Crafty Maniac

Building my own Novel Writing Software

I've tried enough writing software to know what I don't want: another clever app that asks me to hand over my manuscript, adopt its filing system, and hope I can still get at my work when the clever app stops being clever.

So I'm building ObsidianWriter, a private novel studio built around the way I actually write the Thorncroft Mysteries. It organizes, reviews, and safely updates the work, but the novels and their reference material stay ordinary Markdown files in my Obsidian vault, editable there whether or not the app is running.

It also brings in editorial AI passes (Victorian Audit, Continuity Check, Developmental Review, Line Edit, Humanize), file history, verified backups, and a Change Inbox that tracks edits made outside the app. Suggestions get reviewed, not auto-applied, and the tools keep working even when every AI provider is offline.

This is a progress report from the workbench, not a launch. Read the full post:

https://craftymaniac.com/2026/08/building-thorncroft-writer/

ObsidianWriter: The Novel Studio I Wanted I’m building a private, Obsidian-first novel studio that adds structure, editorial AI, safe revision and recovery tools without taking ownership of the manuscript.

Ibson the Grey's Dungeon Archive relaunch

Ibson the Grey's Dungeon Archive has a new permanent home.

This old-school Mage Knight Dungeons fan site began life in the Microsoft FrontPage era. I’ve rebuilt it as a modern, accessible archive while preserving the material that made the original worth saving: full-resolution MKD01 and MKD02 maps, heroic-team articles and statistics, printable play aids, and terrain, custom-dial tools and fonts, variant rules, MK Joust playmats, and the surviving MageQuest campaign resources.

The original address now redirects permanently, so old bookmarks will still bring you to the archive.

Explore the relaunched site:
https://ibsonsdungeon.craftymaniac.com/

Ibson the Grey's Dungeon Archive A preserved archive of maps, teams, rules, and tools for Mage Knight Dungeons.

Someone showed me a picture of a welcome sign with a hanging plant holder. I made the classic mistake of saying, “I could build that.”

So I did. No plans, no dimensions, just construction lumber, pocket holes and the sort of confidence normally found immediately before a trip back to the hardware store.

The full build is now on CraftyManiac, including the approximate cut list, assembly and finishing notes, the SketchUp dimensions, and the actual Welcome SVG for anyone using a Cricut. Telling you to cut the lettering without giving you the file would just be rude.

https://craftymaniac.com/2026/07/building-a-welcome-sign-plant-holder/