Feature Ideas
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Chapter Option
We can create drafts of the main work, but there's no option to split a single, larger work into chapters (that we can then make drafts of) so that we can work and edit chapter-by-chapter.
Mickey55
Custom dictionary
Allow writers to manage custom dictionaries to include / exclude specific words from spell check.
Kate Donahue9
Pages, page numbers, margins, and print preview
I would love to have the concept of pages in Ellipsus. When editing a big work, I want to refer to its page numberβit makes it easier to find a passage and pick up where you left off. When exporting into PDF and printing my work, I want to adjust the margins and preview it before exportingβthis saves me time and gives me control over the layout (we love aesthetics, right?).
John19
Comment-only permissions
An option to share a document with another user with strictly commenting permissions rather than commenting and editing permissions would be awesome.
Sam5
Desktop / laptop app
I (and many writers I know) appreciate having a native PC app. For me, it allows me to work without having reliable internet and push/share changes once I am back online. It also is beneficial to have an app that lives in my toolbar that I can open that doesn't have the option for me to get sidetracked by search windows I'd forgotten about, impulsive whims, etc. It creates a more seamless work experience all around.
Finley15
Native mobile app
I primarily write in the Google Docs App on mobile/tablet, so thatβs the kind of experience Iβd be looking for in a substitute.I write almost every day and collaborate frequently with an editor and would really like to find an alternative to google.I was hoping this would be it, but without a robust mobile option, I just donβt know if this will be the best fit.
sharpbutsoft@gmail.com10
Offline support
β Support writing offline π§ Support offline navigation π§ Support offline merging π§ Support offline version history π§ Support offline doc / draft creation
Kate Donahue15
Story timeline builder
A timeline creation tool to help organize key plot events, worldbuilding, and planning.
Ninjakiwi14
Highlighter
A highlighter, both for general highlighting, and a way to share the highlighted text in chat so that collaborators can discuss about said highlighted text.
Ninjakiwi2
Return to last position when opening or refreshing docs
This is useful for longer docs, especially on mobile, but I would love to not have to scroll from the very beginning every time I open up a document, but instead have a button to scroll to the bottom, or just automatically be where I last left off. It's kind of annoying to have to go back to where I was if I change apps or close the screen for a bit.
Ninjakiwi10
Plot board
An interactive board for story plotting. Writers could map out plot threads, characters, worldbuilding details etc. in a visual "whiteboard" tailored specifically for storytelling.
Ninjakiwi2
Set word count goals / show writing streaks
Okay, so I know this might sound a little silly, but with everyone jumping ship on the "official" NaNoWriMo people and the website potentially not long for this world, having some place to have some sort of goal setter (where it keeps track of word counts, tallies per day progress, etc etc) would be really amazing. I know it's not like a priority or anything, I just feel like it's something that really helps me stay motivated to continue writing at more regular rates as a visual person being able to see how much I've done. Edit : Mainly thought of this now as I basically stress test the nano system to see all the bugs in it that annoy me, please make sure that we can log negative numbers for days when we edit? Because as far as I can tell, Nano doesn't actually let you subtract from your total, only add.
M9
Color-coded text for editors
One of the things I really value about GDocs is that you can invite someone to make "suggestions," which lets them edit the document but puts those edits in a different color, so they're obvious at a glance. It would be really nice to have that be an option here, so I can see where the edits are, what they are, and who made them before I go to merge my drafts. Ideally this would be optional, and could be turned off (for 100% collaborative documents with no real "owner"), on, or on for guest editors but NOT the owner (for instance, when you have multiple beta readers working in the same draft).
Julia5
Collapsible Sections
While having a document outline is great, I would like a way to collapse (and expand) the actual text in the document under the headers. I find this to be especially useful on long pieces, as this allows me to focus on the section that I am currently working on by hiding the other sections (but still keeping them readily available to cross-reference via search, as opposed to putting each section in its own document). Furthermore, when I am reviewing/proofreading, being able to break it up and keep track of where I am by collapsing/expanding each section as I review it makes the process much easier for me than scrolling through unending walls of text.
Kanra3
Emoji reactions
A picture is worth a thousand words. As a beta reader, and someone who has beta readers, it's really fun to highlight great lines and just add an emoji. I could type out a comment, but it does provide a quick way to see actual feedback (comments) vs. me just ADORING the work I'm reading and showing love across the work with hearts or sobbing emojis.
Sabrina Kent / M2