🆓yWriter: I used to use this before I got Scrivener. It is not the most sleek looking program, but it works.
🆓Google Docs
🆓 Joplin: The cloud hosting does cost money. Open source alternative to Evernote.
🆓 Only Office: This one is good for people who want a private cloud-hosted alternative to Google Docs. It is open-source.
🆓 Obsidian: I have started using this for world building, but many authors use it for writing. Within it, you can create your own wiki, and view connections in a cool graph. It is open source, and has many plug-ins you can add.
Plugins:
Obsidian Writing Goals: Adds a sidebar with wordcount progress bars
Editing Toolbar: Adds a toolbar simular to MS word
Floating TOC: If you use headings in a note, this will create a table-of-contents which shows up when you hover over the icon, so you can easily jump to different sections.
Task Progress Bar: Creates a to-do list with a progress bar
Obsidian Writing Plugin: I haven't used this one myself yet, but it formats your book for ebook, and shows a preview of how it will look as an ebook. You can also set writing goals.
Calendarium: create a fantasy calendar where you can even customize moon cycles
Obsidian Tabs : creates tabs within a note, so you can easily jump between subjects
Obsidian Avatar : adds a image on one side, with text on the other.
🆓Anytype: The program is free and private, but for the cloud, you have 1GB of storage, then you’ll need a plan for more.
🆓 Manuskript: I haven’t tried this one, but it looks similar to yWriter, but with some different features
🆓 Bibisco: A writing and note organizer program with timelines, mind-maps, and more.
🆓 Reedsy Book Editor: It is online(not self-hosted/a program download)
🆓 SmartEdit: a MSWord alternative for writers that is supposed to have several helpful editing features. I haven’t tried it yet.
🆓 Quoll Writer: Open-source, and has several unique features, such as “warm up session.”
🆓 Trillium: Self-hosted and open-source.
4thewords: I have tried this in the past. It turns writing into a game, where you send your game character on a monster-fighting quest by writing.
Notion: Free limited version
Apps and Programs
🆓Fantasia Archive: While this free program is designed for DND, it can be helpful for brainstorming worlds and characters, as well as how they all connect together.
🆓Obsidian: Obsidian has several plugins helpful for world building; such as a calendar map maker.
Map Making
How-To's:
Resources:
RPG Map Editor retro RPG style, rooms and dungeons
Free Generated Maps:
Dan Koboldt: a blog about getting the science right in Fantasy and Sci-Fi
Food Timeline: shows what what people ate in history
Tennessine Flag Maker: a free flag maker
📺“5 Tips for creating believable bureaucracies in fantasy worlds! “
🆓 Draft
Diversity Style Guide “The Diversity Style Guide is a resource to help journalists and other media professionals cover a complex, multicultural world with accuracy, authority and sensitivity.”
RhymeZone Helps you find rhymes, synonyms, adjectives, descriptive words, and more
Power Thesaurus | Added by @Tak [Azalea Forrest]