Our Philosophy
Nocturne Writer is built around a small set of deliberate decisions about how writing software should behave.
This page explains those decisions, what they enable, and the boundaries they set. These are choices that shape how the application works and how it will continue to evolve.
These principles are meant to be stable. While features will change over time, the core approach described here is not something we intend to revise lightly.
Local-First by Design
Nocturne Writer is designed to work fully on your computer. It does not require a cloud account, an online connection, or a background service in order to function.
Your writing lives in files that you control, on storage you choose. The application does not collect or send telemetry, usage analytics, or behavioural data, and it does not move your content anywhere without your involvement.
If you choose to use a remote service such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, that decision is entirely yours. You configure it explicitly, and you decide when data is shared. Nocturne Writer does not create remote connections on your behalf without your knowledge and consent, and nothing is synchronised automatically.
Open Files, Not Locked Projects
Nocturne Writer stores content in plain-text formats. Documents are written in Markdown, with metadata stored in readable YAML. There is no proprietary database and no opaque project format.
This approach ensures that your writing remains accessible outside of the application. Files can be opened, edited, and managed using other tools, now or in the future, without requiring conversion or export.
The goal is not to replace every tool you use, but to fit cleanly into a broader writing workflow. Nocturne Writer does not attempt to own your content. It works with files that remain yours.
Version Control With Intent
Version control in Nocturne Writer is built into the writing environment itself. It is treated as a first-class capability rather than an external add-on.
Recording changes is intentional. You decide when to create a commit to capture the state of your writing.
Some file operations, such as moving, renaming, or deleting content, are committed automatically so your project structure stays consistent and recoverable.
Revision history remains visible and inspectable, and Nocturne Writer does not rewrite history in the background. The purpose of version control here is to provide safety and clarity while keeping key decisions in the writer’s hands.
Licensing Philosophy
Nocturne Writer is sold as a one-time purchase, not as a subscription.
When you buy a license, you can continue using the software indefinitely on each platform that we support. You keep the version you purchased, and it remains functional regardless of future releases or pricing changes.
Updates and ongoing support may be offered separately over time, but they are optional. You are never locked out of your existing work, and continued access to your writing is not dependent on recurring payments.
What Nocturne Writer Is Not
Nocturne Writer is not a cloud-first platform, and it is not built around accounts, analytics, or continuous online services.
It is not designed primarily for real-time collaboration, nor is it intended to replace every tool in a writing or research workflow.
The application is focused on long-form, individual work, and it prioritises stability, clarity, and control over breadth or automation.
Stability and Change
Nocturne Writer is stable and feature complete. The current beta marks the first public release and is intended to make the software available to a wider audience while gathering real-world feedback.
The use of the term “beta” reflects the release stage, not the maturity of the core system. File formats, data ownership, and licensing are not experimental.
As the application evolves, there may be future beta releases associated with major changes or new capabilities. These releases will follow the same approach: existing work remains usable, and core design decisions are not treated as provisional.
If you’d like to be notified when there are meaningful updates or status changes, you can stay in touch here.