Novelty Writer

Sync and Import

Novelty Writer provides powerful, integrated tools to import existing manuscripts and synchronize your projects across devices. Designed with a local-first architecture, the application relies on the standard system filesystem, allowing you to seamlessly integrate your favorite tools and back up your work using secure, industry-standard protocols.

1. GitHub Integration & SSH Synchronization

Under the hood, every project is a standard Git repository. Version history is automatically tracked with quiet background commits whenever you save or complete a session. Remote backup and multi-device synchronization is powered by Git over SSH.

Cloning a Remote Project

When setting up a new project, you can clone any existing Git repository:

  • Select the GitHub tab in the New Project Modal.
  • Provide the Git SSH Clone URL (e.g., [email protected]:username/repository.git).
  • The repository will be securely cloned directly to your local projects directory using the active SSH key.

SSH Key Diagnostics & Generation

To interact with remote repositories (like GitHub or GitLab), you need a configured SSH key:

  • Keys List: Novelty Writer automatically scans your SSH directory (~/.ssh/) for existing public/private keys and lists them.
  • Copy Public Key: Select a key from the diagnostics table and click Copy Public Key to instantly copy the key to your clipboard. Add this key as a Deploy Key (with write access) in your repository settings or as an Account Key in your personal GitHub settings.
  • In-App Key Generation: If you don’t have an SSH key, click Generate New Key Pair. The app will securely generate a modern Ed25519 key pair (e.g., id_novelty_ed25519), configure the permissions correctly, and save it in your ~/.ssh/ directory so you can immediately copy the public key and register it on GitHub.

2. Google Docs Integration

If you have drafted sections of your novel or notes in Google Docs, you can import them directly into a new project:

  • Select the Google Docs tab in the New Project Modal.
  • Click Sign In with Google to authorize the application via secure OAuth (Google Drive read-only access).
  • Browse your Google Drive files in the monastic files table, showing the document name and last modified date.
  • Choose a document and click Select. The app will securely download and translate the Google Doc into clean Markdown.

3. Local Draft Import

You can import single manuscript files directly from your computer:

  • Select the Local Draft tab in the New Project Modal.
  • Click Browse File to open a native file dialog.
  • The app supports .docx, .md, .txt, and .rtf files, converting them into clean Markdown under the hood.

4. Split Mode & Outline Review

Once a Google Doc or Local Draft is loaded, it is placed in the Staged Import state. This lets you preview the imported text and decide how it should be structured:

  • Split at Heading 1 (# / H1): Ideal for long drafts containing multiple chapters. The parser automatically splits the document into separate chapter markdown files at every Heading 1 occurrence. The detected outline and chapter titles are listed dynamically in the modal.
  • Single Document: Keeps the entire draft as a single markdown file inside your project.
  • Sacred Prose Preview: A serif-styled, distraction-free preview container displays the first few paragraphs of the draft, ensuring that formatting, typography, and quotes have been translated precisely before the project is created.
  • Monastic Design Rules: The entire UI is built without warm tints or accent colors, using visual weight, hairline rules, and tabular numerals to preserve high information density and focus.

5. Novelty Cloud

For users who prefer a zero-configuration sync experience, the Novelty Cloud tab links directly to the secure Cloud Sync settings. Registering a Novelty Cloud account enables encrypted, background backup and synchronization across all your platforms.