📝 Review Monday: Dabble – A Novel-Writing App That Gets Out of Your Way

Subtitle: Cloud-based, distraction-free, and perfect for plotters (and reluctant ones too). But is it worth paying for?

📚 What Is Dabble?

Dabble is a novel-writing platform designed specifically for fiction writers. It lives in the cloud, autosaves everything, and combines writing, plotting, worldbuilding, and goal-tracking in a clean, distraction-free interface.

It’s like a simpler, more intuitive Scrivener—with far less clutter and more visual polish.

You can write in your browser or download the desktop/mobile app.

✅ What Dabble Gets Right:

☁️ 1. Cloud-Based with Autosave
Whether you’re on your laptop, work PC, or iPad, Dabble syncs your words across devices automatically. No need for Dropbox or exporting files. It just works.

📎 2. Plot Grid = Chef’s Kiss
Dabble’s Plot Grid is the standout feature. It lets you visually map story beats across multiple plotlines—think columns and rows of scene cards that snap into place. Perfect for planners and discovery writers who want to see the structure emerge.

📚 3. Everything In One Place
Worldbuilding notes, character bios, story notes—it’s all in a collapsible sidebar. Nothing buried. Nothing overwhelming.

📈 4. Built-In Goal Tracker
You can set word count goals and deadlines, and Dabble will break it down per day—taking into account skipped days, holidays, and sick days. It’s like having a chill accountability buddy.

🧠 5. Designed for Focus
No clutter. No weird formatting issues. Just you and your novel. Even the “dark mode” is pleasing.

❌ Where Dabble Falls Short:

💸 1. Subscription Model
Dabble isn’t free. Plans start at $8/month, and the full-featured version is $15/month (or $96/year if billed annually). That’s cheaper than Scrivener long-term—but not everyone wants a subscription.

📎 2. Limited Export/Print Customization
You can export to Word and other formats, but the formatting options are limited. It’s not ideal if you want precise control over print layout or manuscript styling.

🧰 3. No Screenplay or Nonfiction Features
This is 100% for novelists. If you dabble in scripts, essays, or blog content, you’ll hit limitations fast.

📉 4. Basic Worldbuilding Tools
Yes, you can store notes—but compared to Notion or Obsidian, Dabble’s “Story Notes” are simple. Great for most, but not ideal for deep lore-builders.

🧠 Best For:

Novelists (especially first-timers)
Writers who want clean tools and hate fiddling
Anyone who writes on multiple devices
Plotters or discovery writers who like visual structure

🙅‍♂️ Not Great For:

Writers on a tight budget
Authors with heavy formatting needs
Deep worldbuilders or nonfiction writers
People who prefer lifetime licenses to subscriptions

⭐ Verdict:

Dabble is like the Goldilocks of novel-writing tools: simple, but not too simple.
Structured, but not overwhelming.

If you’re tired of wrestling with Scrivener—or Word, or Google Docs—it’s absolutely worth the free trial. You’ll know within a day if it’s for you.

It’s not revolutionary.
It’s just… exactly what a lot of novelists need.

🦦 Summary:

Usefulness for Novelists: 9/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Clarity & Clean UI: 10/10

Writester