Kindling
Free, open-source writing software that bridges the gap between outlining and drafting. Import your existing outline from Plottr, yWriter, or Obsidian and draft with your scene beats, character notes, and story structure visible alongside your prose.
Features
Properties
- Lightweight
- Distraction-free
- Privacy focused
Features
- No registration required
- No Tracking
- Ad-free
- Dark Mode
- Support for MarkDown
- Works Offline
- File Versioning
- Hierarchical Structure
- Distraction-free Writing
- Desktop Application
- Offline
Kindling News & Activities
Recent activities
Kindling information
Developed by
Kindling Licensing
Open Source (MIT) and Free product.Written in
Alternatives
35 alternatives listedSupported Languages
- English
AlternativeTo Categories
News & Books, Office & ProductivityGitHub repository
- 4 Stars
- 1 Forks
- 37 Open Issues
- Updated
What is Kindling?
Kindling is a desktop writing application built for plotters and outliners — writers who build a detailed outline before they start drafting. Most writing software gives you a blank page when it's time to write. Kindling gives you a scaffolded writing space where your scene beats are expandable prompts, your character and location details surface automatically, and your story structure stays visible while you write.
Import your existing outline from Plottr, yWriter, or Obsidian Longform — no need to rebuild your work. When your draft is ready, export to DOCX or Markdown and move it into Scrivener, Google Docs, or wherever you revise.
Kindling is free, open source (MIT license), and local-first. Your files are saved on your machine in open formats. No account required, no cloud dependency, no subscription.
Available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.