I’m a working screenwriter, and I’ve tried Causality a few times. I think the idea and intention of Causality has promise but the implementation leaves a lot to be desired. I hew towards software that is intuitive, and makes you feel like it’s empowering your process. Causality feels counter-intuitive and arcane. I can’t honestly recommend it. It was designed for screenwriting; I think the pitch to novelists is just marketing to increase the customer base.
Larger issue – looking for new tools. I find that it serves me best to look for new tools that solve specific points of friction that I’ve identified in my process. I bought Scrivener because I had some friction in organizing a lot of separate files, and I wanted to be able to tag, search and organize more efficiently.
If you’re not feeling the friction or limitation of your tools, I recommend just using what you have and write your books. Don’t fix what ain’t broke. If you do feel hampered in some way, go looking for a specific solution.
Also, it might be helpful for you to reframe how you’re thinking about your process. Instead of making outlining or writing spontaneously issues of identity, think of them as processes we all go through in creating art: we plan, and we explore. But we always do both. Some people like JK Rowling plan first and in great detail, then they explore with their page-writing within the plans they have made. Others. like Stephen King, explore first, and then read the rough manuscript and make their plans of how to improve it. Some folks (like me) plan a little, then explore a little and go back and forth. Other folks change it up on every project, based on how it feels to them.
I’d advise experimenting, and find out what suits you. You’ll know when it feels right.
Some things that help me with my writing that are worth looking into:
Mind-mapping - this is a visual approach to brainstorming. there are many apps for this, and many of them support instand conversion from mind map to outline.
Freewriting - this is writing prose journal-style, but it helps to get your thoughts, questions and concerns fixed on a page. Folks often find that freewriting makes it easier to arrive at useful solutions. There’s some good studies in the neuroscience literature that demonstrates that freewriting with a pen can surface subconscious issues an help overcome psychological issues. Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way series leans heavily upon journaling with pen. You cn do it on a tablet and get the same effect.
Network Note-taking - Using an app like Obsidian (free) or Roam (not free), you collect notes in a simple text format (you can format using markdown), and connect them with links and tags. Best-selling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson uses this to build his own internal wikito track all his characters, world-building lore and narrative continuity. I find Obsidian really helpful for world building and lore.
You might also find it useful to use a note-taking app on your phone so you can capture ideas when you’re out and about. You never know when a great idea will spark. Some folks prefer using voice memos or dictation on their phones and that works fine, too.
Hope that helps!