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Scrivener is one of the most popular software for writing novels, but it can have a steep learning curve even before you try to figure out how to export your project without pulling out all your hair. With so many writing apps in the world, are there any good Scrivener alternatives?
In this post, we’re going to talk about Deckle, which is my new go-to outlining and writing app. Let’s see what makes it so good, but first you should know, that you can get 10% off the price with my code PROTAGONISTCRAFTS.
Related content: My Deckle review on YouTube – How to plot a novel
Why do you need an alternative to Scrivener?
Scrivener is popular for a reason, but personally I have no time or patience for anything that I don’t know how to use before watching a long tutorial on YouTube. I’ve got a 45-minute Scrivener tutorial saved somewhere in my bookmarks that apparently is “the best”, but unless they add a 25th hour to the day, I probably won’t get around to it.
So instead, I’ve been using yWriter, which is a free and much simpler software for writing fiction, though before that I always outline my story by hand and then compile a scene list in Notion. If I’ve ever needed to export anything into an EPUB or PDF file that looks professional, I’ve copied my writing to Reedsy Editor and used that to format it. That has, this far, been enough for me.
While I’ve been doing that, I’ve witnessed so many of my indie author friends having a complete meltdown when trying to use Scrivener’s compile feature and export their projects, and I’ve wondered why does it have to be so complicated?
Fortunately for us, Deckle solves all of these problems. Yay! No need to parse together five different methods and apps when you could just use one software. And if you’ve been using Scrivener this far, you can easily import your project with all the chapters and other important bits straight to Deckle.
What is Deckle?
Deckle is a novel writing software that does everything you want in the same place. You won’t need to pay for separate software for first writing your novel and then for formatting it – you can do it all in the same place with one payment.
Inside Deckle, you can outline your story, refer to your research materials, write and edit your story and make it look exactly how you want it to. Don’t know anything about graphic design? That’s perfectly fine, you can just choose from the dozens of pre-made styles, but you can also tweak them and even add your own fonts.
There’s also no need for guesswork with your formatting because you can preview what your writing will look like on different devices, and then exporting your manuscript is just a matter of a few clicks. You can also easily add front and back matter for that professional look if you’re going to self-publish your novel. (Feel free to mention me in the acknowledgements, but I won’t be upset if you won’t. Maybe.)
What I like about Deckle
As anyone who’s been reading this blog for any amount of time will know, I’m big on plotting stories. It’s my thing. That’s why I’m really happy with how much care Deckle has put into making the plotting process flexible.
Not only can you see your outline and your manuscript in different ways, but re-organising is a total piece of cake. You do not need to copy and paste anything like you’d have to in Word, and unlike in my old friend yWriter, you can easily see your entire plot. That really helps with filling in any gaps you might have and with making sure the pacing is what you want it to.
Deckle also has a codex feature that lets you plan your settings and characters, and there will be more options for worldbuilding in the future. And in the research tab, you can upload documents and images and then see them while you write with the split view.
All of that lives in one place. No need to jump between different apps and get distracted by notifications and ads.
Oh, and did I mention? There are no AI features that nobody asked for and your manuscript never leaves your computer.
What do you need in a software for writing books?
If you already have a writing set-up that works for you, that isn’t missing anything and that doesn’t cause you any headaches, you’re probably all set and don’t need anything more. Pretty sweet. But if you have writing meets that aren’t being met by your current software, you should know there are always options.
Try software that are actually made for writing novels
When I made a video about Deckle, there were a few comments about how they want linking capabilities and that they’d rather use AI to keep their story organised, but from my point of view, are these things that actual novel authors need? If you’re writing a novel that’s beyond your own cognitive capabilities, perhaps start from something smaller, and if you’re writing something else besides a novel, there are apps for that too.
On the other end of the spectrum, a lot of people start writing their stories on traditional word processors like Word or Google Docs, but they have their limitations too as they aren’t made for writing novels. If you use headings, you can navigate your document more easily, but trying to re-organise anything is a real pain.
So when you’re looking for a place to write a novel in, you might want to look into apps that are actually made for novel writers. Perhaps even something like Deckle!
What are your goals?
Personally I have this pet project that I imagine writing and self-publishing under a pseudonym one day, but since the number of hours in a day still sits at only 24, that won’t be happening any time soon. That’s why the only thing that matters to me in terms of formatting is being able to change the font size and line height to whatever the agent or publisher I’m querying wants me to use.
If, on the other hand, you are someone who’s planning to self-publish, then being able to format and export a polished manuscript is paramount, and that’s exactly what you get in Deckle. And even if I’m not planning to use those features right now, doesn’t mean I’m not happy to have them – who knows what I’ll be up to in the future.
How do you like to plan your story?
Deckle gives you a few options for planning and outlining your story, and you can pick the method that works for your brain.
I’ve used yWriter for ages, but I don’t like how you need to first have chapters before you can have scenes, and you can’t see your full scene list. In Deckle, you can choose how you use and organise scenes and chapters, and you can also view them in different ways. There’s the deck view that’s much like Scrivener’s corkboard, but you can also choose a list view if that works better for you.
Get 10% off Deckle, the best Scrivener alternative
If you’re now convinced that Deckle is the best thing that has happened to your writing process, here’s where you can find it, and your 10% discount code will be automatically applied.
If you realise you don’t like it or it doesn’t work as you expected on your computer, they have a 30-day money-back guarantee. (I 100% know it’s for real because I’ve once received an email that one of my affiliate sales has been cancelled 😹)
Now get your copy of Deckle and go write something, you superstar.
Protagonist Crafts is a blog about writing fiction, written by a published author and creative writing teacher. You can find more writing tips and inspiration in the blog and you can get the best author tools at Writer Lifestyle on Etsy.
