A comfortable place to begin.

Your first few minutes

1. Open the workspace using the same browser profile each time. You start with an untitled project and an empty book—no example chapters, scene titles, characters, research, or prose to delete.
2. Start writing without setting up a file. Changes and two recent recovery copies save automatically in this browser on your phone or PC. To reopen an exported workspace, use Help → Backups & recovery → Restore a backup to reopen existing work.
3. Rename your project and book when you are ready, then add your own chapter and scene. New projects also start with just an empty book. Click a chapter or manuscript to read its scenes continuously.
4. Add characters, research, timelines, and notes using the add menus. Details live in cards; the rich text editor is for prose.

Automatic saves on this device

TaleSpyre automatically saves your workspace and keeps the latest two recovery copies in this browser on your phone or PC. This includes your projects, writing, planning, attachments, and saved revisions. You do not need to press Save, choose a folder, grant file access, or download anything for normal use. Wait for “Saved on this device” before closing the tab.

To review a recent local copy, open Help → Backups & recovery and select Review latest automatic copy or Review previous automatic copy. Confirming recovery creates separate projects without replacing current work. These are two recent snapshots, not a full history of every save.

Local only means this exact browser profile on this device. There is no upload, cloud sync, or account-based recovery. Another phone, computer, browser, private window, or website address does not automatically have your writing. Clearing browser data or losing the device can remove both the working copy and its automatic recovery copies.

Optional: a separate automatically updated file

In supported desktop Chrome or Edge browsers, choose a new, empty JSON file from Backups & recovery. Allow file access. Successful saves and attachment changes update the complete archive. Reconnect if the browser asks again after reopening. TaleSpyre refuses to replace a nonempty file during initial setup; restore it first and choose a new file.

Optional, recommended safety downloads

You do not have to download files to keep working. For extra safety, use Download complete workspace for every project, or Export & backup for a single project. Complete backups include writing, planning, links, citations, attachments, captions, saved revisions, and trash. Keep dated copies on another drive or in a storage service of your choice. The automatic file is a current snapshot, not a collection of older backup versions.

Check and restore

To remove a project, open the project switcher, choose Delete project, and confirm moving it to Trash. If it is your last project, a new empty one is created. Trash includes deleted projects and items from all projects on this device. Restore brings them back. Delete permanently and Empty trash each require a separate confirmation; they remove the selected material, owned files and revisions, and clear the two recent automatic recovery copies. Archived items are not emptied. Downloaded safety backups are not changed.

1. Use Check a backup file to verify its integrity and record references without importing anything.
2. Choose Restore a backup and select a JSON file (up to 256 MB).
3. Review project, file, and revision counts. Legacy TaleSpyre/Folio files are accepted, but older text-only backups cannot supply attachments or revision history.
4. Confirm Restore as separate projects. Existing projects stay intact. All imported records are saved together; a failed import rolls back.
5. Check the restored writing and attachments. Local saving and recovery copies continue automatically; a separate file connection is optional.

Backups are readable JSON, not encrypted. The integrity check detects accidental damage; it is not proof of who created a file. Only open backups from people you trust.

Never clear site data to fix a problem before making and checking a backup. Private browsing, browser cleanup, storage limits, or moving from www to a different site address can make local work unavailable. Persistent browser storage can reduce automatic eviction; it cannot prevent deliberate deletion or device failure.

Plan as much—or as little—as you need

Research starts with questions and gaps. Add sources manually, connect findings to scenes, and choose Light, Practical, or Scholarly fields in project settings. URLs are not fetched automatically.

Architecture, Story Bible, Continuity, Revision, and Story Health help connect your plans. Templates are optional. Warnings are rule-based suggestions to review, never automatic changes to your manuscript.

Custom calendars and advanced continuity remain experimental. Date validation does not mean age, travel, knowledge, fact ranges or visual timelines consistently use that calendar. Review all warnings yourself.

Project-wide resources serve multiple books. Book-specific resources stay with that manuscript. Linking a resource to scenes and chapters records where it is used; review placement prompts when use spans books.

Find your writing rhythm

Titles are editable in the manuscript. Scenes are left aligned and chapter headings are centered. Use the expandable editor tools for formatting. Collapse the project tree and side panels on small screens, or enter Focus mode.

Font controls work with fonts installed on your device, or fonts loaded through your own Adobe Fonts web project. Choosing a font name does not install or license it; the browser uses a fallback when it is unavailable.

The tree opens items in the current workspace tab by default. Item menus offer a new tab, and settings can change the default. Export prose to DOCX, Markdown, plain text, or PDF through the print dialog. A manuscript export is not a complete workspace backup.

Undo handles recent edits. The inspector’s history lets you review saved scene versions. Trash keeps removed items available for restoration.

If something seems wrong

• Another tab saved first: keep the conflict tab open and recover your writing as a separate copy. Do not overwrite blindly.
• Saving failed: keep the tab open. Resolve the displayed error and try again before closing it. Draft recovery is best effort, not a substitute for backups.
• Backup access expired: reconnect from Backups & recovery. Check the last successful file-backup time.
• Workspace looks empty: check the exact website address, browser, and profile you used, then restore a known backup. Do not clear any other browser’s data.
• Mobile or Safari/Firefox: download backups manually for extra safety when direct file updates are unavailable. Automatic local saves and recovery copies still work without downloads.

Need help? Prepare a private feedback report or email support@talespyre.com. Include reproduction steps; leave private writing out unless you choose to share it.