🖌️Templates

Organize story elements into a clear structure.

Custom templates are a part of Fortelling Pro

What is a writing template?

A writing template is a predefined structure that helps you record and organize details about your story elements.

Writing templates in Fortelling include ready made fields you can fill in. For example: • Characters: age, gender, species, personality, languages • Locations: geography, climate, fauna, culture, politics • Worldbuilding: history, societies, magic systems, unique lore

Templates keep your story consistent and structured, making it easier to build complex worlds and track important details.

Do you need templates for worldbuilding?

Templates give you control and flexibility. You can:

• Use the default templates for quick setup

• Create custom templates for the details you want to track

• Pair custom templates with custom story elements you invent

For example, if you create a story element called Energy, you can design a template to track fields like:

• Type of energy

• Power level

• Source or origin

• Side effects

This way, Fortelling adapts to your imagination instead of forcing you into preset categories.

Default templates

Each built-in story element includes ready-to-use fields:

• Characters: age, gender, species, personality, languages, backstory

• Locations: description, culture, climate, key events

• Items: type, rarity, abilities, lore

These templates let you start organizing right away.

Custom templates (Fortelling Pro)

Custom templates let you shape story elements around your own ideas. You can:

• Add existing preset fields

• Build custom fields in formats like:

  • Text for descriptions or lore

  • Slider for stats or traits (e.g., courage, danger, morality)

  • Story element link to connect with other elements (e.g., home city, energy type, magic system)

  • Selector for dropdown lists (e.g., rarity, faction, exam rank)

• Assign icons to make fields easier to recognize

How to create a custom template

1. Open your project and go to Settings

2. Under Story Elements, select Tools

3. Choose the element type you want (or your own custom element, like Energy)

4. Tap the + bar at the bottom

5. Select Create Template, then choose Custom Template

6. Name your template and add the fields you need

To download or share templates, use Import from InkLink.

InkLink

How to apply a template

1. Open the story element you want to edit

2. Tap the Edit (pencil) button at the top

3. Under Attributes, open the dropdown menu on the right

4. Select the template you created

Your fields appear instantly, ready to fill.

Tips and tricks

• Pair custom story elements with templates to create completely new tools (for example, “Energy Systems,” “Magic Schools,” or “Political Factions”)

• Keep a separate template for main characters and minor characters so you only see the details you need

• For tabletop RPGs, create templates for quests, encounters, or NPCs to streamline prep

• Use sliders to compare traits at a glance (e.g., power levels, loyalty, danger rating)

Conclusion

Templates give you the freedom to design Fortelling around your story instead of the other way around. Use the defaults for fast organization, or unlock Fortelling Pro to create custom templates that capture every unique detail of your world.

Interactive tutorial

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