If you're a plotter—someone who outlines, structures, and plans before writing—you've probably felt the frustration of switching between tools. Your outline lives in one app, your character notes in another, and when it's finally time to write? You're copying and pasting, losing context, and fighting your software instead of focusing on your story.
Today, we're launching the open beta of Kindling, a free and open-source writing application built specifically for plotters and outliners.
What Makes Kindling Different
Kindling isn't trying to be another general-purpose writing app. Instead, it's designed around one core idea: your outline and your prose should live together, informing each other as you write.
With Kindling, you can:
- Import your existing outlines from tools like Plottr, yWriter, and Obsidian Longform—no need to start from scratch
- Write with your structure visible, so you always know where you are in your story
- Track scenes, chapters, and plot threads in a unified interface
- Export to DOCX or Markdown when you're ready to share or edit elsewhere
Free and Open Source Forever
We believe writing tools should be accessible to everyone. Kindling is completely free, with no premium tiers, no subscriptions, and no feature gates. The source code is available on GitHub, and we welcome contributions from the community.
This also means your work is truly yours. Kindling saves files locally—no cloud lock-in, no account required, no risk of a company shutting down and taking your manuscript with it.
What's in the Beta
The v1.0.0-beta release includes:
- Full import support for Plottr, yWriter, and Obsidian Longform projects
- A distraction-free writing editor with your outline always accessible
- Scene and chapter management with drag-and-drop reordering
- Word count tracking and session goals
- Export to DOCX and Markdown formats
- Native apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux
What's Next
This is just the beginning. Based on community feedback, we're planning to add character and location databases, timeline visualization, revision tracking, and more. We're building Kindling in the open, and your input will directly shape the roadmap.
Join our Discord community to share feedback, report bugs, and connect with other writers. Or dive into the GitHub repository if you'd like to contribute.
We can't wait to see what you create.