The Pendrilo journal
For the writing life.
Practical ideas for your next chapter, your finished book, and everything in between.
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Typing Lock: The Sprint Mode Feature That Stops You From Editing
Typing lock is an optional sprint-mode toggle that physically disables backspace and delete while you draft, so your inner editor can't hijack the session. Here
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Finding That One Line: Search Your Author Library
That perfect line you wrote six months ago is hiding in your twelve manuscript files. Here's how library search works, which chapters it covers, and how it diff
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Ctrl+K: The Command Palette Shortcut for Multi-Book Workflows
Once you're juggling more than one book, clicking through menus wastes real time. Here's why the Ctrl+K command palette shortcut is worth building into muscle m
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How to Export Your Manuscript as a Word Document (Not Just EPUB)
EPUB and PDF are great for readers, but agents, editors, and audiobook narrators still want a plain Word document. Here's how to export one correctly.
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Cork, Linen, or Dark: Skin Your Corkboard to Match How You Think
The corkboard is where a lot of outlining actually happens, so its look matters more than you'd think. Here's how to pick a skin that fits the way you think ins
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Character Profile Template Printable: Make a One-Page PDF
A printable character profile should answer practical questions at a glance, not become another document to maintain. Use your existing codex data to create a r
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Kindle Royalty Percentage: 70% vs. 35% and the Delivery Fee
The 70% royalty tier isn't automatic, and the delivery fee isn't a rounding error. Here's exactly how KDP calculates what lands in your account.
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Marking a Character Deceased: Series Continuity Across Books
Readers notice when a dead character shows up for coffee three books later. Here's how to build a continuity system that catches it before they do.
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A Scrivener-Style Spreadsheet for Your Manuscript
Pendrilo’s Outline tab turns chapters into a working spreadsheet instead of a long sidebar list. Use it to spot pacing gaps, missing POVs, thin scenes, and negl
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Dyslexia-Friendly Writing Software: Comfortable Editing Settings
Editing for hours shouldn't hurt your eyes or fight your dyslexia. Here's how reading-friendly display settings work, and why they never change what readers see
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What's a Universe in Pendrilo, and Do You Need One?
If you're writing spinoffs or a shared world, keeping recurring characters straight across a dozen manuscripts gets messy fast. Here's what a Pendrilo universe
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Why a Writing Streak Tracker Beats a Perfect Outline
Outlines tell you where the book is going. A writing streak tracker tells you whether you're actually showing up to write it — and that's the harder problem for