Using Templates

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 on a bookshelf. In Author's Forge, notes live inside a bookshelf—not at the top level of your Library—so you'll copy the template into a bookshelf's notes folder using your computer's file manager.

Step 1: Make Sure You Have a Bookshelf

Notes belong to a bookshelf, and a brand-new Library has none until you create one. Open Author's Forge and make sure you have at least one Bookshelf—if you don't, create one first. The bookshelf is what holds the notes folder you'll copy the template into.

Step 2: 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 3: Open Your Bookshelf's Notes Folder

Inside your Library folder, open the Bookshelves folder, then open your bookshelf. There you'll find a notes folder—this is where that bookshelf's notes are stored.

Step 4: Copy the Template

Copy the downloaded .md file into the bookshelf's notes folder. You can drag and drop from your Downloads folder, or use copy/paste.

Step 5: Restart Author's Forge

Close Author's Forge completely and reopen it. Your new template will now appear under Notes for that bookshelf, 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:

1. Creating a new note in Author's Forge
2. Adding your structure with headers and sections
3. Copying its .md file from your bookshelf's notes folder to reuse it

Your files are just Markdown, so you have full control.