Library cards and the relationship map

The Library holds one card for each person, place, or thing in the book. The switch at the top left turns the page between Cards, Map, Notes, and Pictures. Notes lists every note in the book (see Notes). Pictures shows every picture in the book in one place: where each one is used, a Save a copy button, and Delete N unused to take pictures nothing uses off the disk.

Map and Pictures are among the tools that wait behind Show more tools in Settings. They show once it is on, or once the book has a link between cards (for the map) or a picture. See Every setting.

Cards#

A card has a name, a category, a summary, and a body. It can also have:

• Aliases, one per line. Other names the same thing goes by.
• Tags, comma separated.
• Your own fields, such as “Eye color.” Add them at the bottom of the card. A field can be a single line, a paragraph that grows as you write, or a checklist.
• A picture. Hover it and press the crop icon, Frame the picture, to choose which part shows and how close in. The picture itself is never cut, so you can change your mind later.

The summary box grows with what you type. The Library link at the top of a card takes you back to the grid.

The search box on the grid looks in each card’s name, aliases, summary, body, tags, and its own fields.

At the bottom of a card, Mentioned in lists the chapters whose active draft names the card or links to it with /card.

Character arc#

A character card can carry an arc: nine fields that say who a person is to the story and where they are headed.

In a new book, every new Character card starts with the arc. On a character card that does not have it yet, press Add character arc under the fields. On any card, pick Character arc from the Add field menu. Only the fields the card is missing are added. A field already there under the same name is left exactly as it is.

The arc fields are ordinary fields. You can rename, reorder, or delete them. None of them is sent to the AI until you turn on The AI can read this for it, which marks the field with an eye.

To give every new character in an older book the arc, open Settings, then Card categories, then the Character category’s Default fields, and press Add character arc.

Once a card has a role, the Library shows it beside the category on the card’s tile, and the sort menu gains By role, which puts the protagonist first.

Folders#

Cards can be sorted into folders. The filter row above the grid holds the category chips, then one folder chip at the end. The chip names the folder being shown, or says All folders, or just Folders while there are none. Open its menu to show one folder, or to choose New folder.

To put a card in a folder, drag the card onto a folder’s heading, or open the card’s menu on the grid (the three dots that appear when you hover) or pick the folder on the card’s own page. The grid shows each folder as its own section; choosing a folder in the chip shows just that folder. Deleting a folder leaves its cards where they are.

Categories#

A new book starts with four categories: Character, Place, Thing, and Other. A category you add takes the neutral icon until you choose one of its own. Change them in Settings under Card categories. A category that still holds cards cannot be deleted until you say where those cards go.

Cards in the text#

Type /card in the editor to put a link to a card in the text. FoxQuill also notices a card’s name in your prose on its own, without a link. Card names read as plain text in the prose. Rest the pointer on one to see its card, with its picture, category, and summary. Ctrl+click (Cmd+click on a Mac) opens it. When you rename the card, the link shows the new name, and exports print it. A link whose words you changed with Find and Replace keeps your words.

The Cards tab in the side panel lists every card mentioned in the scene you are in, and, under that, capitalized words that come up often and have no card yet. The plus button next to one makes a card for it, under the first category, and you stay in the scene.

A name written with a capital letter is only found where the prose capitalizes it too, so a card called Will is not found in “she will.” Curly and straight apostrophes count as the same. A name needs at least two letters.

Links#

A card can link to another card. Add links at the bottom of a card.

Every link has three parts:

• A link type: Related, Family, Romance, Friend, Rival, Work, Belongs to, or Location. The link type gives the line its color and pattern on the map.
• A direction. “Both ways” is a link that reads the same from either side, such as two sisters. “One way” runs from this card to the other and draws an arrow, such as a captain who serves a queen. The swap button turns the arrow around.
• A label, which is optional. Write anything you like: “keeps her secret,” “burned it down.”

Each link reads as one sentence, such as “Marmee is the mother of Jo March.” The pencil at the end of the line opens the type, direction, and label for that link.

The map#

The Map tab of the Library shows the cards and their links.

Each card is a dot, colored by its category. Each link is a line, colored by its link type. A bigger dot means more links. A name that has no room on the map is left off until you zoom in or point at the dot.

Moving around#

• Drag the background to move the map. Scroll to zoom.
• The buttons at the bottom right zoom in and out, fit the whole map on screen, names included, and lay the map out again.
• Type in Find a card to jump to it.

Working on the map#

• Click a card to open the panel on the right. It shows the card’s summary and all of its links, and you can change a link type, a direction, or a label there without leaving the map.
• Drag a card to put it where you want. It stays there, and a small dot marks it as pinned. Unpin in the panel, or the shuffle button for the whole map, hands it back to the automatic layout.
• Hold Shift and drag from one card to another to link them. The Link two cards button at the bottom right does the same thing without the Shift key.
• Double-click a card to open it in the Library.

Narrowing it down#

• The chips along the top hide a whole category.
• The Link types button at the bottom left opens the list of link types. Click one to hide it, or double-click to show only that one. The button counts how many are showing once any are hidden.
• Show only the cards near this one, in the panel, hides everything except the card you picked and what is close to it. One step is what it touches. Three steps is a wider circle.

Settings and saving#

The sliders button next to the search box turns Card names, Link labels, Cards with no links, Card pictures, Group by category, and Size by links on and off. FoxQuill remembers what you chose.

The download button saves the map as a picture, Save as PNG or Save as SVG, in the colors of your theme.

When nothing is picked#

The panel shows an overview: how many cards and links there are, how many separate groups there are, how many cards have no links, and which cards are the most connected.