Getting started with NovelCanon

To get started with NovelCanon, create a project (or import a manuscript you already have), connect your own AI provider key, and write a scene of at least 100 words. From then on, NovelCanon tracks the facts your story states and flags contradictions as you write.

Step 1: Create a project or import your manuscript

A project holds one book: its chapters, scenes and Story Bible.

• Starting fresh: on your dashboard, click + New project, give it a title (genre, description and a target word count are optional), then click Create project. A new project starts empty: click + Add chapter in the left sidebar, then + Add scene inside the chapter.
• Bringing a book in: click Import manuscript instead. NovelCanon reads DOCX, PDF, EPUB, Markdown, plain text and Scrivener files and splits them into chapters and scenes for you. See Import your manuscript.

Step 2: Connect your AI key

NovelCanon is bring-your-own-key: AI features run on your own provider account, and the provider bills you directly, with no markup from us. Open API keys in the top bar and either click Connect OpenRouter (no key to copy) or paste an OpenAI, Anthropic or Google key.

You can write without a key, but the AI tools, fact tracking and importing need one. See Connect an AI key (and what it costs).

Step 3: Write your first scene

Open a scene and start typing. Your work saves automatically, to your device first and then to your account, and every save can be restored from History.

Once a scene has at least 100 words and you have a key connected, NovelCanon reads it in the background and records the facts it states: a character's eye colour, where someone was born, a rule of your magic system. Shorter scenes are skipped because there isn't enough text to read reliably.

In the editor:

• ✦ AI opens the AI panel: continue the scene, enhance a passage, brainstorm or write dialogue.
• ⚠ Consistency shows contradictions found so far.
• History restores earlier versions of the scene.

Step 4: Find your way around a project

The left sidebar of every project has:

• Overview: chapters, word count and progress.
• Story bible, with Characters, Worldbuilding, Plot threads and Timeline beneath it. A number next to Story bible means suggested entries are waiting for your review.
• Plan: Corkboard (every scene as an index card you can drag to restructure) and Beat sheets.
• Tools: Consistency (every contradiction and tracked fact in one place), AI Chat (ask questions about your book) and Reading mode.
• Chapters: your manuscript itself.

What happens when my 14-day Pro trial ends?

Every new account starts with 14 days of Pro. When the trial ends you move to the Free plan unless you choose a paid one, and no card is needed for Free.

On Free you keep one editable project with its first three chapters. Anything beyond that becomes read-only, never deleted: you can still open, read and export it, and upgrading makes it editable again. To pick which project stays editable, open the project's menu on the dashboard and choose Make this my editable project. Plans and prices are on the pricing page.