Papel: Free Writing Software

Organize and Manage Fiction and Nonfiction Writing Projects

Its creators call Papel the intuitive tool for creative writers. And with good reason.

Writing software is supposed to make the writing process easier and more efficient. Unfortunately, a lot of writing software is hard to learn, and complicated to use.

Papel (which is Spanish for “paper”), is new writing software that addresses a lot of the flaws found in other writing software. Designed specifically for creative writers, but also useful to students and nonfiction writers, Papel is easy to learn and use. But being simple and uncomplicated doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful.

When you’re working on a writing project, you tend to accumulate lots of “stuff” in several different places. You might brainstorm ideas in a notebook, jot down notes on scraps of paper, use index cards to organize your novel plot or nonfiction outline, then do the actual writing in a word processor. But, with Papel, you can do everything in one place, making it all easy to access and organize.

Unlike a lot of writing software, Papel uses a visual interface. Using the program is like using an endless stack of digital index cards, which are called ‘papels’. Each papel represents a chapter, scene, character, bit of dialog, plot outline, or note. Different icons represent different kinds of papels, so you can recognize everything at a glance. You can create a new papel with the click of single key of your keyboard. You open and work on a papel by simply double-clicking on its icon. And you can use the mouse to drag papels around the screen, arranging and organizing them however you like.

One drawback I’ve found in a lot of writing software is that you can’t change the font or font size used by the interface. And, if the text is small, it can put a strain on your eyes. Papel allows you to configure the font and font size to something you’ll be comfortable with.

Papel has many other useful features. You can: