Strategic Overview: From Manuscript Planning to Publication
The Novel Factory identifies itself as a full-fledged novel-writing program that takes into account the entire creative process of developing a premise all the way to writing a manuscript. It is a progressive web application, available in the browser as well as downloads to desktop devices, regardless of operating system, and locally allowing individuals to continue work when offline, whilst backing up to the cloud in an online session.
Core Architecture: Plot Development and Story Structure
Professional fiction writers require robust organizational frameworks. The Novel Factory delivers through its Plot Manager system, which segments narrative development into manageable components. Built-in genre-specific plot templates jumpstart narrative structure, ensuring stories maintain solid foundations throughout development.
The software’s unique approach includes customizable plot templates covering popular fiction genres—mystery, romance, thriller, fantasy, and science fiction. Writers select templates matching their narrative style, with each template providing detailed structural guidance and beat-specific prompts.
Character Development Engine: Creating Three-Dimensional Protagonists
Character creation extends beyond basic profiles. The character profile tool encourages exploration of physical traits, motivations, archetypes and more, making character creation both easy and enjoyable. Writers access extensive questionnaires covering psychological profiles, Myers-Briggs personality types, and Jungian archetypes.
The Character Viewpoints feature enables supporting character development with equivalent depth, preventing flat secondary characters that plague many manuscripts. Each character profile integrates seamlessly with scene management, tracking appearances and narrative arcs.
The writing interface minimizes distractions while maintaining quick access to reference materials. A related info sidebar displays all linked information—characters, plot events, weather, date and time—keeping continuity details immediately accessible during drafting.
Scene management capabilities include synopsis tracking, character presence notation, and location references. Version control through the “Turn Back Time” feature preserves previous scene iterations, enabling experimental writing without fear of losing preferred versions.
World-Building and Location Management
Fiction authors, particularly in speculative genres, require detailed setting documentation. The Locations feature captures the essence of novel settings with sensory details and inspiring images, ensuring story worlds feel vivid and engaging to readers.
Location profiles support multiple hierarchical levels—from continents to individual rooms—with customizable attributes for each setting type. Integration with scene management ensures consistent environmental descriptions throughout manuscripts.
The Novel Writing Roadmap: Guided Learning System
New authors benefit from structured guidance. The Novel Factory’s roadmap breaks down the process into bitesize, manageable tasks, with writing guides seamlessly carrying users through each phase while keeping distractions minimal.
This educational framework covers premise development, synopsis creation, chapter outlining, first draft composition, revision strategies, and submission preparation. Video tutorials and written guides accommodate different learning preferences.
Subplot Management: Complex Narrative Control
Modern fiction often requires multiple narrative threads. The Subplot Manager helps track different plot threads, themes, characters and items, with drag-and-drop functionality to reorganize story elements as needed.
Writers maintain separate timelines for each subplot, ensuring chronological consistency across interwoven narratives. Visual timeline representations highlight potential conflicts or gaps in narrative pacing.
Publication Tracking: Agent and Publisher Submissions
Traditional publishing requires systematic submission management. The Novel Factory includes dedicated tracking for literary agent queries and publisher submissions, recording contact information, submission dates, response status, and specific guidelines for each recipient.
