v1.0 — open beta

The IDE for novelists.

Write chapters, build characters, map plot structure — all in one distraction-free workspace. Powered by Monaco, designed for long-form fiction.

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Features

Everything a novel needs, nothing it doesn't.

OpenTales treats your novel like a codebase: modular, navigable, and built for structure. The interface stays out of the way so the work can stay the focus.

Monaco-powered editor

The same editor that powers VS Code, tuned for prose. Markdown highlighting, multi-cursor, find-and-replace, and a custom theme calibrated for long sessions.

Living characters

Every character is a first-class document — portraits, traits, voice samples, and relationships. Mention a name and the inspector wires it to the source.

Settings with atmosphere

Upload reference imagery for every location. Mood, sensory details, and notable features travel with the place wherever it appears in your manuscript.

Plot, voice, and obstacles

Premise, theme, POV, climax, and obstacles live in their own structured panels — and connect back to the chapters where they pay off.

Episodic chapters

Acts, chapters, and scene beats organized like a project tree. Drag to reorder, snapshot revisions, and track word counts per beat.

Outline that holds together

From premise to denouement, every story element is interconnected. Jump from a character's arc to the chapter where it breaks, instantly.

Workflow

From blank page to bound book.

A workflow shaped by working novelists. Plan as much or as little as you need — OpenTales adapts whether you outline obsessively or write into the dark.

  1. 01

    Sketch the world

    Drop in your characters, locations, and core conflicts. Add reference images so the world stays vivid as you write.

  2. 02

    Structure the story

    Pin down POV, voice, theme, and climax. Lay out acts and chapter beats — OpenTales keeps every thread connected.

  3. 03

    Write the draft

    Open a chapter and disappear into the editor. Inspector keeps relevant characters, places, and beats one glance away.

  4. 04

    Revise with context

    Track changes per chapter, surface continuity issues, and jump from a setup to its payoff with a single keystroke.

The Blackwood Cipher — Literary Mystery
The House That Waited
# Chapter 01 / The House That Waited writing POV: Elena Voss
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# Chapter 1: The House That Waited
The key her grandmother had sent — heavy iron, longer than her hand —
turned in the lock with a sound like a small bone breaking.
The door opened on its own weight. Elena stepped inside.
The foyer smelled exactly as she remembered: lavender oil, old paper,
the faintest edge of woodsmoke from a fire that had been out for years.
“You took your time.”
The voice came from the library doorway. A man, tall, gray-bearded,
holding a glass of something amber. Marcus Hale.
main 0 issues
3,210 words Synced
Free & open-source

Your next novel deserves a better workspace.

OpenTales is open-source and free to use. Bring a draft, an outline, or a half-formed idea — the editor is ready when you are.

Open the editor Star on GitHub