Plan the story. Then write it with confidence.
Outline your arcs, map your timeline, and structure every chapter before you write a word. Litera's planning tools keep the big picture in focus while you dive into the details.
Outline your entire project before you write a word.
Map out arcs, plot beats, and chapter structure with a visual planner that shows the big picture. Drag and drop scenes between chapters. Track which scenes are outlined, which are drafted, and which are done. Your plan, always visible.
Bird's-eye view of your entire project. Move chapters, track progress, see the structure.
See when everything happens. Before you write it.
Plot your story's temporal structure before you draft. Track when events happen, visualize parallel plotlines, and plan flashback sequences so your narrative architecture is solid from the start.
Timeline management for writers who build the skeleton before adding the flesh.
2,419 mentions. 42 chapters. Every reference tracked.
Define your characters, locations, and world rules before you start writing. As your outline evolves into a manuscript, Litera tracks every reference automatically. Your plan and your prose stay in sync.
Plan your concepts up front. References build automatically as your outline becomes a draft.
Built for the way you write.
Project Planner
Outline your project before writing. Map arcs, plot beats, and chapter structure visually.
Story Timeline
Plot your temporal structure. Flashbacks, parallel plotlines, chronological order. Planned in advance.
Scenes & Outlines
Chapters and scenes with toggle between outline view and prose. Plan and write in the same space.
Concept Tracking
Characters and world rules tracked across chapters. References build automatically as your outline becomes manuscript.
Smart Versioning
Compare drafts as your plan evolves. Restore earlier versions when the story changes direction.
Quill
Pacing analysis, structural feedback, and continuity checks. Quill reads your outline and manuscript together.
How Litera Compares
| Feature | Litera | Scrivener | Sudowrite | Novelcrafter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concept / story bible | ✓ Graph | Basic | ✓ | ✓ Codex |
| Concept reference tracking | ✓ Per-chapter | ✗ | Partial | ✓ |
| Character aliases | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ideas & brainstorming | ✓ | Basic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Project planning | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Story timeline | ✓ | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Goal tracking & streaks | ✓ Streaks + Grace days | Targets only | ✗ | Basic |
| Version history | ✓ Auto + Quill changes | Manual snapshots | ✓ | ✓ Every 3 min |
| Works offline | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Built-in AI (Claude) | ✓ Claude | ✗ | ✓ Multi-model | BYOK |
| AI manages project data | ✓ Read + Write | ✗ | Read-only | Read-only |
| AI concept art generation | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |