Storyist: A Comprehensive Creative Writing Application
Storyist is a powerful and feature-rich creative writing application designed specifically for novelists and screenwriters. It is compatible with macOS 10.14 Mojave or later, and also available for iOS devices, making it a versatile tool for writers across various platforms.
Key Features
Word Processing and Formatting
Storyist includes a robust word processor with a page layout view, supporting headers, footers, and style sheets. It comes with project templates that adhere to industry-standard formatting for manuscripts and screenplays, ensuring that your work is submission-ready without the need for additional formatting adjustments.
Storyboarding and Index Cards
The application allows you to sketch out your story using virtual index cards and photos. You can view, edit, and arrange scenes and plot points on a corkboard, and Storyist automatically transfers this information to customizable story sheets for further development.
Outlining
Storyist features a flexible outlining tool that lets you display and edit section or scene summaries, as well as plot, character, and setting notes. This tool helps you maintain a high-level view of your story and keep all elements organized.
Customizable Story Sheets
Story sheets are editable forms tailored for novel writing and screenwriting. These sheets help you record detailed information about characters, settings, plots, and scenes. They are customizable, allowing you to capture the specific details relevant to your project.
Project Management
The Project view in Storyist keeps all your project files organized and accessible. It includes a search field that enables quick project-wide searches, helping you find information swiftly and return to your writing without interruptions.
Full-Screen Editing
For a distraction-free writing environment, Storyist offers full-screen editing mode. This feature turns your entire screen into a dedicated writing space, helping you focus on your work.
Wiki Linking and Smart Text
Storyist uses a simple Wiki syntax to create links between different elements of your project. This feature maintains links automatically, even when you change titles or move plot points. In screenplay mode, Storyist’s smart text feature auto-completes scene introductions, locations, times, character names, and transitions as you type.
Quick Styles and Shortcuts
The application provides tab and Return key shortcuts to easily switch between novel or screenplay elements, such as Action, Dialog, Transition, and Scene Heading. This streamlines the formatting process, allowing you to focus more on writing.
Additional Functionality
- Cloud Storage: Storyist allows you to store your projects in the cloud, making them accessible from anywhere, whether you are using your Mac or iOS device.
- Research and Notes Organization: The application includes sections for collecting research, notes, and images, keeping all your project-related materials in one place.
Conclusion
Storyist is an all-in-one creative writing solution that combines the features of a word processor, storyboard, outliner, and project manager. Its customizable story sheets, full-screen editing, and smart text features make it an indispensable tool for novelists and screenwriters looking to streamline their writing process and maintain organization throughout their projects.