Notes and note types

A note is writing about the book, kept outside its text. Notes live at four levels: on the whole book, on a section, on one draft of a section, or on one scene.

Where to find them#

Open the side panel on the right of the writing view and choose Notes. The three buttons at the top switch between this draft’s notes, this section’s notes, and the book’s notes. A scene’s notes are on the scene itself, under Summary and notes.

Every note in the book is also on one page: open the Library and switch it to Notes. The book’s notes come first, then each section’s. Under a section come the notes kept for each of its drafts, with that draft’s scene notes, whether the draft is open or not. A note behaves the same way there as in the side panel.

New note at the top right of the page makes a note on the book, where New card sits on the Cards page. A section is listed once it has a note, and a section with none is left out. Each starts closed, with its number of notes beside it. Open in Write beside a section takes you to it in the writing view.

Notes kept for one draft#

A section note shows in every draft of that section. A draft note shows only in its own draft. Use one when each draft needs its own plan, for example an outline for Draft 1 and a different outline for Draft 2.

• To make one, open the draft, choose This draft in the side panel, and use New note.
• To move a section note into the draft you have open, open the note’s menu and choose Keep for Draft 2 only (with your draft’s name).
• To give a draft note back to every draft, open its menu and choose Show in every draft.

Duplicating a draft copies its notes, so the copy starts with the same plan. Change the copy and the first draft’s notes stay as they were. If you delete a draft, its own notes stay with the section. Draft notes have no folders.

Collapsing and folders#

The small arrow at the left of a note collapses it to its title. A collapsed note with no title shows its first line instead. FoxQuill remembers which notes are collapsed.

Book notes and section notes can be sorted into folders. The folder button next to New note makes one; a note’s menu (the three dots) moves it in or out. A folder collapses too, and its own menu renames it, deletes it, or starts a new note inside it. Deleting a folder leaves its notes where they are.

Types#

Every note has a type. A new book starts with five.

Filter the list by type with the drop-down at the top of the panel. Make a new note with the New note button, which asks which type you want. To change a note’s type later, open its menu.

Outline notes#

An Outline note is a bullet list that nests as deep as you like.

• Press Tab to move a line in.
• Press Shift+Tab to move it back out.
• Press Enter for the next line at the same level.

An Outline note opens in a compact reading view with an arrow on every line that has something under it. Its menu switches between reading and editing. A new or empty outline opens ready to type.

Paste a list from another app and it keeps its shape. Plain lines nest by their indent, and a dash, asterisk, or number typed at the start of a line comes off.

Notes and the AI#

This part only applies when Enable AI features is on in Settings. With it off, none of it shows.

A note’s menu has The AI can read this. With it checked, the AI tools can read the note, and a small eye shows next to the note’s icon. With it unchecked, the note is yours alone.

A new Outline note starts checked, because an outline is the plan the AI should follow. Every other note starts unchecked. Change either one in the note’s menu.

The AI reads a scene’s notes, its section’s notes, and the book’s notes when you work in that scene. It reads a draft’s own notes only while that draft is the open one. Suggest beats on the Plan tab reads every note it may read.

To-do notes#

A To-do note is a list of checkboxes. Click a box to check it. A checked line goes gray and gets a line through it.

Your own types#

Settings has a Note types section. Add, rename, reorder, and delete types there. A type you add uses the ordinary note editor; the nested list and the checkboxes belong to Outline and To-do.

The five built-in types can be renamed and reordered but not deleted. Deleting a type you made moves its notes to Note. No note is ever deleted by deleting a type.