Your First Book

Start your first book now! Complete guide to setting up your story with popular templates including Hero's Journey, Three-Act Structure, and Save the Cat.

Last updated: October 2025

When you first sign in to your account, you'll arrive at your Library page. This is your personal workspace where all your books will be organized and accessible. Right now it's empty, but that's about to change!

Step 1: Create Your First Book

On your Library page, you’ll see a button to create your first book. Click this button to get started, and a dialog window will open with several fields to complete.

Empty Library

Step 2: Fill in Your Book Details

The book creation dialog helps you set up the foundation of your story. Here’s what you’ll need to provide:

Create Book Dialog

Book Title

Enter the title of your book. Don’t worry if you’re not completely decided, yet. You can always change this later. Many writers start with a working title and refine it as their story develops.

Author Name

This is where you enter your name or pen name as it should appear on your book. Whether you’re writing under your real name or a pseudonym, this field establishes you as the creator.

Genre Selection

Choose the genre that best fits your story from the dropdown menu. Selecting the right genre helps the platform provide you with relevant templates and structure. Common fiction genres include:

  • Fantasy
  • Science Fiction
  • Mystery
  • Thriller
  • Romance
  • Literary Fiction
  • And many more!

Template Selection

This is where the magic happens! Templates are pre-built story structures designed to help you start writing immediately. Each template automatically generates parts and chapters based on proven storytelling frameworks.

Available Templates:

  • Hero’s Journey: Based on Joseph Campbell’s classic monomyth structure, this template includes stages like the Ordinary World, Call to Adventure, Trials, Climax, and Return. Perfect for adventure, fantasy, and transformation stories.

  • Three-Act Structure: The traditional beginning, middle, and end framework with chapters pre-organized into Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution. A versatile choice that works for most genres.

  • Save the Cat: Based on Blake Snyder’s popular screenwriting method, this template includes beats like Opening Image, Catalyst, Midpoint, All Is Lost, and Final Image. Great for plot-driven stories with strong pacing.

  • Blank Template: Prefer to start from scratch? This option creates an empty book where you can build your own structure from the ground up.

Step 3: Create Your Book

Once you’ve filled in all the details, click the Save button at the bottom of the dialog. The platform will instantly generate your book structure and add it to your Library.

You’ll return to your Library page where you’ll now see your newly created book displayed. Click on your book to open it and start writing!

Tips for Success

  • Don’t feel locked in: Templates are starting points, not rigid rules. Feel free to add, remove, or reorganize chapters as your story evolves.

  • Research your template: The chapter names provide subtle guidance, but understanding the full framework will help you even more. If you chose Hero’s Journey, Three-Act Structure, or Save the Cat, consider looking up these storytelling methods online to deepen your understanding.

  • Start anywhere: You don’t have to begin with Chapter 1. Many writers find it easier to start with a scene they’re excited about and fill in the rest later.

  • Save automatically: Your work saves as you write, so you never have to worry about losing progress.

What Happens Next?

After creating your book and clicking it in your Library, you’ll enter your book’s workspace. Here you’ll see:

  • Insights: Track your progress with statistics like word count, pages, and reading time. View readability metrics including Flesch reading ease scores to understand your writing style at a glance.

  • Parts and Chapters: Your template has automatically created a complete story structure with named parts and chapters. The chapter names provide hints about what typically happens in that section of your chosen structure.

  • Writing Space: Click on any chapter to start writing immediately. Each chapter is a blank canvas ready for your words.

  • Easy Navigation: Move between chapters seamlessly as inspiration strikes. You don’t have to write in order. Just jump to whichever scene excites you most!

Now head to your Library and click that “Create Book” button. Your story is waiting to be told!