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Writing ✎

Dictionaries

Specialized Word Processors

    espanso - A text expander that allows you to code custom keywords to make your typing more efficient.

    Bibisco - Novel writing application with additional tools to aid in character development and world building, organizational featues, and the capability to anaylize your novel and provide helpful data at a glance.

    Manuskript - Software for storytellers who are also planners, offering a detailed, hierarchal outliner and "novel assistant" to help you think it all out before you've started writing, as well as a distraction-free text editor.

    Kit Scenarist - Cross-platform screenwriting application with a handy research module for easy reference of research material and virtual cards for mapping out your story structure.

    Twine - Tool for developing non-linear, interactive fiction.

    Lyx.org - LyX is a document processor that encourages an approach to writing based on the structure of your documents (WYSIWYM) and not simply their appearance (WYSIWYG).

Text Editors

    GhostWriter - Text editor that allows you to use Markdown to create documents in various formats, all within a clean and customizable interface.

    FocusWriter

    Emacs - Advanced, power-user text editor with content-aware editing modes, built-in documentation, and much, much more.

    Spacemacs - Alternative to Emacs with a VIM-like featureset incorporated into the editor.

Document Editors

Notebooks

    Standard Notes - free, secure note-taking app with end-to-end encryption and cross-platform syncing on unlimited devices.

    Joplin - Cross-platform note-taking app with end-to-end encrypted note syncing between devices and a handful of other great features.

    Journal - Self-hostable, private journaling webapp.

    EteSync Notes - Self-hostable, encrypted notes app for mobile and web.

    TiddlyWiki - a unique non-linear notebook for capturing, organising and sharing complex information.

    Notesnook - Private and secure notes app with automatic syncing and great organization.

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Office Suites

    LibreOffice - A truly free and complete office suite for everyone.

    Collabora Online is a self-hostable online version of LibreOffice with collaborative editing. It needs a document management platform such as Nextcloud - many Nextcloud providers offer some version of Collabora Online.

    OnlyOffice - Modern, full-featured Office alternative for collaborators. Excellent compatability with Microsoft Office documents and can also integrate with Nextcloud.

    CryptPad is a self-hostable, cloud-based office solution that integrates OnlyOffice tools in the web browser, similar to Office365, and includes other features like Kanban and a real-time whiteboard aapplication.

    Etherpad – open source online editor providing collaborative editing in real-time. Etherpad is often embedded into team chat type services like Slack to allow for many people to simultaneously edit the same document. This could be to collaborate on getting a business case done, drafting a policy, etc. There are free hosted sites to try out Etherpad such as at http://board.net/ and also one that does shared spreadsheets at https://ethercalc.org/ called EtherCalc.

Editing

    LanguageTool - Grammer, style, and spell checker in the form of a desktop app, webapp, browser add-on, office-plugin, and more. Supports several common languages and counting.

Translation

    LibreTranslate - Machine translation API for text and documents that is self-hostable, can be used offline, and has a free webapp.

Publishing

    LaTeX - Document and book formatting software for anything from scientific research papers to high fantasy novels.

    Scribus - Versatile desktop publishing toolset for finalizing print-ready books, magazines, and more.

    gscan2pdf - Easily make PDFs or DjVus from scanned documents.

    Sigil-Ebook.com - designed to make it easy to create great ebooks using the EPUB format.

    WriteFreely – self-hosted, free and open source software for easily publishing writing on the web. Use it to start a personal blog — or an entire community. It is SEO-friendly, has RSS feeds, and will federate to the Fediverse using the ActivityPub protocol.

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