Manuskript vs yWriter

2023. Manuskript now allows to track writing goals



Free open-source writing tool Manuskript has released a new version 0.15 with several new features. Users can now set a writing target for their current session to monitor progress. Additionally, users can drag and drop elements from the outline view in the editor to quickly open the selected item in one writing panel, making it easier to work with multiple panels. The update includes improved translations for the UI, with more languages added to the list of supported ones and progress tracking available on the Github repository page. The translations are now more consistent, bugs have been fixed and all translatable strings are included. Moreover, keyboard shortcuts now work independently of the user's language settings, addressing a previous issue caused by improper UI default settings. Manuskript is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.


2021. yWriter - free software for novel writers



In the great tapestry of writing tools, yWriter shines as a small yet spectacular hitchhiker's guide for novelists. Crafted with the precision of a Vogon constructor fleet (but far more pleasant), it offers an ingenious platform for wrangling your story into chapters and scenes without succumbing to the chaos of your own brilliance. Its interface is as welcoming as a well-stocked tea cupboard and as flexible as Zaphod Beeblebrox's moral compass, featuring word counts, character dossiers, location notes, and scene summaries to ensure you don’t lose track of where (or when) your plot’s space-time continuum is headed. For the procrastinatory-at-heart, there's even a goal-setting function to prod you into writing action—like Marvin being reluctantly inspired to save the day. It syncs seamlessly with Dropbox, so you can float your novel across devices without the intergalactic nightmare of misplaced progress. Oh, and for the truly mobile, the Android app lets you scribble genius on the go, whether you're at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe or just a local coffee shop. Delightfully, it’s free, though registering your copy is a lovely way to say thanks to this digital companion that’s almost as helpful as a towel.


2021. Ebook editor Manuskript improves search and spell-checker



The new release of Manuskript (0.12) has arrived and with it come a host of exciting new features and improvements. One of the most notable changes is the greatly enhanced search functionality, which now allows users to search for text and regular expressions across their entire project, including plot, world, characters and outline. With customizable shortcuts, users can easily navigate through results and preview them with a simple mouse-over. The new release also supports LanguageTool, a spellchecker that provides suggestions and grammar checking for many languages. Additionally, a new logging system has been integrated to provide detailed error reports and facilitate easier bug fixing. Other improvements include the ability to add characters, world items and plot items directly from the editor and to remove characters from the POV selection dialog. Distraction-free mode now opens on the same monitor as the main window and the ID system has been optimized to reduce crashes and inconsistencies.


2019. Manuskript adds dark theme on Windows and Linux



In a universe not entirely unlike our own, the free ebook editing software Manuskript has unveiled a new version, bristling with the sort of updates that might make even the most cynical Windows 10 or Linux user raise an eyebrow. Chief among the delights is a dark theme, ideal for late-night pondering or impressing your cat. Meanwhile, alternate spell checkers have been enabled, allowing users to second-guess their second-guessing, and non-English locales now graciously host the built-in English language, proving that diplomacy starts at home. The update also sees the "keep revisions" feature tactfully disabled by default (because, honestly, who needs that many drafts?), a vastly improved project save function with a "dirty" state tracker (don't ask), and window placements that finally seem to understand the concept of "being useful." Fixes abound as well, with template level names no longer embarking on unscheduled resets and compile/export stubbornly refusing to overwrite files without so much as a by-your-leave. Additional niceties include image tooltips behaving better and spellchecking taking a much-needed breather when you're typing at the end of a paragraph. Splendid. Simply splendid.


2017. yWriter for Android is released



In the same way a hyperspace bypass might revolutionize your morning commute (by making it entirely unnecessary), the team behind yWriter has rolled out a shiny new Android app, effectively turning your pocket-sized device into a novel-writing command center. This delightful add-on speaks fluent Google Drive, letting you load and save your precious database files with ease. It’s perfectly aligned with the newest yWriter desktop iteration (version 6.0.0.5, if you must know), which heralds the arrival of the spiffy new yw6 file format. By letting you chop your magnum opus into neatly digestible chapters and scenes, yWriter helps you maintain progress like a seasoned Vogon bureaucrat ticking boxes. Best of all, this Android app lets you jot down your galactic epic wherever inspiration strikes—tablet in hand, manuscript in tow—while the magic of Google Drive ensures seamless interplanetary syncing between your PC and mobile device.


2016. Manuskript is now available on Mac OS



In a universe where writers wrestle with chaos and creativity in equal measure, the beloved writing software Manuskript has landed on Mac OS, bringing with it a delightful arsenal of features previously celebrated by Windows users. This ingenious tool is like a galactic organizing companion for scribblers who’d rather plot the trajectory of their magnum opus than flounder in a black hole of disarray. It lets you stack your ideas and snippets in a hierarchically pleasing manner, shuffling them about with the finesse of a Vogon poet rearranging his verse. The snowflake method—undoubtedly the Hitchhiker’s Guide-approved way to turn a nebulous notion into a narrative marvel—prods you gently along with philosophical questions worthy of Deep Thought itself. And as you weave your literary masterpiece, you can keep meticulous tabs on the quirks of your characters, the twists of your plot, and the bewildering settings that you’ve dreamed up. A tool so handy, it might just have been designed by the mice.