Kindling
Kindling
Free, open-source writing software for plotters and outliners.
Bridge the gap between your story outline and your first draft.
Website · Download · Features · Docs · Compare · Contributing
New in v1.2: Light theme, full-page prose editing, bidirectional Scrivener import/export, screenplay project type, custom fields & tags, smart reference detection, and story structure templates. Read the release notes.
Why Kindling?
- Your outline stays visible while you write. Scene beats appear as expandable prompts in your drafting space. No more switching between apps.
- Import your existing work. Bring in projects from Scrivener (.scriv), Plottr (.pltr), yWriter (.yw7), Obsidian Longform, or Markdown — no starting from scratch.
- No AI. No subscription. No cloud. Every word is yours. Your projects are local SQLite files. Works completely offline.
- Free and open source. MIT licensed. Inspect the code, contribute, or fork it. Your tools should be as permanent as your writing.
Download
Get Kindling for free at kindlingwriter.com/download
| Platform | Download |
|---|---|
| macOS (Universal) | Kindling_*_universal.dmg |
| Windows | Kindling_*_x64-setup.msi |
| Linux | Kindling_*_amd64.AppImage or .deb |
Or grab the latest directly from the Releases page.
Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Import from popular tools | Scrivener 3 (.scriv), Plottr (.pltr), Markdown (.md), yWriter (.yw7), and Longform/Obsidian |
| Scaffolded writing view | Scene beats appear as expandable prompts — or switch to full-page prose editing |
| Rich text prose editor | Write with formatting, auto-save, word count, and beat context |
| Export formats | Scrivener (.scriv), DOCX (Standard Manuscript Format), EPUB, Markdown, Longform/Obsidian, and Treatment (1-page & 5-page) |
| Screenplay support | Screenplay project type with sluglines, acts/sequences, and page count estimates |
| Reference auto-detection | Characters and locations are auto-detected in your prose — no manual linking needed |
| Custom fields & tags | Add typed custom fields (text, number, select, etc.) and hierarchical tags to any entity |
| Beat sheet templates | Start from Hero's Journey, Save the Cat, Three-Act Structure, Story Circle, and more |
| Reference panel | Characters, locations, items, objectives, and organizations — linked per scene |
| Sync/reimport | Preview and apply source changes while preserving your prose |
| Light & dark themes | System preference detection with manual override |
| Local-first | Your work stays on your machine in a SQLite database |
| Cross-platform | macOS, Windows, and Linux |
See the full features overview on the website.
Tech Stack
- Frontend: Svelte 5 + Tailwind CSS
- Backend: Rust + Tauri 2.x
- Database: SQLite via rusqlite
- Parsers: Native Rust parsers for Scrivener 3, Plottr, yWriter, Longform, and Markdown
From Source
Prerequisites:
- Node.js 20+
- Rust (stable)
- Platform dependencies: Tauri prerequisites
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/smith-and-web/kindling.git
cd kindling
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Run in development mode
npm run tauri dev
# Build for production
npm run tauri build
Roadmap
Track progress on the project board.
| Phase | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| v0.1 - Foundation | ✅ Complete | Plottr import, basic UI, project structure |
| v0.2 - Outline View | ✅ Complete | Drag-and-drop reordering, create/delete scenes |
| v0.3 - Writing & Export | ✅ Complete | Prose editor, DOCX export with Standard Manuscript Format |
| v1.0 - Release | ✅ Complete | Additional importers, polish, performance, stability |
| v1.1 - Plantser Support | ✅ Complete | Rolling Outline Mode, blank projects, beat management, discovery notes, command palette, guided onboarding, auto-updater |
| v1.2 - Features | ✅ Complete | Scrivener import/export, screenplay support, light theme, custom fields, tags, templates, auto-detection, EPUB, treatments |
See the milestones for detailed breakdowns.
Testing
Kindling maintains high test coverage standards to ensure code quality and prevent regressions.
| Metric | Minimum | Current |
|---|---|---|
| Statements | 95% | 100% |
| Branches | 65% | 100% |
| Functions | 98% | 100% |
| Lines | 95% | 100% |
CI will fail if coverage drops below these thresholds. New code must include appropriate tests.
# Frontend tests with coverage
npm test -- --coverage
# Rust tests
cd src-tauri && cargo test
# Run all checks (lint, format, types, tests)
npm run check:all
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please read the Contributing Guide before submitting a PR.
- 🐛 Report bugs
- 💡 Request features
- 💬 GitHub Discussions — Questions and ideas
- 🔥 Discord — Chat with other writers and contributors
Looking for a place to start? Check out issues labeled good first issue.
Support
If Kindling is useful to you, consider supporting its development:
Your sponsorship helps keep Kindling free and open source.
License
MIT — free for personal and commercial use.
Acknowledgments
Made with ☕ for writers who plan before they write.
