Welcome to novelcrafter; the all-in-one writing interface! This article is for those who prefer to write in a "plotting", i.e. you like to plot out as much as possible. Whether you have an entire story plan to import, or you want to start your brainstorming within the book, you can find all the information here.
Please ensure you have followed the connecting to the AI section if you wish to use AI with your novel.
Step 1a: Create a new book
If you don't know what you want to call it, put in a placeholder. A placeholder graphic is added by default.
Step 1b: or import your novel
Step 2: Codex
If you have any details you already know about the story (characters, places, lore), you can add these into the codex. These don't have to be detailed, but can help you refine your novel.
Step 3: Chat
If you have yet to plan your story, you can use the chat interface. This works like OpenAI Playground, and you can select your AI model and prompts here too. Explore the interface and have fun.
As you learn more about your story, you can also add entries to your codex. To see all the possibilities of chat, click here.
Step 3a: Extract
With the new extract feature, you can extract data as you go. Currently you can extract the following data:
Codex entries
Scene beats
Chapters
For more information on the extract feature, please see this article.
Step 4: Plan Interface
If you already have your plan, you can go into the create from outline button and input your story summary. We have also prepared some templates for ease of use, should you prefer one outlining mode over another.
To ensure that the formatting will carry over correctly, you can check in the preview window.
You can also add acts, chapters, and scenes manually for greater control.
Step 5: Write interface
Click on the pen icon in the chapter silo, or the write button on the top bar.
If you are not using AI assistance, then simply begin writing.
If you wish to use AI assistance, then type in a forwards slash (/) and select the scene beat option. Type in your initial idea for the opening of your book, click generate prose, and select your model. You can see your scene summary on the right hand bar, and your codex on the left hand. You can close the codex by pressing the little arrow.
Step 6. Repeat
And that's it! As you go on, you can add characters to your codex, rearrange your plan, add more chapters. But all you really need to begin is the write interface, and your idea.
Happy Writing!