Every setting

One entry for every setting, with what it does and what it starts as.

The Settings page has up to eight groups, listed down its left side. The search box above them, Find a setting, finds a section or a field in it, such as color, dark, or genre, and Enter opens the first match. A match inside a fold, such as the publishing details, opens the fold. Goals are set on the Statistics page, and a search for them takes you there. This page follows the same order.

The AI and Sharing groups show once Show more tools is on, or once the book already uses them. So do Link types and Dictionary in the Library group, with the relationship map and the dictionary. See Show more tools.

Book#

The cover, the title, the subtitle, and the author sit open at the top. Everything a shop or an e-reader asks about the book is under Publishing details, which starts folded. Every field saves when you click out of it, so nothing here has a Save button.

Cover#

The front of the book, shown beside the fields. A book with no picture gets a cover FoxQuill draws from its title and author, in one of a few colors and layouts. New cover on it draws another. Add a cover takes any picture from your computer, and a picture always replaces the drawn cover. Replace swaps it, and the bin button beside it takes it off. A cover taken off stays in the Library, under Pictures. The picture, or the cover FoxQuill drew, goes with the book in a backup or a book file. An EPUB puts your picture on its cover page, and a drawn cover is not exported. No other export uses a cover.

The book#

Publishing details#

The fold under the author. It starts folded, and a search for one of its fields opens it. Its fields come in three groups: the ones just below, then How the book is described, then Publication.

How the book is described#

Publication#

Voice and style guide#

Style guide#

Rules about how the book is written: tense, point of view, and habits to keep or avoid. The box grows as you write. Empty by default. With AI on, the style guide goes into every prompt.

Front and back matter#

The section types a book can have besides chapters. Each is a section of the book, written like any chapter, and only chapters are numbered. The front matter is a dedication, a foreword, and a prologue. The back matter is an epilogue, an afterword, acknowledgments, and about the author.

Each row says Open when the book already has one and Add one when it does not. Parts and stories are body sections, added from the arrow beside New chapter in the sidebar instead.

Delete this book#

The last section in the Book group. Delete this book asks once and then puts the book in the Trash for 30 days, with every section, card, note, and picture in it. The page then says the book is in the Trash, with Restore to put it back. Open the Trash lists every deleted book, to restore it or delete it forever. See The Trash.

Theme#

How FoxQuill looks. The four tiles choose the theme: Forest, Paper, Ink, and Dusk. Every book and the book list wear the same one. It starts on Paper. See Themes.

Use a different theme for this book#

Off by default. Turn it on to give this book a theme of its own. The book keeps the theme it wears now, and the four tiles then change this book alone. The other books and the book list keep the app’s theme. The palette in the top bar follows the same rule. Turn it off and the book follows the app again.

Background art#

Always the book’s own, whichever theme it wears. A picture, blurred and softened, behind every panel, on every theme. None to start, which leaves the theme’s own flat color.

Five pictures ship with FoxQuill: Rolling hills, Green mountains, Sunlit path, Hilltop castle, and Graffiti wall. Click one to use it. The last tile, Add your own, takes any picture from your computer, and then reads Your own. A line under the tiles says the photos come from Magnific.

Picking a ready-made picture copies it into the book, so a backup carries the picture itself and the book still looks right on another computer.

Font, page, and paragraphs#

The typeface, the column width, the paragraph style, and the drop cap for scenes, card bodies, and notes. The rest of FoxQuill keeps its own small sans serif whichever you pick. All four are per book. What a new book starts with is set under New books.

Writing font#

Four choices. EB Garamond is the one a book starts on, a classic book serif. Source Serif is a modern serif that runs a little larger. Literata is made for reading on a screen. Inter is a plain sans serif.

Page width#

How wide the column of text runs in the writing view. Starts as Narrow, about twelve words a line. Wide gives about sixteen. Full uses the whole window.

Paragraphs#

Indented or Spaced. Indented works like a printed book: a first-line indent and no gap between paragraphs, and no indent after a heading, a line, or the start of a scene. Spaced leaves a gap between paragraphs. A new book starts Indented, and a book made before this setting existed stays Spaced. A line of *** and a space, or ---, on its own draws the small ornament that sits between scenes. See Paragraphs and drop caps.

Drop cap#

A large first letter on the opening paragraph of each chapter and story: Off, Classic, or Raised. A sample paragraph beside it shows the choice. A paragraph that opens with a quote mark or a dash gets none. A PDF and an EPUB carry it. A new book starts on Classic, and a book made before this setting existed stays Off.

Focus mode and sprints#

How the writing view behaves when everything else is out of the way. See Focus mode and sprints.

Typewriter scrolling#

Keeps the line you are typing in the middle of the window. Off by default.

Sound when a sprint ends#

Plays a short tone when the sprint timer reaches zero. Off by default. The bar glows either way.

In focus mode, dim every line but the one I am writing#

Fades every other line, and every other scene, while you are in focus mode. Off by default. It does nothing outside focus mode.

Bookmark#

A ribbon in the margin for where you stopped.

Keep a bookmark#

Off by default. With it on, the paragraph your cursor is in shows a faint ribbon in the right margin of the writing view. Click it to mark that paragraph. The ribbon fills in, the section holding it carries a ribbon in the sidebar, and clicking that ribbon takes you back to the paragraph from anywhere in the book.

A book keeps one bookmark. Marking another paragraph moves it. Clicking the filled ribbon again takes it away. Turning the setting off hides the ribbons and keeps the mark, so turning it back on returns you to the same place.

Spelling#

Red lines under misspelled words, their suggestions, and your own words. These settings belong to the app, not to one book, so they hold for every book. See Spell check.

Check spelling as I type#

On by default. Clear it and the red lines go away in every book. The right-click menu stays, with Cut, Copy, Paste, and Look up. View > Spelling in the menu, or Ctrl+; (Cmd+; on a Mac), is the same switch. The red lines are hidden in focus mode either way.

Language#

On Windows and Linux, the language the spell checker uses. It starts on the language of your computer. English (United States) and English (United Kingdom) come with FoxQuill, and any other language is downloaded once from Google, the first time you choose it. Only the dictionary file comes down.

A Mac has no language box here. It checks spelling with its own dictionaries, in the languages set in System Settings.

Your words#

Words the spell checker accepts, such as names. Type one under Add a word and press Add, or press the cross beside a word to remove it. Add to dictionary in the right-click menu adds to the same list. On Windows and on a Mac, your words also go into the computer’s own dictionary.

Add card names#

Collects the names and aliases on this book’s cards that the spell checker does not know, with their possessives, and shows them first. Nothing is added until you press Add followed by the number of words, such as Add 12 words. Cancel adds nothing.

Card categories#

What kind of thing a Library card can be. Drag to reorder, and click a name to rename it. A new book starts with four: Character, Place, Thing, and Other. A category that still holds cards cannot be deleted until you choose where those cards go, and a book needs at least one category. Add category takes a name and an icon.

Default fields#

Open a category’s menu (the three dots) and choose Default fields to list the fields every new card of that category starts with. Character starts with the fields of a character arc. Each field can be a Single line, a Paragraph, or a Checklist. With AI on, the eye button on a field sets whether the AI can read it on every new card. Add field adds a row, and Add character arc brings back the arc fields a Character category lacks. Cards you already have are not changed.

Link types#

The ways one card can link to another, and the wording each type offers. This section shows once the relationship map is on, or once the book has a link between cards. Drag to reorder. A new book starts with eight: Related, Family, Romance, Friend, Rival, Work, Belongs to, and Location. Add link type makes another.

Open one to change its name, its color, and its line. The color is one of ten named colors, or the theme’s own line color, and the line is Solid, Dashed, Dotted, or Long dash. The color is adjusted for each theme, so every link type stays readable on a dark theme and on paper.

Wording#

A link type can offer wording: Family reads as “is the parent of,” “is a sibling of,” or “is married to.” Each wording says whether the link runs One way or Both ways. A one-way wording such as “is the parent of” runs from the first card to the second, and the map draws an arrow. A both-ways wording such as “is married to” leaves the line plain. Add wording adds a row. A link type with no wording is used on its own.

Deleting a link type never deletes a link. Links that used it become Related, which is why Related itself cannot be deleted.

Note types#

What kind of thing a note can be. A new book starts with five: Note, Outline, Synopsis, Research, and To-do. Outline notes are nested lists, and To-do notes are checkboxes. Drag to reorder, and click a name to rename it. Add note type takes a name and an icon. Built-in types can be renamed but not deleted. Deleting a type you made turns its notes into plain Notes, and no note is deleted.

Dictionary#

Where FoxQuill looks a word up, for its definitions and its synonyms. This section shows once Show more tools is on, or once you have added a dictionary. See Dictionary and thesaurus.

Definitions from#

Which provider answers a definition. Wiktionary, built in, by default.

Synonyms from#

Which provider answers synonyms and antonyms. Datamuse, built in, by default.

Add a dictionary#

Shows the dictionaries FoxQuill already knows how to set up: Free Dictionary, three Merriam-Webster references, and Wordnik. Each says whether it is ready to use or needs a free key. Pick one and it walks you through it, asking only for the key that dictionary gives you. None are added by default. Set one up by hand is there for anything else.

Each dictionary you add is listed with whether it gives definitions or synonyms, a button for its set-up, and a button to remove it. Removing one that has a key asks first, because the key goes with it.

AI#

Use a model on your own computer, such as Ollama or LM Studio, or any OpenAI-compatible server you choose. See AI setup, a page that opens once AI is on. This group shows once Show more tools is on, or once AI is already on for the book.

Enable AI features#

The one switch. Off by default. With it off, FoxQuill has no AI features and no mention of one anywhere except this switch. Your settings are kept, so turning it back on restores them. Under the switch, a line says that nothing leaves this computer while AI is off, and the icon beside the switch says what is sent, and where, once it is on.

The settings below only appear when the switch is on, with a Setup guide button at the top.

Find local AI#

The first thing in the group. It looks for LM Studio or Ollama running on this computer, and shows what it found. Use fills in the server address, the model, and the context window below. It searches by itself once when you open these settings with AI on and no server set up, and otherwise only when you press it.

Use another server#

A fold for a server that is not on this computer. It is open when a server is already set up, and closed otherwise. It holds the server address, the API key, the model, and Test connection.

Server address#

The address of the AI server. It usually ends in /v1, such as http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1. Empty by default.

API key, optional#

Sent to the server. Most local servers ignore it. Empty by default. A saved key is never shown again: the box says Saved key, and Remove takes it off.

Model#

Which model to ask for. List models lists what the server offers, and you start typing to pick one. Empty by default.

Test connection#

Tries the server with what is filled in and says whether it worked.

Advanced#

A fold, closed by default, for the dials. It holds the context window, the longest answer, and the temperature.

Context window#

How much the model can read at once, counted in tokens. A token is a short piece of a word, so 1,000 tokens is about 670 words, and the hint under the box does that sum for the number you type. FoxQuill fits what it sends inside this with a margin. 32,768 by default. The buttons below the box set 8k, 16k, 32k, or 64k. Use under Find local AI sets what the server really uses, which is often less. Set it no higher than that: a server given more than it holds cuts the start without saying so.

Max output tokens#

The longest answer the model may write, in tokens. 700 by default, about 470 words.

Temperature#

Lower keeps the AI close to your text. Higher gives it more freedom. 0.8 by default, on a scale from 0 to 2.

Your own tools#

Each tool is a name and one instruction. It becomes an entry by that name in the menu that opens on selected text in the editor, and the instruction is sent with the book’s context, exactly as you write it. Add a tool makes one, and a checkbox says whether it works on the text you select. None by default.

Edit the prompts#

Closed by default. Opens a list of the instructions each AI tool sends with your book, named by the tool: Continue, Outline, Chat, Summarize, Describe, Rewrite, Expand, Ideas, Feedback, Break it into steps, Suggest beats, Fill from the book, and Your own tools. Edit one to change how the AI is asked. A changed prompt is marked Edited and has Reset to default, and the title shows how many are edited.

Sharing#

Every link you have handed out, with what each one allows and when it stops working. This group shows once Show more tools is on, or once the book has a share link. Each shows its title, whether it is one chapter or the whole book, whether it needs a password, and when it ends. See Sharing.

Copy the link#

Puts the whole link on your clipboard, key and all.

Update the shared copy#

Replaces the copy readers see with your text as it is now. The link stays the same. A link that has run out says Expired and cannot be updated.

Stop sharing#

Stops the link working and deletes the shared copy. The comments and suggestions readers left stay with their chapters. This cannot be undone. A stopped link stays on the list, grayed out, until you press Remove from this list.

Export#

Buttons, not settings. Compile the manuscript opens a dialog for a Word, PDF, EPUB, Markdown, or plain text file of the book. It opens with the preset, the format, and Export, and the rest is under More options. Under the Compile button are files to open somewhere else: the book as one Markdown file or a file per section, the notes, and the Library cards. Each row says “Saved” and the file’s name, or where it went, in a line under it, as every file button in Files does. For a copy of everything, use Backup. See Import and export.

Save a dated copy (PDF)#

Saves the whole book as a PDF named after the book and the day. Its title page says when it was saved and carries a fingerprint of the book’s text, so you can show later that the words have not changed. See A dated copy. A line under the button says where the file went, as it does under every file button in Files.

Import#

Nothing in Import is saved. It is a button, and a file you choose is read first and shown to you before anything is written. It takes text, Markdown, Word, EPUB, Scrivener, and FoxQuill book and backup files. The book list has the same import, as Import a book or a file dropped on the page. See Import.

Chapter break#

Shows only after you choose a text or Markdown file. Type a word to split chapters on instead of a heading. A line counts when it starts with that whole word, in any case. Empty means split on the file’s headings. Text before the first break becomes the first chapter. Split again reads the same file again with the word you typed, and nothing is written until you press Import.

Move this book#

See Move a book to another computer.

Move this book to another computer#

Saves the whole book, with its pictures and scene history, as one .foxquill file. On the other computer, choose that file under Import. It arrives as a new book.

Protect the file with a password#

Off by default. When it is on, the book file is encrypted with your password, and Import asks for it. Lose the password and nobody can open the file, including you.

Backup#

One file with every book and every picture, to keep somewhere safe. FoxQuill also saves a copy of your books each night, without the pictures, and keeps the last 14. Each time it does, it also writes every book as a Markdown file in the backups folder, under readable, so your words can be read without FoxQuill. A file ends with the passages you set aside. Each night’s files replace the last, books in the Trash are left out, and none are written while Encrypt my data is on. See Backup and where your data lives.

Open backups folder#

Opens the folder that holds the nightly copies and the readable copies, on your computer. If the computer cannot open the folder itself, it shows the folder in the file manager.

Download backup now#

Zips every book and every picture. This is the file to keep. Its name is foxquill-backup- and the date.

This book only#

One book in a readable format, as a JSON file named after the book. Every section, card, note, and goal in it, without the pictures. It comes back as a new book. To move a book to another computer with its pictures, use Move this book instead.

Protect this backup with a password#

Off by default. When it is on, the backup file is encrypted with your password and saved as .foxquillenc instead of .zip. Restoring asks for it. Lose the password and nobody can open the file, including you.

Restore from a backup#

Puts every book back the way it was in a backup. FoxQuill shows what is in the backup, next to the books you have now, before anything changes, and saves a copy of your books and pictures first. Choose a backup file takes the zip that Download backup now saved, or a password-protected .foxquillenc file, which asks for the password. or a copy FoxQuill saved on its own, then Look inside, takes one of the copies below. The copies FoxQuill saves each day, and before an update, can be restored the same way. Books in the backup’s Trash come back in the Trash, with 30 days.

The preview lists the books in the backup, with their words and when each was last edited, then the books you have now.

Press Restore and restart to go ahead. FoxQuill closes and opens again with the backup in place. Until you restart, Restart now finishes it at once, and Cancel the restore takes the backup back out.

A restore that waits more than a day for its restart is canceled, and your books are not changed. Press Cancel to take the backup back out before you go ahead.

See Restoring a backup.

A copy of one book, a JSON file or a .foxquill file, is not a restore. The same place offers Add the book, and the book comes back as a new one beside the others.

Copies saved on their own#

The list beside Choose a backup file. It holds the daily copies, the copies FoxQuill saves just before each restore, named “Before a restore,” and the copy it saves before an update changes your books, named “Before an update.” FoxQuill keeps the last three of those. Restoring one works like restoring any backup.

New books#

What a book you make from now on starts with, including a book made from a Word, text, Markdown, EPUB, or Scrivener file. Books you already have, and a FoxQuill book or backup file, are not changed. The first time you open FoxQuill, two short steps ask for the same things; this is where to change your answers. A copy of FoxQuill that already had books in it is not asked, and starts here with the defaults below.

Your name for title pages#

Goes in the Author field of every new book. Empty by default, and you can leave it empty.

Open new books on the page or the plan#

The page by default: a new book opens on Chapter One, ready to type in. The plan opens it on the Plan tab instead.

Font, paragraphs, and drop cap for new books#

The same choices as Font, page, and paragraphs, for books made from now on: the writing font, Indented or Spaced paragraphs, and the drop cap, with a sample paragraph that follows your choices. New books start on EB Garamond, Indented, and a Classic drop cap until you change them here.

Tools#

Show more tools#

Off by default on a new install. FoxQuill starts simple, and these tools wait behind this switch: Threads in Plan, the relationship map and Pictures in the Library, drafts, the subtitle and POV fields on a scene, Share, the Words panel and Look up, saving compile presets, and the AI group in Settings. Turn it on and they all show.

A book never loses a tool it already uses. Even with the switch off, a book with a thread, a link between cards, or a picture shows those, a book with a scene subtitle or POV shows those fields, a section with two drafts shows its drafts, a book with a share link shows Share, a book with a dictionary you added shows the Words panel, a book with a saved compile preset shows presets, and a book with AI on shows the AI group. A copy of FoxQuill that already had books in it starts with the switch on. What a tool shows is read when a page opens, so a tool you start using shows after you reload the page.

Security#

Encrypt my data#

Encrypts the file that holds your books. Off by default. The key is kept in your computer’s keychain, tied to your operating system account, so you never type a password. A line above the button says Encrypted or Not encrypted, and the button reads Encrypt my data, or Turn off encryption once it is on.

FoxQuill copies the plain file first and leaves the copy beside it. Turning this on closes FoxQuill and opens it again.

Another computer, system, or account cannot open it, backups included. Only a book file (.foxquill) or a book’s JSON backup can. Keep making backups: encryption is not a backup.

The Mac app does not offer encryption yet, and says so. A system with no keychain cannot use it either.

License#

Shows your plan, the version of FoxQuill the license covers, and the computer it is activated on. See License, trial, and terms.

Status, plan, and covers#

Status says where the license stands, such as Not activated, Free trial, Active, Trial ended, or Ended. Plan is Lifetime, one payment, or Monthly. Covers reads “Every version of FoxQuill 1” for a lifetime plan. On a trial, Days left counts down. Anything other than a running trial or an active plan also gets a sentence saying why and what to do.

Activate#

Paste the key from your receipt into License key, from your receipt and press Activate. A key works on three computers.

Deactivate this computer#

Frees the slot so the key can be used on another computer. Your books stay where they are.

Buy and Manage my account#

Buy a lifetime license, US$59 and Buy a monthly plan, US$4.99 a month open Polar, the shop that handles payment, in your browser. They go away once a plan covers this copy. Manage my account opens Polar too. Links at the bottom open the terms of sale, the license agreement, and the privacy notice.

Version and updates#

The version you have, and whether a newer one is available. It shows the version number, then a line that says either “This is the newest version.” or that a newer version is available, with a Release notes link beside it. With no internet connection it shows just the link. On the desktop, the line about a newer version adds that Help > Check for updates installs it, and FoxQuill also checks each time it starts. See Updates.