Author's Forge templates are pre-made Markdown files that help you plan and organize your writing. They're designed to work seamlessly with the Notes feature in Author's Forge.
What Are Templates?
Templates are structured documents with sections, prompts, and checklists to guide your writing process. We offer templates for:
- Novel Outlines — Plan your story with three-act structure, chapter breakdowns, and scene cards
- Character Profiles — Develop deep, consistent characters with personality, backstory, and relationships
- World Building — Create rich settings with geography, cultures, magic systems, and history
- Query Letters — Craft compelling pitches to literary agents
- Series Bibles — Track continuity across multiple books
- Short Story Planners — Streamlined planning for shorter works
Downloading Templates
Visit authorsforge.com/resources/templates to browse available templates. Each template has a preview so you can see what's included before downloading.
Click the Download button to save the .md file to your computer.
Installing Templates in Author's Forge
Templates are installed as Notes in your Library. You'll use your computer's file manager to copy the template into your Library folder.
Step 1: Find Your Library Folder
Your Library is stored as a regular folder on your computer. If you're not sure where it is, open Author's Forge and go to Help → Show Library in Files. This will open the folder in Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows).
Step 2: Locate the Notes Folder
Using Finder or File Explorer, navigate inside your Library folder. You'll see a notes folder—this is where all your Library-wide notes are stored.
Step 3: Copy the Template
Copy the downloaded .md file into the notes folder. You can drag and drop from your Downloads folder, or use copy/paste.
Step 4: Restart Author's Forge
Close Author's Forge completely and reopen it. Your new template will now appear in your Library's Notes section, ready to use!
Using Your Template
Once installed, the template appears in your Notes. Click to open it and start filling in the sections.
Templates use Markdown formatting with headers (##) to organize sections. You can:
- Edit directly — Type over the placeholder text
- Duplicate — Create copies for multiple characters, locations, etc.
- Customize — Add or remove sections to fit your needs
Tips for Template Use
One template per file — Keep each character profile, world guide, or outline in its own note for easy access.
Rename thoughtfully — Give your filled templates clear names like "Character - Elena" or "World - Veloria" so you can find them quickly.
Keep originals — Consider keeping a blank copy of each template so you can easily start new ones.
Link to your work — Reference your notes from your chapters using the bookshelf's shared context. The AI features can access all notes on the same bookshelf.
Creating Your Own Templates
Any note can become a template! Create your own by:
- Creating a new note in Author's Forge
- Adding your structure with headers and sections
- Using the Library folder to copy the .md file for reuse
Your files are just Markdown, so you have full control.