Now, you can of course write a novel with any bit of software that allows you to type letters. Microsoft Word works. Mariner’s own Mariner Write works. Even Apple’s TextEdit works if you’re some kind of glutton. Personally, I prefer to work in software designed for the specific task. And of all the novel formatting software I’ve used—free and otherwise—StoryMill continues to be my favorite.

Everyone has a story to tell. That story is likely quite boring, but you can throw in some sword fighting skeletons to jazz it up, if necessary. There has never been a story told that couldn’t benefit from sword fighting skeletons. And to help you get there, Mariner Software has announced StoryMill 4, the latest version of their novel writing software for Mac OS X.

Mariner Software has turned 20—quite an achievement for a software company that started out competing against Microsoft with Mariner Write and Mariner Calc. They’ve since added numerous more proprietary programs, such as Montage, StoryMill, and MacJournal. And this weekend, the majority of their Macintosh products on sale for 40% off.

Every now and again, it seems a software company sells you their product not just because they want your money, but because they’re genuinely interested in what you’ll do with it. I’ve always had that feeling with companies such as Toon Boom, Boinx and Corel (specifically with Painter). Now, add Mariner Software to that list, as they’ve just announced the launch of writerspub.com.