Question 1

What is Storybook: Master Novelist?

Accepted Answer

A native writing studio for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, built for fiction writers, especially those writing a series. You plan, draft, and finish your books with your whole story world (characters, places, timeline, structure) connected around the prose. Your statistics live in the Writer's Almanac, and your world lives in the Codex, browsable as a living family tree.

Question 2

Is it available now?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Storybook: Master Novelist is on the App Store now for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. One purchase covers all three.

Question 3

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

It is available now on the App Store for $89.99, a one-time purchase that covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with no subscription.

Question 4

How does sync work?

Accepted Answer

Through your own iCloud, automatically and privately. Write on your Mac in the morning and your iPhone at lunch, with no setup, no third-party accounts, and no conflicted copies. It works offline and catches up when you're back.

Question 5

Can I bring in a book I've already written?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Import plain text, Markdown, or RTF and Storybook splits it into chapters at your headings ('Chapter 12', 'Part II', 'Prologue') and even suggests codex entries from the names already in your prose. You choose which to keep.

Question 6

How do I learn it?

Accepted Answer

A seven-page welcome tour greets your first open, and one tap loads Emberfall, a small sample saga with chapters, characters, places, and a timeline already connected. Wander it, then start your own. Most writers are writing within minutes.

Question 7

What can I export?

Accepted Answer

Markdown, plain text, RTF (with your italics intact), and a submission-format PDF with title page, running header, one-inch margins, double-spaced. DOCX and ePub are on the roadmap.

Question 8

What happens if I delete something by accident?

Accepted Answer

Nothing is ever lost. Every delete has an undo window; after that, it rests in the Trash for 30 days and restores whole. A restored book rejoins its series with its cast, roles, and links intact. Chapters keep snapshots you can return to, and you can export your entire library as a single backup file.

Question 9

How is it different from Scrivener?

Accepted Answer

Scrivener is a powerful generalist with a famous learning curve and Dropbox-based mobile sync. Storybook is fiction-first and series-first: the story bible, timeline, and structure live inside the app and connect to your prose, sync is iCloud-automatic, and you'll be writing within minutes of opening it.

Question 10

How is it different from Ulysses or Bear?

Accepted Answer

Both are lovely for prose and notes. Neither is built for fiction: there's no cast of characters, no world bible, no in-world timeline, no per-book roles, no story structure. Storybook is a novelist's studio, not a text editor.

Question 11

What is the 16-beat story structure?

Accepted Answer

The Writing Quest method: sixteen beats across three acts, from the Hook and Inciting Incident through the Game-Changing Midpoint and Dark Moment to the Climactic Confrontation and Resolution, each with a gentle prompt. Chapters carry their own six beats: Set Up, Tension, Crossroads, Decision, Outcome, New Question. Use all of it, or none. It never nags.

Question 12

Is my writing private? Is there AI?

Accepted Answer

Your manuscript lives on your devices and in your private iCloud. We run no servers that see your words, and there are no AI features generating or training on your prose. Storybook is a craft tool. The words are yours.

Question 13

I use the Storybook Notion template. How does the app relate?

Accepted Answer

The app is the template's natural next home, made by the same team at Writing Quest. The same philosophy (everything connected, craft over clutter) rebuilt as a fast, native studio with a real editor, real sync, and a real safety net.

Question 14

What do I need to run it?

Accepted Answer

iPhone or iPad on iOS 17 or later, or a Mac on macOS 14 or later. It's a true native app on every platform, with no web wrapper.

Question 15

Can I use Save the Cat or the Hero's Journey instead of the 16-beat structure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every book chooses its own structure from nine: Three-Act (the Writing Quest 16 beats), Save the Cat, The Hero's Journey, The Story Circle, Seven-Point, Freytag's Pyramid, Kishōtenketsu, a fully Custom sheet, or No Structure at all. Switch any time; nothing is ever lost when you switch, because each template keeps its own notes.

Question 16

Can I number a novella Book 2.5?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Custom spine labels like 'Book 2.5', 'Novella', or 'Prequel' ride on top of your shelf order, so you can name a book anything you like. A saga can even number itself from the in-world timeline. Place a book on the timeline and the shelf renumbers to story chronology.

Question 17

What does the statistics page show?

Accepted Answer

It's the Writer's Almanac, a calm record of your writing life. A year-deep writing calendar, honest pace forecasts for each book ('Chart 512 words a day and your book makes port by 1 March'), which POV character owns what share of your words, your library pipeline, and records like best day and longest streak. The forecasts are gentle and never shame a quiet week.

Before you ask the librarian.

News from the writing room.