Storytellr User Guide

A complete guide to using Storytellr for fiction manuscript preparation.

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
• The Editor
• Formatting Text
• Manuscript Settings
• Working with Notes
• Dictionary & Thesaurus
• Notebook & Research
• Navigation
• Find & Replace
• Exporting
• Customization

Cloud File Usage & Sync

How Cloud Files Work

When you open a file from a connected cloud provider (e.g., OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive), Storytellr saves your edits directly back to the cloud storage. You do not need to manually upload or download files—changes are synced automatically.

• Autosave: Edits are saved to the cloud every few seconds, just like with local files.
• Sync: If you open the same file on another device, changes will appear within a few seconds (depending on your cloud provider’s sync speed).
• No manual upload needed: The app handles saving and syncing for you.
• Conflict detection: If you edit the same file on multiple devices at once, a conflict dialog will help you resolve differences.

Usage Details

1. Open a file from your cloud provider using the Cloud Files browser.
2. Edit as usual—your changes are saved to the cloud automatically.
3. To access your work elsewhere, open the same file from the cloud on another device.
4. If you lose connection, changes will sync as soon as the connection is restored.

Tip: For best results, avoid editing the same file on two devices at the exact same time.

Recent Files Icons

In the Recent Files list, a small icon appears next to each filename:

• indicates a cloud file (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive)
• indicates a local file

These icons are visually aligned with the filename for clarity.

Creating a New Story

1. Click New Story on the welcome screen
2. Choose where to save your .story file
3. Grant file system access when prompted
4. Start writing!

Opening an Existing Story

1. Click Open Story
2. Navigate to your .story file
3. The app will restore your document and all settings

Auto-Save

• Changes save automatically every 3 seconds
• No need to manually save
• File handles persist across browser sessions
• Changes are detected and saved intelligently

The Editor

Continuous Writing

The editor provides an uninterrupted writing surface:

• No pagination during writing
• Scroll seamlessly through your entire manuscript
• Word count and page estimates update in real-time
• Focus on content, not layout

Statistics

Located at the bottom of the editor:

• Word Count: Total words in your manuscript
• Page Count: Estimated pages based on standard manuscript format (250 words per page)

Smart Features

• Automatic Cleanup: Empty paragraphs are removed automatically
• Heading IDs: Headings get unique IDs for navigation
• Em-Dash Conversion: Type -- (two hyphens) to create em-dashes (when enabled)

Formatting Text

Using the Floating Toolbar

Select text to reveal the floating toolbar with these options:

Text Styling

• Bold (Ctrl/Cmd+B): Emphasize text
• Italic (Ctrl/Cmd+I): Italicize text
• Underline (Ctrl/Cmd+U): Underline text

Block Formatting

• H1 (Chapter Heading): Major chapter divisions
• H2 (Section Break): Scene breaks within chapters
• P (Paragraph): Regular body text
• Q (Block Quote): Indented quotations

Alignment

• Left: Default paragraph alignment
• Center: Centered text (useful for scene breaks)
• Right: Right-aligned text
• Justify: Fully justified paragraphs

Notes

• Add Note: Create a linked annotation (see Notes section)

Smart Positioning

The floating toolbar automatically positions itself:

• Opens above selection when space is available
• Opens below when near the top of the viewport
• Dropdowns adjust direction to stay visible

Manuscript Settings

Access via the Settings button (⚙️) in the toolbar.

Font Selection

Choose from professional manuscript fonts:

• Times New Roman: Traditional serif (most common)
• Arial: Clean sans-serif

Chapter Spacing

Control where chapter headings appear on the page:

• 1/3 Page: Chapters start one-third down the page (traditional)
• 1/2 Page: Chapters start halfway down the page (dramatic)

Title Page

• Include Title Page: Adds a formatted title page to exports
  • Includes manuscript title, author name, and word count
  • Follows standard manuscript format

Headers & Footers

Configure manuscript headers:

• Enable Headers: Toggle header inclusion in exports
• Author Name (Last): Your last name for the header
• Manuscript Title: Short title for the header
• Format: Choose header layout:
  • LastName / TITLE / PageNumber
  • TITLE / LastName / PageNumber
• First Page Different: Skip header on first page

Theme

• Accent Color: Choose UI highlight color
• Dark/Light Mode: Toggle in main interface

Auto-Features

• Auto-Convert Dashes: Convert -- to em-dashes automatically

Settings Behavior

• Settings are saved with your document
• Each story file has its own settings
• Settings reset to defaults when you close a document
• Settings auto-load when you reopen a document

Working with Notes

Creating a Note

1. Select text in your manuscript
2. Click Add Note in the floating toolbar
3. The text will be highlighted in the editor
4. A note editor appears in the Notes panel
5. Type your annotation

Managing Notes

• Edit: Click the highlighted text to jump to the note
• Delete: Use the delete button in the Notes panel
• Scroll: Notes panel scrolls to show the active note
• Visual Link: Highlighted text is visually connected to its note

Use Cases

• Character development reminders
• Plot point tracking
• Research notes tied to specific passages
• Revision reminders
• Continuity tracking

Dictionary & Thesaurus

Looking Up Words

1. Select any word in your manuscript
2. Open the Dictionary panel
3. View:
   • Definition: Word meaning and part of speech
   • Synonyms: Alternative words with similar meaning
   • Antonyms: Opposite words
   • Similar Words: Related terms
   • Triggered Words: Associated concepts

Drag & Drop Replacement

The fastest way to replace words:

1. Select a word in your editor
2. Open Dictionary panel to see synonyms
3. Drag a synonym chip into your editor
4. Drop it over the selected word to replace
5. Spacing is preserved automatically

Manual Replacement

• Click a synonym chip to copy it
• Paste it manually if preferred

Tips

• The selection automatically includes trailing spaces
• Dropped words maintain proper spacing
• Works with any word in the synonym lists

Notebook & Research

Notebook Panel

A separate space for:

• Character profiles
• Plot outlines
• World-building notes
• Research compilation
• Scene planning

Creating Notes

1. Open the Notebook panel
2. Click Add Note
3. Notes are saved with your story file
4. Notes are separate from linked annotations

Organizing

• Create multiple notebook entries
• Use for different aspects of your story
• Access anytime while writing

External Files

• Save notebook as separate .storynote files
• Load external research files
• Keep notebook separate from manuscript if preferred

Navigation

Navigation Panel

Shows document structure:

• H1 Headings: Chapter titles
• H2 Headings: Scene breaks
• Click any heading to jump to that location

Quick Navigation

• Open Navigation panel (left sidebar)
• See your entire manuscript structure
• Click to jump between sections
• Useful for long manuscripts

Find & Replace

Opening Find & Replace

• Use keyboard shortcut (Ctrl/Cmd+F)
• Or click Find icon in toolbar

Find Options

• Find: Search term
• Replace: Replacement text (optional)
• Match Case: Case-sensitive search
• Whole Word: Match complete words only

Navigation

• Previous: Jump to previous match
• Next: Jump to next match
• Matches are highlighted in yellow
• Current match highlighted in orange

Replace Operations

• Replace: Replace current match
• Replace All: Replace all matches at once

Format Replacement

Change formatting for all matches:

1. Enter search term
2. Select target format from dropdown:
   • Chapter Heading (H1)
   • Section Break (H2)
   • Paragraph (P)
   • Block Quote (Q)
3. Click Replace All or Replace
4. Block-level formatting is applied correctly
5. Headings receive unique IDs automatically

Tips

• Use “Whole Word” to avoid partial matches
• Format replacement works on block elements
• All replacements can be undone (Ctrl/Cmd+Z)

Exporting

See EXPORT_GUIDE.md for detailed export documentation.

Quick Export

1. Click File → Export
2. Choose format: TXT, DOCX, or PDF
3. Select save location
4. Export uses your manuscript settings

Export Formats

• TXT: Plain text, no formatting
• DOCX: Word document with styles and navigation
• PDF: Camera-ready with headers and page numbers

What Gets Exported

All manuscript elements:

• Chapter headings (H1)
• Section breaks (H2)
• Block quotes
• Formatted text (bold, italic, underline)
• Headers and page numbers (if enabled)
• Title page (if enabled)

Customization

Panel Layout

Resizable Panels:

• Drag resize handles to adjust panel widths
• Panels remember their size
• Create your perfect workspace

Collapsible Panels:

• Navigation (left)
• Notes (right)
• Dictionary (right)
• Notebook (right)

Editor Customization

Width Control:

• Adjust editor width to comfortable reading size
• Useful for different screen sizes

Zoom Control:

• Zoom: 50% to 200%
• Increase for better visibility
• Decrease to see more content

Interface Theme

• Dark Mode: Reduced eye strain for long sessions
• Light Mode: Traditional bright interface
• Accent Color: Personalize UI highlights

Persistence

All customization settings:

• Save with your document
• Restore when reopening
• Reset when closing document

Keyboard Shortcuts

Text Editing

• Ctrl/Cmd+B: Bold
• Ctrl/Cmd+I: Italic
• Ctrl/Cmd+U: Underline
• Ctrl/Cmd+Z: Undo
• Ctrl/Cmd+Y: Redo

File Operations

• Ctrl/Cmd+S: Manual save
• Ctrl/Cmd+O: Open file
• Ctrl/Cmd+N: New file

Navigation

• Ctrl/Cmd+F: Find & Replace
• Ctrl/Cmd+G: Find next
• Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+G: Find previous

Tips for Best Experience

Writing Workflow

1. Start with structure: Use H1 for chapters before writing
2. Use H2 for scenes: Break chapters into manageable scenes
3. Link notes liberally: Capture ideas without leaving flow
4. Leverage thesaurus: Drag-and-drop for quick word improvements
5. Export often: Test your formatting before submission

Performance

• Auto-save works best with stable file system access
• Cloud sync works seamlessly with OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive
• Large manuscripts (100k+ words) perform smoothly
• Browser needs file system permissions for full functionality

Troubleshooting

• Changes not saving: Check file permissions
• Sync conflicts: See conflict resolution dialog
• Speech issues: See SPEECH_TROUBLESHOOTING.md
• Firefox limitations: See FIREFOX_COMPATIBILITY.md

Getting Help

• Check documentation in /docs folder
• Review feature-specific guides
• Verify browser compatibility
• Ensure file system permissions are granted