Still beta, but looks promising:

https://wavemaker.co.uk

I have only tried the Chrome OS app from the Chrome Web Store, but it works just as demonstrated in the Youtube video below, which is kind of amazing, considering the complexity of some of the features, such as the various 'index card' implementations.

https://youtu.be/_UGW2o6GLDY

There are some interesting concepts here (e.g. the "snowflakes" feature, which is a form of outlining / brainstorming with the use of cards, or the timeline feature, again, using cards).

It's also interesting that they're developing for so many OS's at the same time, you rarely see that.

With the right GUI, Qt is GTK+, the engine can be compiled for multi platform these days.

Looks like he's itching to drop the offline version on first release and go subscription. In which case very few with serious data, needing to be private prior to publication, will use it. The beta versions will probably stop launching at a given date.

Thanks for pointing this out, Doc. Interesting. The "Trello" view reminded me of the old Windows app Writer's Blocks (which actually had an update in the past year or so). But then there are the other aspects. I'm intrigued. Thanks, again.

Steve Z.

Meant Qt or GTK+, phone's Swype keyboard again.

washere wrote:

Looks like he's itching to drop the offline version on first release and
go subscription. In which case very few with serious data, needing to be
private prior to publication, will use it. The beta versions will
probably stop launching at a given date.

That's a slightly cynical take, if you don't mind me saying so :)

Actually the guy was just asking Chromebook users on the Chrome OS reddit site whether they wanted to have the offline functionality, considering that a Chromebook is a cloud-orientated device after all.

As a Chromebook user, I do like the idea of saving directly into Google Drive, so I can use multiple devices and OS's to access the same file and continue working on it (and not worry about losing the local data in case my machine gets stolen or crashes etc.).

But I can also understand the need to want to work offline, especially if you want to avoid distractions. A Chromebook is pretty good as a distraction-free typewriter when you're offline (unless you have some Android games installed :)

Anyway, here is the reddit thread where I stumbled upon this, and where he actually asks: "Writers of /r/chromeos, are offline apps actually wanted?

https://www.reddit.com/r/chromeos/comments/a3uicy/writers_of_rchromeos_are_offline_apps_actually/

I'm not being judgmental, Doc. There are various scenarios which can be the case prior to a sub-based first release.

He could be getting feedback with offline versions. Betas have timebombs in these cases and will stop to launch after awhile.

Also he could include the offline as part of a sub based deal only on release. He's vague on first release formats.

Of course another scenario could be, that the online version can be private cloud too, the majors like Dropbox, onedrive, gdrive &/or any other cloud. Or even self hosted cloud, Owncloud etc. But I doubt it.

Can have sub with his online cloud. Or the two private cloud versions above with or without sub. He can also do a permutation of any of the above combos.

His target client base, authors, will need privacy though. I'm not saying which of the above scenarios &/or offline is more sacred or even better from a user POV.

Just saying he seems to be itching for subs. He might scratch it, might not, in any case good luck to him, seems a nice a guy doing a good job.

Very interesting. Thank you for the news, Dr A.

For what it's worth, the Snowflake Method of planning and plotting novels, used here, originated with a novelist-scientist called Randy Ingermanson: https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/ He launched a novel-planning application based upon it some years ago.

Why snowflake? I think Randy saw novel-planning in terms of fractals, which mathematicians will recognise as expressions where the large-scale is reflected in the small-scale and vice-versa (just as a snowflake is). But something similar has been employed to a greater or lesser extent for some time by all sorts of long-form writers. For example, when I started making TV programmes, my boss insisted that she wouldn't accept a programme idea unless it was first expressed as a single sentence with a subordinate clause. Work on the script expanded the idea outwards from that single sentence in various stages (as the new application also does).

Tagline.