So do you fancy yourself as a bit of an author in waiting? Got a J.K.Rowling lurking inside your breast, just itching to come out? Scared it might be too difficult or expensive to do? Well we’ve got you covered, although we’re not sure we can guarantee that the results will instantly earn you fame and fortune.

The oStorybook program is a free novel writing package, which promises to help you create the perfect characters, locations, plots and ideas you need for your masterpiece. And it won’t cost you a thing. One of the most difficult things you can do when creating a novel is keep track of all the different parts of your opus, things like different scenes, and even props, which can really get complicated. Using this product, you can bring some order back into the chaos that lies in your mind.

There are a fair number of book writing tools on the market, but almost all of them are commercial, with prices ranging from OK to really quite expensive. For those on a budget, this is a pretty good alternative. Sure it’s not got the prettiest interface, and it’s probably not as elegantly structured as the market leaders like Dramatica Pro or Scrivener, but it’s a good start if you want to see if this kind of software works for you.

These programs basically just offer a great way to keep all your thoughts, ideas and structure in some sort of control, but some people really don’t like them because they can force you into a framework which is pretty rigid. Which is probably why it’s best to experiment with free first, before stumping up the cash. Worth a look though, if you’ve ever thought about doing a book.