Getting Started with Novelium

Welcome to Novelium. This guide covers how to get your manuscript into the platform and start using the tools that make it useful — the World Codex, consistency checking, and more.

Creating a Project

When you first sign up, you'll be walked through creating your first project. After that, you can create new projects from the sidebar at any time.

There are several ways to start:

Option 1: Import an Existing Manuscript

If you already have a manuscript (or part of one), importing it is the fastest way to get going. Novelium supports importing from:

• Google Drive — Connect your Google account and pick files directly from Drive
• OneDrive — Same idea, but for Microsoft accounts
• Local files — Drag and drop or browse for files on your computer. Supported formats:

• Word documents (.doc, .docx)
• Plain text (.txt)
• Markdown (.md)
• HTML (.html, .htm)
• Rich text (.rtf)
• PDF (imported as text or as a visual document)
• EPUB — Import eBooks with automatic chapter detection
• Scrivener — Import Scrivener projects directly
• Obsidian — Import an Obsidian vault
• Fountain — Import screenplays in Fountain format

During import, Novelium will attempt to auto-detect your chapters and classify your documents by type (manuscript, character sheet, research, etc.). You can review and adjust these classifications before finalizing the import.

What happens after import: Once your files are imported, Novelium automatically kicks off a World Codex scan. This analyzes your manuscript and extracts characters, locations, objects, organizations, and other entities it finds. It also runs a consistency check to flag potential plot holes and contradictions. You don't have to do anything — just let it run. More on this below.

Option 2: Start a Blank Project

If you're starting fresh or prefer to write directly in Novelium, choose the blank project option. You'll get an empty project with a Manuscript folder ready for your first chapter.

With a blank project, Novelium won't run a scan automatically, as there's nothing to scan yet. Once you've written enough content, you can trigger a scan yourself from the World Codex (see below).

Option 3: Copy and Paste

If you don't want to deal with file imports, you can paste your manuscript directly into the editor. Just create a new project, don't import, and open the file called Chapter 1. Paste your manuscript there.

After pasting, Novelium will prompt you if it detects a large amount of content. For smaller pastes, you'll want to manually trigger a World Codex scan when you're ready.

The World Codex

The World Codex is where Novelium tracks everything in your story — characters, locations, objects, rules, organizations, and events. Think of it as a living encyclopedia of your fictional world.

How Does It Get Populated?

There are two paths:

Automatic (after import): If you imported a manuscript using any of the import options above, Novelium runs a scan automatically. You'll see a progress modal showing entities being discovered in real time — characters appearing, locations being cataloged, etc. No action needed on your part.

Manual (for blank projects or after pasting): Navigate to the World Codex view using the left sidebar, then click the Discover Entries button. This kicks off the same scan — it reads through your manuscript and extracts everything it finds.

What Does a Scan Find?

A World Codex scan does two things:

1. Builds Your World Codex — Identifies and catalogs characters, locations, objects, organizations, concepts, and events from your manuscript. These become entries in your codex that you can review, edit, and expand on. It's an encyclopedia for your world.
2. Consistency checking — Analyzes your manuscript for internal contradictions and potential plot holes. If a character's eye color changes between chapters, or a location is described inconsistently, or a timeline doesn't add up, the scan will flag it. You can review these findings in the Consistency Guardian section of the World Codex.

What Does It Cost?

Your first World Codex scan is free, regardless of your plan. This lets you see what the codex can do before committing.

After that, scans debit words from your plan's analysis allowance. The number of words debited matches the length of the manuscript being scanned — a 50,000-word manuscript uses 50,000 words of your allowance. Your current usage is visible in your account settings.

Keeping Your Codex Up to Date

As you write and revise, your World Codex can fall out of sync with your manuscript. Novelium will show a dot next to the World Codex when it detects that your manuscript has changed significantly since the last scan, prompting you to re-scan.

You can also manually re-run the scan at any time from the World Codex view by clicking Discover Entries again.

What's Next?

Once your project is set up and your World Codex is populated, here are some things to explore:

• Plotline Timeline — Visualize your story's plotlines and how they weave through chapters
• Style Sheet — Set up grammar checking, custom style rules, and spelling preferences (see the Language Supportarrow-up-right doc for supported languages)
• File Tree — Organize your project with chapters, character sheets, research notes, and more (see Managing Your File Tree)
• Consistency Guardian — Review contradictions and plot holes flagged by your World Codex scan
• Published Codex — Share your world-building with readers by publishing your codex

Updated on: 01/03/2026