Getting started

Up and running with Novelist in three minutes.

Welcome to Novelist.

Install

Grab a build for your platform from the download page:

  • macOS 11 or later (Apple Silicon / Intel)
  • Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
  • Linux (mainstream 64-bit distros with glibc 2.31+)

Double-click to install. Novelist does not upload, sync, or send telemetry — your documents stay on your machine.

Your first document

Launch Novelist, press ⌘N (macOS) or Ctrl+N (Windows / Linux) to create a new document. Just start typing:

  • A line starting with # becomes a heading immediately;
  • - or 1. makes a list;
  • **bold**, *italic*, and `code` render as you type;
  • Press ⌘S to save.

Three shortcuts you’ll use right away

ShortcutAction
⌘\Split view — write on one side, reference on the other
⌘⇧MExpand your document into a mindmap
F11Enter Zen Mode and block out distractions

For the full list, see Keyboard shortcuts.

What’s next