Composez

A terminal-based, git-integrated AI writing tool for long-form fiction. Composez adds structured narrative editing so you can write, revise, and manage novels from the command line as you write with your favourite editor.

If you're looking for a more ready-to-use, one-click solution, check out the web editing tool at https://composez.ai.

Features

• Structured Manuscripts -- Organize your work into Acts, Chapters, and Scenes (with configurable level names). Summaries flow between scenes so the AI always has the right context.
• Reference Database -- Character sheets, locations, world-building notes, and a style guide live in db/ and are loaded as read-only context automatically.
• Write / Summarize / Feedback Loop -- Generate prose from scene summaries with /write, get critique with /feedback, revise interactively, then /summarize to keep context current.
• Three Autonomy Levels -- Direct (single-turn), Compose (plan then edit), and Agent (multi-step YAML plans) work with any edit mode.
• Prose Linting -- Integrated Vale-based checks for passive voice, cliches, and AI-tells via /lint.
• Import & Export -- Import from Novelcrafter or Markdown; export to Markdown, DOCX, or EPUB.
• Full Git Integration -- Every edit is version-controlled with auto-commits and diff review.
• Multi-Model Support -- Works with Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, local models, or any provider Aider supports.

Full documentation is available at docs.composez.ai.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Python 3.9+
• Git
• An API key for your preferred LLM provider (Claude, OpenAI, etc.)

Install

git clone https://github.com/kmewhort/aider.git composez
cd composez
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate    # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -e .

Configure Your API Key

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...   # For Claude (recommended)
# or
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...          # For OpenAI

You can also place these in a .env file in your project directory.

Create a Project and Start Writing

mkdir my-novel && cd my-novel
git init
composez

Import

To import an existing manuscript from markdown or novelcrafter, first create your project, put your export in your project root, and then:

• Markdown: /import markdown my_markdown.md
• Novelcrafter: /import novelcrafter novelcrafter_export.zip

Writing

Inside the Composez shell, build your structure and write:

> /new act The Awakening
> /new 1 chapter Morning Light
> /new 1 1 scene The Alarm

> /add 1 1 1
> Elena wakes to the lighthouse alarm at 3 AM. Something large on the radar.

> /write 1 1 1
> /feedback 1 1 1
> /summarize 1 1 1

Optional Dependencies

pip install vale          # Prose linting via /lint
pip install python-docx   # DOCX export
pip install ebooklib      # EPUB export

Documentation

See docs.composez.ai for the full guide, including:

• Installation
• Quickstart
• Narrative Structure
• Writing Workflow
• Command Reference
• Configuration

Architecture

Composez is built as a plugin on top of Aider. This repo contains novel-specific coders, prompts, etc. More generic changes to the the origin Aider tool can be found in the composez-aider-fork.

License

AGPL-3.0 license. See LICENSE for furthe details.