What Is Fortelling and What Can You Do With It?

Fortelling is a multi-platform novel plotting and editing workspace for fiction writers. It combines world-building tools, plot planning, and a book editor in one place, and runs on Android, iOS, and the web. It suits authors who want research notes, lore, and the manuscript itself in a single workspace instead of scattered across separate apps. If you only need a plain word processor, it is more than you need; if your story has a large cast, multiple locations, or a complicated timeline, it is built for exactly that.

What Fortelling is

Fortelling describes itself as "the world's advanced multi-platform Novel Plotting Software." The core idea is to keep everything related to a story — setting material, planning boards, and the draft — inside one workspace, with the same account across devices.

The site reports it is used by over 600,000 authors, and it is built by AJP Digital Tools B.V. in Maastricht.

Core tools

Story elements and world-building

You can create and organize:

• Characters and character groups
• Locations
• Species
• Items
• Languages

The stated design goal is to "link everything," so these elements can be connected to each other and to your plot rather than living as isolated notes.

Plotting: timelines and pinboards

Timelines and pinboards are the planning layer. Pinboards let you arrange story beats visually, while timelines place events in order. These are the tools that address the "mess in your head" problem the site leads with.

The editor

The book editor is where the actual writing happens, with version history, statistics and goals, and export to .docx. Version history matters if you revise heavily and want to recover an earlier state; statistics and goals are for tracking progress.

Custom tools and templates

Beyond the default tools, Fortelling offers custom tools and custom templates, plus a public wiki. These are aimed at writers who want their workspace to match their own process rather than a fixed structure.

Collaboration

Fortelling supports real-time collaboration. The listed features include a logbook, chat, and editor and reader roles. The role split is the useful part: an editor can work in the text, while a reader can view without editing. This fits beta readers, critique partners, or a co-author.

Platforms and ownership

Two of these are worth pausing on. First, the no-AI stance is explicit — if you want AI-assisted drafting, this is not that tool. Second, the ownership claim means your work stays yours; combined with .docx export, you are not locked into the platform to keep your manuscript.

Pricing

Fortelling lists a free tier and a Pro tier:

• Free — described as "the price of a cup of coffee" (the site's phrasing), with mobile apps, default tools, pinboards, collaboration, export, and no ads.
• Pro — $7.49/month, adding desktop access, custom tools, custom templates, and the public wiki. An annual subscription is $74.99/year, and gift cards are available.

The free tier already includes export and collaboration, so the Pro upgrade is mainly about desktop access and customization. If you write on a phone or tablet and use the standard tools, the free tier covers the core workflow. If you work on a desktop or need custom tools and templates, Pro is the relevant tier.

Who it fits

Fortelling is a reasonable fit if:

• Your story needs tracked characters, locations, and other elements that connect to each other.
• You plan with timelines or visual boards before or alongside drafting.
• You want to write on mobile and desktop with the same account.
• You collaborate with a reader or editor and want role-based access.
• You want to export to .docx and keep ownership.

It is a weaker fit if you want AI writing assistance, or if you only need a minimal distraction-free editor and no planning structure.

Getting started

1. Create an account on the web or install the Android or iOS app.
2. Add your story elements — characters, locations, and anything else your world needs.
3. Build a pinboard or timeline to lay out the plot.
4. Write in the editor, using version history and goals as you go.
5. Invite collaborators with editor or reader roles if needed.
6. Export to .docx when you want a copy outside the platform.

The site also offers a wiki and tutorials, plus a blog, if you want guided walkthroughs of the tools before committing to a structure.