter's functionality, see the documentation.

Project Outline

The Outline tab gives you a quick overview of the structure of your novel in terms of your chapters and scenes.

It also shows you all the associated meta data and cross-references in user defined columns.

A screenshot of the export tool where all the novel files can be assembled into a single document. On the left is a list of switches and options, and on the right is a preview of the assembled document. For a full description of novelWriter's functionality, see the documentation.

Build & Export

The Build Novel Project tool lets you assemble all your files into a single document. You can filter what to include and make a draft of your novel, or an outline showing all your notes.

The result can be printed or saved to HTML, Open Document, Markdown, Plain Text, or PDF.

A screenshot of the main window of novelWriter, but with dark colours.

Dark Theme and Syntax

novelWriter defaults to your system’s colour theme, but also comes with an optional dark theme.

You can also choose from a number of light and dark syntax highlighting themes, and between four Typicons icon sets for dark and light backgrounds.

Other Features

Document Viewer
Any document, including the document you’re currently editing, can be viewed in parallel in a separate view panel.

Follow Links and References
All tags and references are clickable so you can quickly navigate between your notes when writing. Documents open in the view panel will also have a list of all other documents pointing back to it.

Distraction Free Mode
In Distraction Free Mode, the editor covers the full window, hiding away the project tree and the view panel so you can focus on the text.

Documentation

If you’re curious about all the other little details and features, check out novelWriter’s full documentation on novelwriter.readthedocs.io.

If you have the Qt Assistant installed, you can also read the documentation locally on your computer.