Ream is a manuscript editor with an AI writing partner built in — rewrite a line, keep your continuity straight, roll back any draft. Your book stays plain Markdown on your disk, Obsidian-compatible, never locked in. The AI just works: no API keys, no surprise bills.
A novel isn’t a tweet. Ream is shaped around the parts that actually break — voice, continuity, and the courage to revise.
Don’t settle for a single generic assistant. Build a panel of editors — each with their own name, voice, avatar, and instructions — and they answer in character. Ask the room and every editor weighs in from their angle.
The hardest part of a long book is remembering it. Ream builds a Story Bible of your characters, places, and facts, then reads it whenever it helps you — so the prose stays consistent and contradictions surface before your readers find them.
Good writing is rewriting — but only if you can get the old version back. Autosave keeps your draft live; Save lays down a restorable version you can diff and roll back to. Name the ones that matter, and undo block edits and AI rewrites with a keystroke.
A real writing workspace — not a chat box bolted to a text area. Editing, continuity, versions, and AI that knows your story.
Click any paragraph and write. Headings, callouts, dividers, and images insert inline — the files underneath stay clean Markdown.
Highlight a passage and Rewrite, Shorten, fix Grammar, or adjust Tone — preview before applying. No API key, no metering math.
Build a panel of writing companions with their own names, voices, and instructions — or keep Newt, the neutral one. They chat in character.
Autosave keeps your draft live; Save lays down a restorable version. Diff and roll back any time — block edits undo with ⌘Z.
Track characters, places, and facts. The AI reads them to keep prose consistent, finds names automatically, and flags contradictions.
Editing, files, search, and history stay on-device. Your manuscript is never uploaded or stored — only the passage you send to the AI leaves, and only when you ask. Optional encrypted sync backs you up across devices.
Stuck mid-sentence? A soft suggestion appears as you pause — press Tab to take it, keep typing to ignore it. Continuation, never in your way.
Import from Scrivener, Ulysses, or Bear in a click. Export the finished manuscript to Markdown, a standalone HTML page, or Print / PDF. No trapdoors.
Zen mode hides everything but the page. 35 themes plus a custom palette set the mood. ⌘K opens a command palette for anything, fast.
Bundled tools lock your manuscript in their cloud. Local-first tools make you bring and wire your own API key. Ream is the one that does both right.
| Tool | Who pays for AI | Your files | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ream | Included & metered | Local Markdown — yours | Open & write |
| Sudowrite | Included (credits) | Cloud-locked | Account |
| Novelcrafter | Bring your own key | Cloud web app | Wire an API key |
| Obsidian + plugins | BYO key / local model | Local Markdown | Heavy plugin setup |
Your files stay yours. The AI just works — no key to manage, no unpredictable API bill.
Download Ream, point it at a folder, and start writing — your files on your disk, AI included.