storybuilder-org · terrycox · Dec 18, 2024 · Dec 14, 2024
diff --git a/_config.yml b/_config.yml
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@ title: StoryCAD Manual
 description: A help manual for StoryCAD
 theme: just-the-docs
 
-url: https://storybuilder-org.github.io/StoryBuilder-Manual/
+url: https://storybuilder-org.github.io/StoryCAD/
 
 aux_links:
-  StoryCAD Manual: https://github.com/storybuilder-org/StoryBuilder-Manual/docs/
+  StoryCAD Manual: https://storybuilder-org.github.io/StoryCAD/docs/
 
 # Footer "Edit this page on GitHub" link text
 gh_edit_link: true # show or hide edit this page link

diff --git a/docs/Back Matter/Back_Matter.md b/docs/Back Matter/Back_Matter.md
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ nav_order: 111
 parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
-# Back Matter
+# Back Matter
+
+Just a glossary, for now.
diff --git a/docs/Front Matter/Front_Matter.md b/docs/Front Matter/Front_Matter.md
@@ -6,4 +6,16 @@ nav_order: 1
 parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
-# Front Matter
+# Front Matter
+
+Writing fiction is tough. Modern novels typically contain between 70,000 and 100,000 words and can take a year or longer to write and edit. Starting a project of such magnitude without a plan is an invitation to disaster, but how do you plan something as complex as a novel?
+
+StoryCAD (distributed by storybuilder.org) is an outlining tool for fiction writers. It’s Computer Aided Design for fiction writers. The purpose of the outline is to manage complexity, a task made easier when you can visualize the structure of your story and individually address each of its many moving parts. The parts of good fiction are realistic, three-dimensional characters who are engaged in meaningful and gripping problems, dramatic and suspenseful plots, and settings that appeal to the senses. You fill in the blanks to create these story elements.
+
+StoryCAD eliminates writer’s block by providing thousands of suggestions or examples for the details of story elements. A collection of tools assists you in creating conflicts, understanding your characters, and building your plot. StoryCAD simplifies the outlining process, inspires, and keeps ideas flowing. Each story element has a list of key questions: a checklist to help you refine your work.
+
+StoryCAD helps you begin your story, but you can work on any part of it at any time; you can add scenes, develop characters, or improve the conflicts. Whatever your story needs, for any form of fiction or any genre, StoryCAD can help.
+
+StoryCAD frees your creativity and makes it fun. Mistakes in a StoryCAD outline aren't costly; you don't fill your trash can with them. You're free to change and revise, to make mistakes, and to experiment.  
+
+We hope you enjoy StoryCAD and find it useful to your craft.
diff --git a/docs/Front Matter/Preface.md b/docs/Front Matter/Preface.md
diff --git a/docs/Miscellaneous/Miscellaneous.md b/docs/Miscellaneous/Miscellaneous.md
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
 # Miscellaneous
+
+A few things you should know about StoryCAD, once you know your way around.
diff --git a/docs/Quick Start/Navigating_in_StoryCAD.md b/docs/Quick Start/Navigating_in_StoryCAD.md
@@ -6,4 +6,15 @@ nav_order: 24
 parent: Quick Start
 has_toc: false
 ---
-# Navigating in StoryCAD
+# Navigating in StoryCAD
+
+Your outline is a tree of story elements, which are displayed in the Navigation Pane. Here's how to move around in this visual tree, and within a story element, and how to edit properties on a story element.
+
+You can add and remove story elements either using the menu bar's Add button or via a fly-out panel from the Navigation Pane, as described below.
+
+A story element's Content Pane displays the properties of that story element. We organized the related properties into tabs as described below.
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/docs/Quick Start/Quick_Start.md b/docs/Quick Start/Quick_Start.md
@@ -6,4 +6,10 @@ nav_order: 7
 parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
-# Quick Start
+# Quick Start
+
+If you're new to StoryCAD, our powerful fiction outliner, this section will help you get going. StoryCAD will point you to other resources, such as our concept and introduction videos, comprehensive tutorials, FAQs, and periodic events. You'll soon master all the tools you need to craft your stories effectively.
+
+Remember: the best learning is doing. To learn to outline, outline.
+
+ Good luck, and pleasant writing.
diff --git a/docs/Reports/Reports.md b/docs/Reports/Reports.md
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ nav_order: 71
 parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
-# Reports
+# Reports
+
+After creating your outline in StoryCAD, it's essential to put it into action. Choose between our printed reports for easy reference or use the Scrivener import option to integrate your outline seamlessly into your writing workflow.
diff --git a/docs/Researching your story/Notes_Form.md b/docs/Researching your story/Notes_Form.md
@@ -7,9 +7,7 @@ parent: Researching your story
 has_toc: false
 ---
 ## Notes Form
-Notes Form
-
-Notes forms can be used to store any information you wish anywhere in the outline, this can be useful for writing down background information about your characters.
+Notes forms can store any information you wish anywhere in the outline. Most story elements include a Notes tab; however, you can add Notes forms for more in-depth research and store these anywhere within your outline.
 
 
 ![](../media/NotesElement.png)
diff --git a/docs/Researching your story/Researching_your_story.md b/docs/Researching your story/Researching_your_story.md
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ nav_order: 76
 parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
-# Researching your story
+# Researching your story
+
+Effective storytelling often requires thorough research. StoryCAD provides two story element types to support your research process: **Notes**  story elements, for capturing and organizing your ideas and observations, and  **WebPage** story elements, for seamlessly integrating online resources directly into your outline.
diff --git a/docs/Researching your story/Website_Form.md b/docs/Researching your story/Website_Form.md
@@ -7,20 +7,19 @@ parent: Researching your story
 has_toc: false
 ---
 ## Website Form
-Website Form
-The website form allows you store and view web pages easily and functions like a 			smaller version of your web browser. The URL you’re browsing is kept in the form.
+The website form allows you to store and view web pages easily and functions like a smaller version of your web browser. The form keeps the URL you're browsing.
 
 ![](../media/WebElementOverview.png)
 
-These buttons allow you to refresh, go forwards and respectively.
+These buttons allow you to refresh, go forwards and backwardrespectively.
 ![](../media/ReloadBackAndForward.png)
 
 ![](../media/SearchBar.png)
 
-This is the search bar, if you have a website link (URL) then you can paste it here and 		after clicking the search button it will load the website. Conversely if you don’t have a 		URL you can search a query such as a map of the world and it will search it using 
+This is the search bar. If you have a website link (URL) then you can paste it here and after clicking the search button it will load the website. Conversely if you don’t have a  URL, you can search a query such as a map of the world and it will search it using 
 Google.
 
-Example -  Planning out a fictional character.
+Example - Planning out a fictional character.
 
 1) Create a new website node, you can do this by right clicking a node and  then clicking then clicking the webpage icon (ALT + W).
 
@@ -40,5 +39,5 @@ Example -  Planning out a fictional character.
 
 We have now got a map of our fictional word and can start planning our story around this fictional world.
 
-Note: The Website Form requires the Microsoft Edge WebView 2 runtime, most 		Windows computers will already have this installed by default however if you are for any reason missing it, StoryCAD will ask to install it for you.
+Note: The Website Form requires the Microsoft Edge WebView 2 runtime.  Most Windows computers will already have this installed by default however if you are for any reason missing it, StoryCAD will ask to install it for you.
 
diff --git a/docs/Story Elements/Character_Form.md b/docs/Story Elements/Character_Form.md
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ nav_order: 42
 parent: Story Elements
 has_toc: false
 ---
-## Character Form
+## Character Form
+
+Characters are the individuals or entities that drive the story forward. Characters must be well-developed, with realistic traits and motivations that resonate with readers.
diff --git a/docs/Story Elements/Problem_Form.md b/docs/Story Elements/Problem_Form.md
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ nav_order: 36
 parent: Story Elements
 has_toc: false
 ---
-## Problem Form
+## Problem Form
+
+These are the conflicts faced by characters that propel the plot. You can break each problem down into smaller subproblems or scenes needing resolution.
diff --git a/docs/Story Elements/Scene_Form.md b/docs/Story Elements/Scene_Form.md
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ nav_order: 56
 parent: Story Elements
 has_toc: false
 ---
-## Scene Form
+## Scene Form
+
+Each scene represents a specific event or moment in the narrative, contributing to the overall plot progression. Every scene has a setting and a cast of one or more characters.
diff --git a/docs/Story Elements/Setting_Form.md b/docs/Story Elements/Setting_Form.md
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ nav_order: 53
 parent: Story Elements
 has_toc: false
 ---
-## Setting Form
+## Setting Form
+
+Settings are where the story occurs. A setting specifies a specific time and place. 
diff --git a/docs/Story Elements/Story_Elements.md b/docs/Story Elements/Story_Elements.md
@@ -6,4 +6,8 @@ nav_order: 30
 parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
-# Story Elements
+# Story Elements
+
+Your outline is a tree of Story Element nodes. Although there are story element node types for organizing the tree (Folder and Section) and for research (Notes and Webpage), they're described elsewhere in the manual. This section describer the five key story element types that are fundamental components that make up your story.
+
+We compose a story element from smaller fields that we call story properties. The content pane organizes related story properties as tabs for a story element.
diff --git a/docs/Story Elements/Story_Overview_Form.md b/docs/Story Elements/Story_Overview_Form.md
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ nav_order: 31
 parent: Story Elements
 has_toc: false
 ---
-## Story Overview Form
+## Story Overview Form
+
+The Story Overview provides a high-level summary of the story. Every story has just one story overview node, the root of the outline.
diff --git a/docs/Tools/Tools.md b/docs/Tools/Tools.md
@@ -6,4 +6,6 @@ nav_order: 61
 parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
-# Tools
+# Tools
+
+StoryCAD provides a suite of tools to support your outlining process. Some of these tools are easily accessible from the main menu for general tasks. StoryCAD locates other tools within a story element's form because they are specific to that element type.
diff --git a/docs/Tutorial Creating a Story/Tutorial_Creating_a_Story.md b/docs/Tutorial Creating a Story/Tutorial_Creating_a_Story.md
@@ -7,3 +7,9 @@ parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
 # Tutorial Creating a Story
+
+Once you know your way around the StoryCAD interface, it's time to create an outline. 
+
+This comprehensive tutorial guides you step-by-step through the development of an actual outline, demonstrating each action we took, to help you fully understand and utilize StoryCAD’s features effectively.
+
+The tutorial's too long for one sitting, so we've broken it up into a series of topics. We hope you find it useful.
diff --git a/docs/Writing with StoryCAD/Writing_with_StoryCAD.md b/docs/Writing with StoryCAD/Writing_with_StoryCAD.md
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ parent: Home
 has_toc: false
 ---
 # Writing with StoryCAD
-<br/>
-<br/>
+Once you're familiar with StoryCAD you can focus less on the tool and more on what you can do with it. Here are some topics to help with that.
 
 [How to Think About Outlining](How_to_Think_About_Outlining.html) <br/><br/>
 [Workflow](Workflow.html) <br/><br/>