Guide:Tools for Drafting a VN

This guide is a list of tools/software useful for drafting (writing) a visual novel. Tools that are explicitly designed for interactive fiction and branching narrative can be found on the main Narrative_engines_&_middleware page.

You'll want software that is comfortable to use, and syncs and/or backs up your data at regular intervals.

Many writing programmes have behaviours that are unhelpful or undesirable to visual novel writers:

1. Smart quotes, sometimes called curly quotes, cause problems when scripting and are generally a nuisance to deal with, especially if you script in Visual Studio Code or a text editor afterwards, which do not support them
2. Some software replaces triple periods (...) with a special ellipsis character (…). This doesn't look as good when VNs print text characters letter by letter.

Writing Software

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Google Docs

Main article: Google Docs

Google Docs is free, allows easy collaboration, and has basic formatting and built-in sharing/commenting capabilities for co-writers, editors, and beta readers. Additionally, there's no need to worry about backups since it is all automatically synced on Google's servers for free.

Tips:

• Disable smart quotes by going to Tools > Preferences > and selecting "use smart quotes". You can also use a browser extension that makes it into an unofficial "Dark Mode".

The Google AI features can be disabled by going into Gmail, clicking on the gear on the top right corner, clicking "see all settings". Then, in the General tab you scroll down until you see "Smart Features" and untick "turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet". Here's a WIRED article with more information.

Obsidian

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Link to Obsidian

Uses:

• Knowledge management
• Project management
• Word-processing and editing

Obsidian is a primarily knowledge management system. It is free and extremely customisable with a vast catalogue of community-made plugins. Obsidian's standard free base stores everything locally. Syncing, publishing and collaborating are premium services, but can also be done with services like Github, Dropbox, etc. as well as some plugins.

Obsidian's notes are built around markdown files with versatile linking between documents.

Recommendations for Obsidian often bear the caveat: "Has a learning curve" which, while true, undersells the system's value. Obsidian's learning curve is infinite, the degree to which it is customisable is limited only by the user and the community.

Most valuable tools:

• Local, background saving
• Non-proprietary, open file formats
• Knowledge mapping with flowchart and canvas tools
• Direct file management
• Extremely customisable
• To Do and Kanbans

Tips:

• Use Obsidian as the project manager
  • Obsidian "vaults" are the highest level folder the user delegates to Obsidian.
  • A vault can contain the location of a game project.
  • This means that the project management can be directly linked to the project.
• Essential Plugins
  • Custom file extensions
    • Allows Obsidian to edit .rpy files directly.
  • Tasks, Task Reminder, and Kanban
  • Excalidraw
  • File Tree Alternative

Scrivener

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Main article: Scrivener

Must be purchased, but has a generous 30 day trial and education pricing. Scrivener is a text editor with massive organizational capability and has a large foothold in the traditional publishing space. Small learning curve, but there is a free Scrivener visual novel outline template here made by Jordan.

Tips: Disable smart quotes and change ellipses behaviour by going to File > Options > Corrections, and then unticking "use smart quotes" and "replace triple periods with ellipses (...)". It is highly recommended to ONLY use Dropbox (free version is fine or certain cloud sync solutions for Scrivener, as Google Drive breaks the Scrivener file structure. See more info here.

Scrivener does save to .rtf files, but in a certain structure. There is an iOS app and Mac app, but no Linux app or Android app.

Tools for Planning a Visual Novel

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Notion

Free version is available, but is limited. Very powerful planning tool that can be shared with teams. Has a moderate learning curve, but can be used for project management and script planning alike.

Spreadsheets

LibreOffice, Microsoft Excel, and Google Sheets are all popular spreadsheet programmes. Branching choices can be planned with some effort by putting choices/scenes/etc. in cells. Works well for script comments for voice actor direction, and project planning as well.

Pen and Paper

Shout out to doing it old school! Sticky notes, notebooks, corkboards — whatever works best for your process can help with outlining and writing your complete script.