A visual outliner for novelists
Skissa lays out every plotline, chapter and scene on a single timeline — so you can find the shape of the story early, reshape it freely, and write the draft with a map in hand.
Free forever for one project. No card required.
skissa/ˈscɪsːa/
noun · Icelandic
1.A sketch; the earliest draft of something — loose enough to change, clear enough to build on.
Every novel starts as a sketch: a handful of scenes, a few threads, an ending you can almost see. Skissa is where that sketch takes shape — before a single chapter is set in stone.
Features
Plotlines run across, chapters run down. Every scene sits exactly where it happens, so structural problems are visible at a glance.
Drag scenes between chapters and threads, reorder acts, recolour arcs. Structural changes cost seconds here, not weeks of rewriting later.
Keep character notes beside the story and tag who appears in each scene, so no one vanishes for six chapters by accident.
A full timeline on the desktop and a focused, chapter-by-chapter outline on your phone. Your work is always in sync.
How it works
Give your project a working title and a logline. Skissa sets up a starter structure so you never face an empty page.
Add plotlines for each arc and chapters for each beat, then place scenes where the threads and the chapters meet.
Move scenes, split arcs, tag characters until the shape holds. Then write the draft with a map in hand.
Pricing
Start with one project for free. Upgrade when your work outgrows it.
Everything you need to outline one novel.
$0forever
For working writers with more than one book in motion.
$9per month
Prices in USD. Applicable taxes are calculated at checkout.
FAQ
Skissa is Icelandic for a sketch — the earliest draft of something. That's what a good outline is: loose enough to change, clear enough to build on.
Novelists who plan, or who want to — from first-time writers finding the shape of a story to professionals juggling multiple books and series.
Yes. One project with unlimited plotlines, chapters, scenes and characters, and one collaborator. No card required and no trial period.
Unlimited projects and up to 99 collaborators per workspace. If you cancel, your work stays intact; you just can't add projects beyond the Free limit.
Yes. Each workspace is private to its members. Invite a co-author, editor or agent by email, and choose whether they can manage the workspace.
Payments are processed by Paddle, our merchant of record, which handles sales tax and VAT and issues compliant invoices.
From the blog
September 1, 2026
Agatha Christie filled notebooks with possible solutions. Jeffery Deaver spends months on outlines. Here's how to outline a mystery or thriller so every clue is planted, every reveal is earned and the solution plays fair.
July 28, 2026
How David Mitchell, Barbara Kingsolver, George R.R. Martin and Delia Owens handle multiple narrators and timelines, and a practical way to outline a braided novel so no voice gets lost.
June 23, 2026
Stephen King distrusts plot. E.L. Doctorow drove by headlights. Discovery writers can still benefit from outlining. It just happens at different moments, and in much smaller doses.