Manage ideas and notes

Templates

Templates offer ways to structure your thoughts and story concepts. Once filled out, they can serve as a jumping-off point to start a new story or as living documents that accompany your writing process.

To start from a template:

• On desktop, click the + New button in the top left corner of your dashboard.
  On mobile, click the + button in the center of your nav bar. at the bottom of the screen.

• From the menu, select From template to open the template picker.

• Select a template from the template picker. It will open as a new document where you can write, edit, collaborate, or draft as usual.

Available templates

Story structure templates

Story Planning Template (Preview →)

This template starts from the very beginning. Identify central ideas, outline your initial plot and narrative structure, establish key characters and their story arcs, and brainstorm different scenes or directions the story could go.

Scene Builder Template (Preview →)

For those who plan their stories scene-by-scene or need to figure out a particularly pivotal moment, this template offers the structure you need to create your scene's building blocks: the purpose, setting, tension, pacing, and more.

Story Opener Template (Preview →)

This template helps you set the stage and stakes for the first moments of your story or screenplay. Introduce your setting, characters, and themes, identify key dialogue, and let your opening develop momentum that pulls the reader in.

Conflicts, Stakes, and Tension Template (Preview →)

Design compelling struggles that drive your story forward. This template guides you through identifying different types and levels of conflict and what’s at stake—for both your characters and the wider world.

Themes and Symbolism Template (Preview →)

Planning a deeply symbolic or theme-driven story? Use this template to dig into the big idea, connect it to your characters and their motives, weave it into plot, develop symbolic imagery and dialogue, and set up the payoff at the end.

Character templates

Character Sheet Template (Preview →)

This template is a comprehensive guide for building detailed, multidimensional characters. It covers key aspects such as background, personality, relationships, motivations, and communication style, linking internal traits to outward behavior.

Character Arc Planning Template (Preview →)

Use this template to help develop a character’s emotional and psychological journey over the course of a narrative arc. Establish a character’s core traits, motivations, and fears, then map how those elements evolve—or resist change—through classic arc stages.

Character Emotional Wound Template (Preview →)

We all love an emotionally complex, damaged hero. This template helps you build a layered character backstory, examining family dynamics, formative relationships, and key life events that contribute to your character’s core emotional scar(s)—and explores the impact of those experiences on the character's actions and relationships today.

Character Relationship Template (Preview →)

This template helps you create deep, meaningful, lore-rich connections (and not just romantic ones!) between your characters. Explore the relationship's history, core memories, emotional dynamics, tensions, and more.

World-building templates

Backstory Planning Template (Preview →)

Use this template to explore the histories, memories, and events that happened before your story begins—so you can plan how the past informs your narrative.

Fictional Religion & Deity Template (Preview →)

Use this template to help you create a detailed fictional religion or belief system, complete with its own deity or reigning force. Fill out all points—or start with a few and use this template as a storytelling companion and source of truth as you create more of your world.

World-Building Planning Sheet (Preview →)

Whether you're writing high fantasy or historic fiction, your world needs depth and consistency. This template helps you develop your setting: fauna, faith, fashion, philosophy, and more.

TTRPG: World Building and Lore Template (Preview →)

World-building can be a wonderful, endless journey—but sometimes, you just need a place with enough background for your next session. This keeps you focused with core questions about the setting, cultures, key people, factions, and locations: enough structure for a world with depth and enough space for your players to get creative, too.

Templates for fanfiction

AU Planning Template (Preview →)

Add structure to your fanfiction or other AU (alternate universe) story planning for more intentional and consistent decisions on what's canon and what's changed.

Canon Divergence Template (Preview →)

Zoom in on how your story differs from canon. This template takes you through 30+ aspects to consider, from the point of divergence through the story's end.

Fandom Ship Template (Preview →)

Define your characters' relationship with a list of questions—from their defining moments to their playlists. With this template, things may be left unresolved or unsaid between them, but not between you and your headcanon.

Project planning templates

Creative Goals Template (Preview →)

A template for setting intentions and tracking your creative journey for a new project. What do you want to achieve? What excites you? What's causing worry? This template helps you set weekly goals, celebrate wins, and make space to reflect on the experience of writing, not only the output.

NaNoWriMo Project Survival Template (Preview →)

Taking part in a month-long autumnal writing marathon of 50,000 words, formerly known as NaNoWriMo? Stay sane with daily check-ins before and after your writing sessions.

Project Compass Template (Preview →)

From format and deadline to emotional journeys and inspirations, this template will help you find the creative north star of your new project.