The Best Writing Software for Fantasy Authors: By Category
Bella Rose Emmorey
book editor, rogue behaviorist, digital marketer, writer, brand builder, plant aunt, and cheese enthusiast.
Let’s be clear that software will not write the book for you. Not even AI will do the job in any sort of respectable way (sorry, not sorry). But when it comes to the best writing software for fantasy authors, you will gain a lot by finding something to supplement how you work in a way that allows you to make real progress on your book.
Because the goal is to $ finish writing your novel$ . For those of us writing fantasy, that process just includes more moving parts.
Those moving parts are too easy to lose track of if you don’t have the right equipment. And I don’t know about you, but notebooks on notebooks in a messy office just don’t do it for me.
I need writing software for fantasy authors, specifically.
But that’s pretty vague. There is a lot of writing software out there with too many features to look through. So let’s take a look at features that best help those $ writing fantasy,$ followed by the best software for fantasy authors by category.
Software Features for Fantasy Authors to Look For
Fantasy authors have many more elements to consider when writing a fantasy book compared to another genre. There’s a whole other set of rules and guidelines that have to be considered, and that’s only accounting for the magic system.
What about world-building? Character details? Supernatural settings?
If you’re writing fantasy, these are the best software features for fantasy writers:
- Detailed Character Profiles: Most fantasy books have larger casts of characters. If you write multiple POVs, this is especially true. You need a place to keep track of all the characters, their magical abilities, the limitations of that magic, as well as core details like personality, appearances, weaknesses, and strengths. Having a specific place for this is necessary to keep it all aligned.
- Setting Mapping: Setting is a major part of fantasy novels and sometimes even dictates the $ fantasy genre$ a book gets slotted into. With that much riding on the setting, you’ll want somewhere you can flesh this out in detail, and keep track of them. Are you writing portal fantasy in which you need to have a set of rules for multiple realms? This is a necessary function for you.
- Scene-Level Plotting: Fantasy stories can get a bit messy with the plot, especially for people writing more complex stories. Being able to plan and write at the scene-level, and then rearrange as needed, is a huge benefit in a writing software for fantasy authors.
- Notes & Details function: Coming up with ideas on the fly is great. Not having anywhere to put them (other than a sheet of paper that’s going to get lost under a pile of notebooks) isn’t great. Make sure your software has a function that allows you to take notes. Bonus points if you can also then move those notes to appropriate scenes or chapters for plotting purposes.
- Goal & Progress Tracking: Having something that keeps you on track can make a huge difference. If a writing software can track your goals and show you progress toward a goal, you’ll be more likely to continue writing and finish your book.
- Internal Cohesion: Among the most useful feature in a writing software for fantasy authors is the ability to combine and merge its internal functions. What use is a scene-specific plotting feature if you can’t link that with a chapter and move it within the manuscript as a whole? Look for this cohesion and see that the pieces work together.
- Auto-save and Backups: I don’t really need to emphasize why this is important. Nobody wants a lost draft. Bonus points if the software also allows you to go back and retrieve previously saved versions.
- Map-Making functions: Not necessary for every feature in a writing software for fantasy authors, but it is really helpful to be able to build a map so when you write the book, it’s based on something tangible.
- Character Avatar Creation: Sometimes it’s not enough to just envision a character in your head. It’s sometimes helpful to create avatars for your character, which can help you further identify their voice, mannerisms, and traits.
It’s not necessary for a writing software to have all of these features in one, but it's obviously great if it does.
The Best Writing Software for Fantasy Authors, By Category
Sometimes it takes more than just one tool to write a fantasy book. You might benefit from a few different forms of writing software for fantasy authors through the stages of writing and $ publishing your fantasy book$ .
For that reason, we have the best writing software for fantasy authors chosen by category:
Writing Software: $ NovelPad$
When it comes to writing processors, among many other things we’ll get to, NovelPad takes the cake. They make the cake, really. But if you need something to plan, plot at the scene and chapter level, develop and track characters, make notes that you can later attach to scenes and other story elements, and make and track your writing goals, NovelPad is the go-to.
It truly has all of that, in a single software that doesn’t break the bank.
The highlights of NovelPad as the best software for fantasy authors include:
- Character profiles with tracking
- Chapter-level plotting
- Scene-level plotting
- Location, plot, and date tracking
- Dynamic writing goals and progress tracking
- Clean drafting page
- Exporting options (EPUB, Word, Markdown)
- Auto-save
- Auto-backups and “rewind” feature to keep your work safe
I also have to say that the customer service and level of updates to this writing software are far and above many others. They take real user feedback into account and create features based on what we want.
All of this takes time and dedication, which of course, costs money. Thankfully, NovelPad is a really affordable writing software, coming in at only $15 a month or $120 a year.
Map-Making Software: $ Inkarnate$
Some really cool $ maps can be created$ with Inkarnate. While many fantasy authors use map-making software as a way to procrastinate, it can actually serve as a powerful way to ensure consistency in your novel by referencing the map.
Authors like Matthew Emmorey and Dillon Barr use Inkarnate to craft maps of their world so they can write various stories that take place among the different locations, as well as inviting others to write within their world.
While there is a free version of Inkarnate, this level of map-making is $25/year, which is extremely affordable for creating maps like this.
Character Avatar Software: $ HeroForge$
HeroForge is much like Inkarnate in the way it operates. It gives you a base, then various settings in which you can edit the avatar until you have what you’re looking for. They really have every option out there, including body types that span many different species, and highly customizable color options.
Here’s a bit of what you get just with a few clicks:
And there are options to purchase items that are created from your design, like plastic figures, painted figures, and 3D digital files. But it’s an amazingly versatile tool to create a fantasy creature, or just normal fantasy characters that don’t have snake heads and mermaid tails.
You don’t have to pay for the actual image itself, though, and you can download it for free by going to the "Hero" menu and hitting "Screenshot", where you can download the image from there.
Remember to read all of the terms and conditions for these types of sites, though. You never know what’s fair use and what’s not when it comes to digital art. $ HeroForge’s terms$ are highly visible and always linked at the bottom of your work screen.
Many authors use this software to get a good sense of what they want their characters to look like, and add it to their $ character boards$ .
Distraction-Free Software: $ Freedom$
Let’s be real. Fantasy writers are good at juggling many different aspects of their stories because they have active imaginations. While a promising trait, it’s also a hassle when you get distracted by literally everything.
Much like the $ software needs of people with ADHD$ , fantasy authors can benefit from a distraction-free software to keep them focused while they write.
Freedom is a great app for this because it literally blocks you out of the apps and sites you tell it to until the timer runs out. So if you impulsively open Facebook or Instagram a dozen times when you should be writing your fantasy novel, this will prevent you from doing that.
Obviously, the downsides are that it only works on digital distractions, and not your adorable dog wanting attention. You’ll have to use a door for that.
But you can even schedule your sessions, so it gives you more of a reason to stick to your writing schedule!
Word Count Tracking Software: $ NovelPad$
Another mention of NovelPad, but for good reason. Almost any word processor will track the words you have written if you know how to look it up. Even Google Docs will tell you with a quick Command + Shift + C (for macs). But not many softwares allow you to set up goals, track the words each day, and also update the pacing for each day that will allow you to hit your end-goal.
NovelPad does all of that, and with multiple options for setting up the goal, including how many days you’ll write and how much you’ll write those days.
Here’s an example of the setting options that will help me plan writing goals to finish a 130,000 word manuscript by the first week of May, with lighter writing days on Monday, heavier writing days on Saturdays, and Friday and Sunday open:
And then it will actually track each day’s word count and automatically update the goals for the reminder of the weeks based on that progress. So if you write 3,000 words on a day when it only slotted you for 1,500, you’ll have to write even less during other writing sessions in order to hit your goal.
Formatting Software: $ Atticus$ , $ NovelPad$
Book formatting is separate from writing. It’s how the book will appear in print and in e-readers like the Kindle. We have two options for this because both have certain benefits over others.
For a more "formal" method of formatting your paperback books, Atticus is going to be a better option for long-term. However, if you’re an ebook writer and you just want to sell ebooks without physical copies, NovelPad is a much cheaper solution that allows you to do this all in one. You would just choose the "EPUB" option when going to export.
Both allow a fantasy author to choose the font and sizing, with Atticus having options for more chapter headings and other details.
Atticus costs $147, and NovelPad is $15 per month.
So if you can’t afford the price point of Atticus, no worries!
Ultimately, the best writing software for fantasy authors is the one that allows you to make the most progress. It can be overwhelming to choose, but finding one with the right features and using it regularly will allow you to organize your stories and write with ease. Ready to $ get started on your fantasy novel?$
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