Introducing Asermu
A novel writing tool built for fiction writers who build worlds — offline-first, privacy-first, and designed to get out of your way.
If you write fiction, you've probably tried half a dozen tools. Word processors that weren't built for novels. Expensive apps that lock your manuscripts behind a subscription. Cloud-only tools that stop working when your internet does.
Asermu wasn't built by a working novelist. It was built by someone who spent years procrastinating on writing by auditioning every writing app instead. Eventually it seemed faster to build the one I actually wanted than to keep downloading new ones — and to share it with the writers I never quite managed to become.
What is Asermu?
Asermu is an offline-first novel writing app for fiction writers — novelists, worldbuilders, series planners. It runs in your browser, stores your work on your device in IndexedDB, and gives you everything you need to go from first idea to finished manuscript.
What's inside
Manuscript editor — A clean, distraction-free editor with chapters, scenes, and full formatting. Focus mode hides everything except the words.
Characters — Build detailed profiles with descriptions, traits, backstory, motivations, and character arcs. Set depth levels for your cast, add custom fields, and track relationships with a force-directed graph (Pro tier).
Locations — Organise your world with hierarchical locations. Nest a room inside a building inside a city inside a kingdom.
Timeline — Map events chronologically. Keep track of what happens when, especially useful for non-linear narratives.
Plot system — Six different ways to view your story structure: grid, outline, corkboard, timeline, beat sheet (with templates including three-act structure, Save the Cat, and Hero's Journey), and a pacing curve that visualises tension across your manuscript.
Encyclopedia & Notes — Build a reference wiki for your world. Track magic systems, political factions, languages, or whatever your story needs. See the worldbuilding bible template for how to structure it.
Export — Take your work anywhere. Free users get Markdown and plain text. Pro users also get PDF and EPUB, with DOCX coming soon.
Who is Asermu for?
Asermu works for plotters who plan everything before writing a word, pantsers who discover the story as they go, and everyone in between. If you need more than a blank document but less than a complicated project management tool, this is it.
What makes Asermu different?
Your data stays on your device. Asermu does not store your manuscripts on a server. When you write, the words live in your browser's local storage. If you want cloud backup, Writer and Pro plans sync to your Google Drive or GitHub — services you already control.
No internet required. Once the app loads, it works offline. Write on a plane, in a coffee shop with terrible WiFi, or anywhere else inspiration strikes.
Free to start. The free plan includes the editor, characters, locations, and timeline — everything you need to write your first novel. No credit card, no trial period.
No lock-in. Export your work at any time. If you decide to leave, your writing goes with you. There is a Forever Yours Promise — if Asermu ever shuts down, I will give you advance notice and make sure you can export everything.
The name
Asermu draws from the Amazigh language tradition — the language family of the Guanche people of the Canary Islands. It's built from real morphological roots: asefru (poem), aru (to write), and the ase- prefix meaning "tool" or "instrument." A writing tool, in a language that predates the ones most software is named in.
What's next
Coming soon: a rule-based grammar and style checker (no AI), DOCX export, and more. Check the changelog to see what has shipped so far.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Asermu free?
- The free tier includes the manuscript editor, characters, locations, and timeline — enough to write a first novel. Paid tiers (Writer, Pro, Lifetime) add plot, encyclopedia, notes, relationship graph, more projects, and export formats.
- Does Asermu have AI writing features?
- No. Asermu has no autocomplete, no text generation, no 'write my scene' button. This is a deliberate product decision, not a missing feature on the roadmap.
- Does Asermu work offline?
- Yes. Once the app loads, your manuscripts live in your browser's local storage. The app works without an internet connection.
- Where is my manuscript stored?
- On your device, in IndexedDB. If you enable cloud backup (Writer tier and above), it syncs to services you already control — Google Drive or GitHub. Asermu itself does not store your manuscripts on any server.
- Can I export my writing?
- Yes, on every tier. Markdown and plain text are free; PDF and EPUB unlock on Pro tier; DOCX is coming soon.
- What does 'Asermu' mean?
- Asermu is coined from Amazigh roots — asefru (poem), aru (to write), and the instrumental prefix ase-. A writing instrument, in a language family that has been here since before the Latin alphabet reached North Africa.