A while ago I decided I wanted to seriously start writing a book.
I had the idea, the characters, the motivation - everything. What I didn’t have was a tool that actually made the process feel good.
I started with Google Docs like a lot of people do. It worked for a while until the project grew. Then everything became so messy.
I needed to write a scene from chapter 10 while checking a character detail from chapter 1 while making sure the timeline still made sense while keeping world-building notes nearby. Very quickly writing turned into tab switching context switching and losing focus.
So I looked for dedicated writing software.
Some of it felt outdated. Some of it looked powerful but had poor UX. Some of it locked basic features behind expensive subscriptions. I wanted something modern, fast, focused, and pleasant to use but still powerful enough for larger fiction projects.
I couldn’t find the tool I wanted so I built it.
That project became Storyteller.
What is Storyteller?
Storyteller is an open-source desktop writing studio for authors.
It’s built for people who want more than a blank document, but less friction than traditional writing software usually creates.
The goal was simple: make writing software that feels modern, stays out of the way, and still gives authors the structure they need for real long-form projects.
What it currently does
Right now Storyteller includes things like:
- Book and series management
- A distraction-free writing workspace
- Multi-tab editing so you can keep chapters, characters, and notes open side by side
- World-building tools for characters, locations, and items
- A timeline system for tracking story chronology
- Scene metadata and progress tracking
- Export to PDF, EPUB, DOCX, Markdown, and TXT
- Multi-language support, including RTL support
One of the biggest things I cared about was workflow.
I didn’t want a tool where your manuscript lives in one place, your characters somewhere else, and your planning in another disconnected screen. I wanted everything to feel like part of the same creative space.
Why I made it open source
I use Storyteller myself regularly and I’ve already put a huge amount of time into it.
But I also didn’t want this to become another closed creative tool that people depend on without really owning. Writing is deeply personal work. The tools around it should feel accessible, flexible, and community-friendly too.
That’s a big reason why Storyteller is open source.
I want people to be able to try it, inspect it, suggest ideas, report pain points, and hopefully help shape where it goes next.
Built with the modern web stack
Storyteller is built as a desktop app with technologies I genuinely enjoy working with.
That includes Electron, React, Tailwind, TipTap, SQLite, and a UI approach that focuses heavily on speed, clarity, and usability.
A lot of writing software still feels stuck in another era. I wanted to see what a writing tool could feel like if it was designed more like a modern product instead of a legacy utility.
What I’m looking for
I’m still early in this journey and I’d love feedback from both developers and writers.
If you’re a developer I’d love your thoughts on the architecture, UX, feature direction, or the project itself.
If you’re a writer I’d love to know something even more important:
What do you wish writing software did better?
That question is really the heart of this whole project.
If you want to check it out
And if you’ve built tools for writers, care about creative workflows, or just like open-source products made from real personal frustration, I’d genuinely love to hear what you think.
Top comments (1)
writing tools are such a personal thing — the big apps always feel like they're trying to do way too much. building your own is usually the only way to escape that friction and actually get the work done. i've been going down similar rabbit holes lately because off-the-shelf software never quite hits the vibe i'm after. austin taught me: just start the thing.