Free AI tools for writers
AI for writers who want to finish the book
Free tools and templates for every stage of a book: the first idea, the outline, the draft, the edit, the query letter and your Amazon listing. Each one starts from your idea or your own pages and gives you a document you can keep editing.
Every free tool, template and guide
Where are you in your book?
Start a story
Story ideas, plots and names, or a finished story, scene or first chapter, from one line or one tap.
Outline the book
Outlines and beat sheets, from three acts to Save the Cat. Fill them yourself or draft them from your idea.
Characters and world
Characters, names, worlds and the bibles that keep every fact straight.
Keep writing
The next 500 words, any chapter or scene from your beats, dialogue, or chapter one of a whole book, in your voice.
Revise
An editor’s letter, a beta reader’s report, plot holes with both lines quoted, rewrites, a marked-up line edit and a revision plan.
Find an agent
Query letter, synopsis, book proposal and manuscript format, plus real query examples and how agents choose.
Self-publish
Title, blurb and Amazon description, KDP keywords and your author bio, within the limits KDP sets.
Compare tools
Honest guides to AI writing tools and book writing software.
Beyond River
Sites working authors rely on
Free sites run by agents, writers’ groups and Amazon itself. Keep them open while you query or publish.
| Site | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| QueryTracker | A free database of literary agents: who is open to queries, typical response times and who represents whom. |
| Manuscript Wish List | Agents and editors describe the books they want right now. Search it before you query. |
| Query Shark | Janet Reid’s archive of real query letters, critiqued and revised. Closed to new queries since 2024; the archive stays up. |
| Writer Beware | Warnings about scam agents, vanity presses, paid contests and fake services, from the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association. |
| KDP Help | Amazon’s own rules for files, prices, royalties, keywords and AI disclosure. |
| US Copyright Office: AI | The Office’s reports and guidance on what copyright covers when AI helped write a book. |
| Kindlepreneur free tools | Free KDP royalty, Kindle Unlimited page-read and sales-from-rank calculators. |
Each site checked October 6, 2026.
How these pages work
What you get here
Templates you can just download
Every outline, beat sheet and bible is a free Word file. No account needed.
Start from your own pages
Paste a chapter or drop your manuscript; the tools work from what you’ve written.
Guides with sources
Word counts, query examples and editing costs, each linked to where it comes from.
Your call, your book
Draft, rewrite or just check. You decide how much help you want.
Questions authors ask
Common questions
What is the best AI for authors?
It depends on the job. Sudowrite and Novelcrafter are built for drafting fiction, ChatGPT and Claude are good for brainstorming and feedback, and Scrivener organizes a long draft but has no AI. River has a free tool for each step of a book and saves every result as a document you keep. Our guide to the best AI for writing a book compares prices and fit.
How long should a novel be?
Most adult debuts run 70,000 to 100,000 words, and Writer’s Digest says 80,000 to 89,999 won’t put off any agent. Fantasy and science fiction run longer, young adult and middle grade shorter. See how many words are in a novel for every genre’s range, with sources and a words-to-pages table.
Do I need a literary agent?
Only to sell to the big traditional publishers, which buy most of their books through agents. Self-publishing and many small presses take books straight from the author. A real agent is paid from your deals, usually 15%, and never charges a reading fee. Here is how to get a literary agent, step by step.
Do I have to tell Amazon I used AI?
KDP asks you to disclose AI-generated text, images or translations when you publish. If you wrote the book yourself and used AI to edit, refine or check it, KDP calls that AI-assisted and does not require you to disclose it (KDP content guidelines). Copyright covers what you wrote yourself, and prompts alone are not enough (US Copyright Office).
Can River write romance, horror and dark fantasy?
Yes. Dark themes, morally gray leads and endings that stay dark are all fine. You choose the heat level for romance, and the story keeps to it. Start with the romance story generator or the fantasy story generator.
Is River free for authors?
Yes, you can start free. The Free plan includes AI usage each month and needs no credit card, and the templates also download as Word files with no account. When you reach the limit, usage pauses until it refreshes or you upgrade. Paid plans start at $14 a month on the pricing page.
Start with the page in front of you
Paste a chapter, drop in your manuscript or start from an idea. It’s free to start, no card needed.
Continue my story