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OnwarderStart writing

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Your first book

Start a book, find your way around the page, add chapters and scenes, and get back to where you left off.

For all devices. Checked 17 October 2026.

This is a short tour for your first ten minutes. Nothing here needs setting up first: you can start typing as soon as the book opens and come back to the rest later.

Start the book

  1. In your library, type a working title. On a computer the field is Start a book or Working title; on a phone, tap New book first.
  2. Choose Start writing.

The book opens with Chapter One and one scene called Untitled scene. The caret is on the page. Type.

To give the scene a name, select Untitled scene above the prose and type over it. Press Enter to go back to your writing.

Find your way around

On a computer the window has three parts:

  • On the left, the scene list (Chapters and scenes). Every chapter and scene in order. Select a scene to open it. Below it, Writing tools opens everything else: Story bible, Scene history, Milestones, Finish your book and more.
  • In the middle, the page. Your scene. Above it are Find in book (the magnifying glass), Story bible, Export, Focus and the … button, which opens This book: Whole chapter, drafts, and the way into Settings.
  • On the right, the desk. Notes about the scene you are in: its card, what is true at this point in the story and its continuity. Fold it away with the arrow, or press Cmd+. on a Mac (Ctrl+. on Windows and Linux).

On a phone, the same things are on three tabs at the bottom: Write, Story bible and Book. Tap the scene title at the top for the scene list.

A quieter start. The first time you open a book, some tools are folded away so the page is calm. Choose Show all tools at the end of the scene list when you want them.

Add scenes and chapters

  1. In the scene list, choose Add scene or Add chapter. On a phone, tap the scene title, then New scene or New chapter.
  2. Type a title, or leave it for later.
  3. Choose Create scene or Create chapter.

To rename, move or delete a scene or chapter, use the … beside it in the scene list. See Chapters and scenes.

Your writing saves itself

There is no save button you need to remember. At the foot of the page, Onwarder tells you where your words are, for example Saved on this device 14:02. If anything ever stops it saving, it says so in the same place, in plain words, and tells you what to do. Read How your writing is saved for the details.

Pressing Cmd+S (or Ctrl+S) saves straight away, if it makes you feel better. It does no harm.

Come back later

Open your library and choose Continue writing. Onwarder opens the book you were in, at the scene you were in.

To go back to your library from a book, select the Onwarder name at the top of the scene list, or tap Books on a phone.

Next steps