Create your first story bible

To create a new story file, first make sure you are in the Portfolio homepage. You can use the sidebar Display Settings to adjust your portfolio view.

There are two ways to start a Novelio story file:

• Start manually from a blank workspace.
• Start with Story Sync using the details from a manuscript.

Start Manually

1. Open Portfolio, if you aren’t already there.
2. Select New Story.
3. In the modal pop-up titled “Choose your story setup,” select Start Manually.
4. Input the story’s title. Click the blue Create Story button.
5. You will now be in that story’s main menu and can explore the various areas/portals, including Characters, Worldbuilding and Plotting.

Start with Story Sync

1. Open Portfolio, if you aren’t already there.
2. Select New Story.
3. In the modal pop-up titled “Choose your story setup,” select Start with Story Sync.
4. Input the story’s title. Click the blue Create Story button.
5. A welcome screen may appear before you upload a manuscript to help you understand how Story Sync works and guide you through the upload process. For more detail on file preparation, see Prepare your manuscript for Story Sync.
6. Upload your manuscript. Click the Upload Manuscript button.
7. Browse through the initial findings and select your preferred scan settings.
8. Click Start Scan. For the full scan walkthrough, see Run your first Story Sync scan.
9. Carefully review the results and apply the data you want to keep to the relevant Novelio story bible areas. For more detail on reviewing and applying results, see Review & Apply Story Sync Results.

Where your story bible lives

Novelio does not organize your story bible on one single page.

Instead, your story bible is built across the main story areas for that story. As you brainstorm and add details to each category, your story bible will grow into an interconnected resource.

What to open next

These are the main places to continue building your story bible:

• Characters for character profiles and details
• Worldbuilding for places, systems, and setting details
• Plotting for core plot structure. Includes a Plot Foundations page, an Element Library, and any other plotting workspaces you choose to add, such as timelines or structure templates.

If you run into a problem creating a story, contact support@novelio.app.