How does Novelize stack up against Word, Google Docs & Scrivener?

Novelize isn’t perfect, and it’s certainly not the right tool for everyone. That being said, we think that Novelize offers some distinct advantages over Word and Scrivener. Here we’ll compare them for you to help you make a decision.

Scrivener is one of the most popular tools for authors. Novelize and Scrivener share some key features, but there are also a few major differences.

Specifically built for novel writing

Unlike Scrivener, Novelize is designed to help fiction authors write their novels. While we love reading non-fiction, too, we built Novelize to specifically accommodate the needs of fiction writers. As a fiction writer, you need to be able to keep track of important information about your story. But more importantly, you have to keep writing.

Limiting distractions

Scrivener allows you to search Google, Wikipedia, and other sites from inside the writing program to help you find what you need. While novelists certainly have to do research about specific locations or regional customs, we really don’t want to encourage you to wander off more often than necessary. Of course, there is nothing stopping you from opening another browser window if you have to look something up. But while you’re using Novelize, we’re going to do our best to encourage you to write.

Accessible everywhere

One of the biggest disadvantages of desktop software like Scrivener is that you can only use it on the computer it was downloaded onto. With Novelize f you happen to have some time to write while you’re visiting a friend, you can just use their computer to work on your novel.

Another problem with desktop software is that you’re vulnerable to computer crashes and hacks. If your computer breaks (yes, it could happen), you would lose all of the work you’ve done unless you happen to back up your information regularly.

As an online-based writing app, Novelize backs up your information continuously, so you never have to worry about data loss. We even back up our backup to keep your information saved.

Easy to Use

You don’t have to take a writing course or read a 349-page manual (we’re not kidding, this is how big the manual for Scrivener is) in order to use Novelize effectively. In fact, you can start writing as soon as you create your account. Novelize actually starts you directly in the writing screen allowing you to work on that first chapter.

While we’re still adding additional features to Novelize, we don’t plan on cluttering up the toolbar. It’s always going to be easy for you to navigate inside of your novel. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your novel to add information about your characters or locations.

Stay on Track

Novelize keeps you accountable when it comes to your writing goals. In addition to letting you know how many words you’ve written inside of the app, we email you on a weekly basis to let you know what your progress is for this week. In fact, we don’t even wait until the week is over before we send you a little reminder. This gives you the weekend to catch up and meet your weekly writing goal.

When Scrivener Is the Right Tool for You

If you don’t mind taking some time to figure out how to use the program, then you can definitely be very happy using Scrivener. There are some things Scrivener offers that Novelize just can’t (or won’t) do. One example is to allow you to add tables. Since Scrivener is designed for writers of all types, having the ability to add a table is not a bad idea at all.

Also mind-boggling is the sheer volume of names in Scrivener’s name generator. You can choose names of various different origins for both first and last names. And while they may not all be names every writer would actually like, you definitely can’t complain about the selection.

What If You Can’t Decide?

If you can’t decide between using Novelize and Scrivener, you could just give both of them a try. Scrivener and Novelize both offer a free trial. We know that Novelize isn’t going to work for every author, but we also know that Scrivener may not be the best option for everyone who is serious about completing their novel.