Plan, outline and track your story's timeline
Journzy is novel planning software: every scene carries its point of view, goal, conflict and status, and an outline revision mode shows the whole outline so you can reorder it. All of this is Free.
Story planning software that works scene by scene
Every chapter and every scene can carry its plan. You fill it in from the editor panel or from the outline view, and it is always the same data.
- Scene metadata (Free). Point of view (a character from your story bible or free text), goal, conflict and status: idea, draft, revised or final.
- Plot lanes (Free). Assign each scene to a plot and see them grouped by lane. If a scene has no plot of its own, it inherits its chapter's.
- Chapters without scenes (Free). The chapter carries its own plan, so you can plan a book with no scenes in exactly the same way.
An outline revision mode for your draft
The revision mode is called Outline and it reads the same tree as the editor. It keeps no second outline: what you change here changes in your book.
- Chapters view (Free). One card per scene with its number, title, status, point of view, plot lane, goal, conflict and word count. Edit on the card and open the scene in the editor.
- Plot lanes view (Free). One section per plot, with its scenes in reading order.
- Filters and counts (Free). Filter by status, plot lane or point of view. One line counts the scenes at each status: idea, draft, revised and final.
- Reordering (Free). Move scenes and chapters up and down, including from one chapter to the next.
Your story at any chapter, and each scene against its card
- Your story as it stands at any chapter (Free). See your story as it is at the point you choose. Facts that change with the plot show up in the Timeline, your story timeline.
- Each scene checked against its scene card (Author). Journzy compares the scene with its plan (point of view, goal, conflict and status) and flags what does not fit, with the passage and the card that prove it. It does not rewrite the scene.
How it works
- Create your chapters and scenes, with scenes or chapters only.
- Fill in the point of view, goal, conflict and status of each scene.
- Assign each scene to a plot lane.
- Open Outline, filter by status, plot lane or point of view, and reorder.
- With Author, Journzy checks each scene against its card.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to split my novel into scenes?
No. A chapter can hold its text directly and carry its own plan. If you later want scenes, you split the chapter and the planning stays.
Is it free?
Scene metadata, plot lanes and the outline revision mode are Free and never expire. Checking each scene against its card is part of Author.
Does the AI plan my plot?
No. You write the plan. With Author, the AI compares each scene with the card you wrote and flags what does not fit, with the quote. It never writes or rewrites your text.
Can I see my novel by plot lane?
Yes. The plot lanes view groups scenes by lane in reading order. Scenes without a plot appear in their own section.
Related
A novel writing app built around your manuscript
A book writing app with chapters with or without scenes, project-wide search, offline writing and real-time co-editing. The Free plan never expires.
Find plot holes and continuity errors before your readers do
A continuity checker that reads each scene against your story bible and shows the quote behind every flag. Part of the Author plan, never rewrites your text.
A developmental diagnosis of your draft, with a revision plan
A developmental editing read of your own draft: Journzy points to passages, explains why and ranks a revision plan. It never rewrites. Part of Author.
Character sheet template
Free character sheet template for novelists: quick or full mode, a filled-in Emma Bovary example, and Word, PDF or Markdown download. No sign-up.