Help & Quick Start

Quick Start

1. Open the app: double-click StoryTimeLine-Premium-App.html (Premium) or visit the free web app.
2. Set a title: click the big title at the top and type your project/book/episode name.
3. Add a marker: click anywhere on the track. Give it a short label (1–2 words).
4. Move markers: drag them left/right. Guides can move; guides cannot be deleted.
5. Edit details: click a marker, then use the Inspector (label, color, note).
6. Print: use Print / Save as PDF for a clean, page-ready layout.

Concept: the line represents your story from 0% → 100%. Place beats where they land in the flow. Fast, visual, and flexible.

Toolbar

• Zoom + / − — change scale to place beats precisely.
• Reset View — restore default zoom/offset.
• Fit 0–100% — jump back to the full line.
• Delete Marker — deletes the selected non-guide marker (button is greyed out for guides).
• New Timeline — starts fresh with three movable act guides.
• Grid: Auto / 5% — toggle tick density for reference.
• Save Timeline / Load / Export TXT (Premium) — file features (see below).
• Print / Save as PDF — opens your browser print dialog with a clean layout.
• Presets (Premium) — load beat templates; free build shows locks.

Markers & Notes

• Add: click empty space on the track.
• Move: drag left/right. Labels auto-stagger to avoid overlap.
• Inspect/Edit: click a marker → edit Label, Color, Note in the Inspector.
• Edit % exactly: in the Markers list, click the percentage on the right → type a number (0–100) and press Enter.
• Delete: select a non-guide marker → Delete (toolbar or Inspector). Guides can’t be deleted.
• Tooltips: hover a custom marker to preview its note.

Grid, Zoom & Pan

• Grid: Auto adapts to zoom; 5% shows fixed ticks.
• Zoom: use buttons for fine control.
• Pan: drag empty space on the track with the mouse (right/secondary drag if you’ve set left click to add markers).
• Scroll: use the bottom slider or your trackpad/mouse wheel to move horizontally across long timelines.

Presets (Premium)

Load curated beat maps (Romance, Thriller, TV Pilot, Hero’s Journey, Save the Cat, etc.). Presets add labeled markers on top of act guides. In the free build, preset options are locked to showcase what’s included.

Save / Load (Premium)

• Save Timeline — downloads a .json file with your title, markers, colors, and notes.
• Load Timeline — import a previously saved .json.
• Export TXT — quick, human-readable outline with percentages and notes.
• Tip: keep versioned saves like project-outline-v03.json.

Exports: Scrivener, Plottr, Final Draft (Premium)

Scrivener (Recommended)

1. In Story(Time)Line: choose Export OPML (Scrivener).
2. In Scrivener: File → Import → OPML file…
3. Your acts/beats come in as an outline; notes appear under each item.

Why this is best: OPML maps cleanly to Scrivener’s binder structure with minimal cleanup.

Watch the tutorial: See how to export your timeline into Scrivener step-by-step in this short video.
▶ Watch on YouTube

Plottr

1. In Story(Time)Line: choose Export DOCX (Plottr).
2. In Plottr: use its DOCX import. Headings become cards; notes appear inside the card.

Heads-up: Plottr may re-order headings on import. If a few beats look out of order, just drag the cards into place. Notes are inline on the card.

Final Draft

1. In Story(Time)Line: choose Export FDX (Final Draft).
2. Open the .fdx in Final Draft. Beats import as paragraphs; you can format into scene headings later.

Hack Tip (Plottr via Scrivener)

1. Export OPML from Story(Time)Line and import it into Scrivener.
2. Save the project in Scrivener (creates a .scriv project).
3. In Plottr: Import → Scrivener and select that .scriv project.

This route keeps order and structure more reliably than direct DOCX into Plottr.

Print / Save as PDF

• Click Print / Save as PDF in the toolbar.
• Use your browser’s dialog to select “Save as PDF” or a printer.
• Layout is optimized in print view (clean baseline, compact labels).

Tips & Troubleshooting

• Labels overlap? Zoom in or toggle grid to place precisely; labels auto-stagger on release.
• Can’t delete a marker? Guides (Act I/II/III) are non-deletable by design.
• Nothing saves between visits? That’s the free web build. Premium enables file save/load.
• PDF looks cramped? Use landscape orientation or reduce scale in the print dialog.
• Preset won’t load? Presets are premium; the free build shows them as locked.

Privacy & License

• Free web app: no personal data collected.
• Payments: handled by Lemon Squeezy. We do not store card details. See Lemon Squeezy’s Privacy Policy.
• License: personal use. Redistribution/resale prohibited. See Privacy & Terms.

Contact

Questions or ideas? Use the contact form on the site: story-timeline.com/contact