Writing guides
Guides for planning stories, continuing a manuscript and managing your drafts.
From a brief to a first draft
Start with a conflict that moves the scene. An archivist wants a missing compass back; another character knows it has been seized as evidence. Both have a reason to hold something back, giving the scene a direction.
Choosing a fiction tool by its workflow
Choose a writing tool by the sequence you actually use: discuss a direction, save a draft, revise a specific version, recover an interrupted task and take the work with you. An advertised output length does not answer these workflow questions.
Five ways to make a story brief more useful
Give a character an actionable goal. “She is upset” describes a state; “she must retrieve a letter before the post office closes” drives action. Make the obstacle directly relevant to the goal.
A workflow from an idea to a reviewed draft
Test whether the conflict works before arranging scenes. What does each character want, why is it difficult to obtain and what will a choice cost? Answer those questions before deciding the sequence.
When to use a fiction-focused workspace
A fiction-focused workspace can bring manuscript, versions, planning and budget into one flow when you repeatedly discuss, continue and revise a work. You still need to define the creative goal and judge the result.
Five common fiction revision problems
Repeated emotional explanation weakens a scene. Keep actions or dialogue that change the next choice and remove explanation that adds no information.
Ten story directions and how to choose one
Try ten starting directions: a harbour mystery, city reunion, fantasy journey, space mission, historical letters, workplace decision, family secret, light comedy, coming-of-age story or repaired relationship. These are creative options, not a popularity ranking.
Writing and interaction from the same story
Writing Studio supports planning, generation and manuscript revision. Interactive stories let you enter a role and scene drawn from a story. Both start with fiction but serve different creative actions.