Synap for writers
Research, characters, plots. All connected.
Writing is research, structure, and discovery. Synap keeps your research as structured records, tracks characters and plot points with typed properties, and surfaces connections you hadn't seen.
How writers work in Synap
- Research that finds its own connections
Bookmark an article about 1920s architecture and it becomes a record with source, author, and topics. Two weeks later, a note about a character's apartment gets linked to it — same period, same place. Those connections happen for you.
- Characters and plots as records
Create your own record types: a character with motivation, backstory, relationships, and arc stage; a plot point with act, tension, and linked characters. See characters as a relationship graph, plot points on a timeline, everything in a table for continuity.
- A view for every stage
Researching: browse collected articles as a gallery. Outlining: a board of plot points by act. Writing: the document editor with linked records beside it. Editing: a table to check continuity. Same data, different lenses.
- A research assistant, not a ghostwriter
Synap doesn't write for you. Your agent organizes research and answers questions about your own material: “Which research notes mention the industrial revolution and aren't linked to a chapter yet?” The writing stays yours.
Why writers choose Synap
Research and writing in one place.
No switching between a research tool, an outliner, and an editor. Capture, structure your outline, and write in one connected workspace.Connections you didn't plan.
The best writing often comes from unexpected links between ideas. Records linked by topic reveal relationships between material you captured weeks apart.Your manuscript, your data.
Everything lives on a PostgreSQL pod you own. Export research as structured data and your manuscript as Markdown, in formats that work without any vendor.
Common questions
How do writers use Synap?
Fiction writers track characters (person records with properties like arc, motivation, relationships), locations, plot events (event records on a timeline), and research (article records). Connections between world-building elements are surfaced for you. Non-fiction writers link research sources to argument outlines and track drafts.
Can Synap replace Scrivener for writers?
Synap complements Scrivener rather than replacing it. Scrivener is purpose-built for drafting and manuscript structure; Synap is better for research and world-building: capturing and organizing sources, characters, and ideas before you draft. Many writers keep research in Synap and write in Scrivener or Ulysses.
Does Synap support timeline views for plot planning?
Yes. Synap has a timeline view for event records — useful for scene sequences, character arcs, and historical research. Events link to characters and locations, giving you a connected overview of your narrative.