Guide

How to write a story

A story is plain text: one block per scene. You don't need to memorise anything: the editor suggests words as you type, underlines mistakes with the fix, and the All words panel lists everything below. Or let an AI write it with Write with AI.

The shape of a scene

=== place | option | optionstarts a scene. Options are optional: a time of day, weather, season, camera move, music, or a length like 4s.

people: pose position mood gesture@secondswho is in the scene, separated by commas. Add something to hold (coffee, umbrella…) or extras like elder.

props: object positionobjects standing in the scene: a dog, a bicycle, a tree…

caption: textbig text at the top of the picture: a few words.

left: / right: texta chat message from the person on that side. Typing dots appear first.

sfx: sound @seconds volume%sound effects, separated by commas.

any other linea subtitle at the bottom. On quote and cta cards, it's the card's text.

example.txtOpen in editor

title: My Story
 
=== quote | 4s
Every book starts with one page.
 
=== study | night | 4s
people: sit center tired head-in-hands@0.6
caption: Day 12.
She wanted to write a whole novel.
sfx: tick 60%, sigh @1.2
 
=== room | evening
people: stand near-left worried, stand near-right phone
left: How's the book going?
right: I can't even start.
 
=== cta | 4s
Episode 1
Write one page today.

Every word

181 words in 12 groups.

Places

Start a scene: === place | options

roombright home interior: window with daylight, curtains, plant, lamp; wall tracker with tracker:

streetstreet with buildings and a streetlight (night by default); add bus-stop

officeoffice desk with laptop, chair, city window with blinds, shelf, clock

parktrees and grass swaying in a breeze; seasons and times of day; add bench

sunriseopen hills under a warm sunrise: the payoff shot

blackdark stage with a soft floor spot

studydesk at night with lamp, books, notebook, bookshelf, corkboard

examexam hall: ticking clock, rows of students, exam paper on the desk

homedining table under a pendant lamp, plates, family photo (evening)

bedroombed, nightstand alarm clock, curtains, window (morning); people can lie or sit

kitchenkitchen: cabinets, tiled wall, counter, sink, steaming kettle, fridge (morning)

cafecafe: brick wall, big window with people passing, chalk menu, counter, pendant lamps; seat two at the table: sit left, sit right

classroomclassroom: chalkboard, clock, classmates in a row, a desk with notebook

librarylibrary: tall bookshelves, reading table with a green lamp and books

gymgym: dumbbell rack, treadmill, barbell, high windows

hospitalhospital room: bed with rails, IV pole, heart monitor; people can lie in the bed

stationtrain platform: waiting train with lit windows, clock, PLATFORM sign (evening)

rooftopcity rooftop at night: skyline, water tank, string lights

beachbeach: sea with rolling waves, sand, palm tree, gulls (evening sun on the water)

forestforest: layers of trees, light shafts, ferns swaying, a path

mountainmountains: snowy peaks, drifting valley mist, a trail (morning)

phoneclose-up of a phone screen; set it with screen:

watchclose-up of a smartwatch; set it with screen:

trackerclose-up of a habit tracker sheet; set it with tracker:

quoteblack card with a white serif quote (the lines below are the quote)

ctaclosing card: a label like 'Episode 1', your line, and an optional last line

Scene options

Add to a scene header after |, e.g. === park | evening | autumn

morningtime of day: soft warm morning light

daytime of day: bright daylight

eveningtime of day: golden sunset sky, lamps glowing

nighttime of day: dark sky, moon, lit windows and lamps

summerseason (park): full green trees, light motes on the wind

springseason (park): fresh trees, drifting petals

autumnseason (park): golden trees, drifting leaves

winterseason (park): bare trees, snowy ground

rainanimated rain

snowanimated falling snow

fogsoft drifting fog

stormdark sky, rain and lightning flashes (add sfx: thunder)

bencha park bench people sit on (park)

bus-stopa bus shelter with a bench and sign (street)

ringvibration rings around a phone or watch

redaccent color for the focal item: struggle, alarms, failure

cyanaccent color for the focal item: progress

yellowaccent color for the focal item: warmth, payoff

zoomcamera: slow push in

zoom-outcamera: slow pull back

punchcamera: quick snap in (good for close-ups)

staticcamera: no movement

music padsfrom this scene on: calm, low ambient music

music buildfrom this scene on: piano that builds to a climax

music nonefrom this scene on: no music

4sscene length in seconds (leave out to time it from the text)

Lines in a scene

Each goes on its own line under the scene header

people:who is in the scene, comma-separated: pose, position, mood, gesture

caption:big text at the top of the picture

props:objects in the scene, comma-separated: object and position

(plain text)any other line is a subtitle at the bottom (or the text on quote/cta cards)

left:a chat message from the person on the left

right:a chat message from the person on the right

sfx:sound effects: name, @start seconds, volume %

tracker:habit tracker marks: count, fail or done, total, title

screen:phone/watch screen: big text | small label | button

# notea note for yourself; not shown in the video

Poses

On a people: line, e.g. people: walk left

standstanding, breathing, blinking

slumpstanding, defeated and bent forward

walkwalking across the frame

runrunning across the frame

sitsitting: behind a desk/table, or facing you on a bench/bed

lielying in bed under a blanket

Positions

On a people: line

far-leftposition: at the far left

leftposition: left

near-leftposition: just left of center (close enough to touch someone near-right)

centerposition: in the middle

near-rightposition: just right of center

rightposition: right

far-rightposition: at the far right

Person extras

On a people: line

elderolder person: smaller, slower, hair bun, cane

watchwears a glowing smartwatch

in-placewalks or runs on the spot instead of crossing the frame

face-leftlooks / walks to the left

face-rightlooks / walks to the right

Things to hold

On a people: line, e.g. people: walk center umbrella

umbrellaholds an open umbrella over their head

coffeeholds a steaming cup of coffee

bagcarries a bag

briefcasecarries a briefcase

flowersholds a bouquet of flowers

giftholds a wrapped gift

ballholds a ball

letterholds a letter

Moods

On a people: line, for the whole scene, e.g. people: stand center sad

neutraldefault: open eyes, relaxed

happysmiling closed eyes, a small happy lift

saddrooping lids, head down

tiredheavy half-closed lids, head low

surprisedwide eyes, a quick jolt

worriedworried lids, quick breathing, a bead of sweat

determinedfocused narrowed eyes, chest up

angryhard slanted lids, tense

calmsoftly lowered lids, slow breathing

sleepyclosed eyes, nodding, floating z's

cryingtears falling, shoulders shaking

hopefulhead up, eyes looking ahead

excitedwide eyes, bouncing

nervousworried eyes, quick breathing, sweat

proudsmiling eyes, chin up, chest out

lonelysad eyes looking down, slow breathing

shyeyes lowered, a soft blush

boredheavy lids, looking away

confusedone eye squinting, head tilted, a floating ?

Gestures

On a people: line; add @seconds to time it, e.g. wave@1.5

wavewaves a hand, then lowers it

pointpoints ahead

phonelooks at a phone, screen lighting the face (also while walking or lying)

readholds an open book, head down

thinkhand under the chin, eyes up

facepalmpalm to the forehead, head drops

head-in-handshands to the temples, head bowed

shrugshoulders up, palms out

cheerboth arms up, bouncing

clapclaps a few times

nodnods yes

shakeshakes head no

sighshoulders rise, then drop

wipe-tearswipes the eyes now and then

comfortreaches to the shoulder of the person beside them

look-upslowly lifts the head

look-downslowly lowers the head

hughugs the person they face (stand them near-left / near-right)

hand-on-hearthand on the heart, eyes softly closed

stretchstretches both arms up high

cover-earscovers both ears

salutesalutes

bowbows

jumpjumps for joy, twice

look-aroundlooks left and right

Objects

On a props: line with a position, e.g. props: dog left, tree right

doga dog, wagging its tail

cata sitting cat, tail swaying

birda small bird hopping and pecking

bicyclea bicycle

cara parked car

suitcasea suitcase

backpacka backpack on the ground

guitara guitar leaning

planta potted plant

chaira chair

balla ball

gifta wrapped gift box

trophya gold trophy

flowersa vase of flowers

trash-bina trash bin

boxa cardboard box

treea single tree swaying

Sounds

On an sfx: line, e.g. sfx: rain, birds @1 60%

alarmphone alarm beeping

beepsingle device beep

dingnotification chime

clicksoft marker tap + scribble

tickclock ticking

paperpaper rustle

rainsteady rain

breezesoft breeze through leaves

windcold wind

footstepswalking footsteps

runningrunning footsteps

knockknock on a door

thudsomething dropped / sits down

heartbeatheartbeat

whooshsoft airy swish for montage cuts

chimegentle bell, a calmer alternative for cuts

popsoft message pop (chat bubbles)

swellwarm opening swell (channel signature)

signaturethree-note ending motif (channel signature)

applausepeople clapping, swelling then fading

typingtyping on a keyboard

wavesocean waves rolling in

thunderdistant thunder rumble

cara car passing by

crowdmurmur of a crowd or busy cafe

traintrain rolling on the tracks

firecrackling fire

doora door creaking open, then closing

birdsbirds at dawn

sighsoft exhale

Story settings

At the very top of the file

title:the story's title (top of the file)

aspect:video format: 9:16 (Shorts/Reels) or 16:9 (YouTube)