> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ai-novel-writing-assistant.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Novels & Starting a Book

> Create projects, choose a direction, and prepare your first novel

The Novels & Starting a Book module is your first step from idea to a complete project. Whether you have a vague thought, no idea at all, or a finished book breakdown to work from, this module provides direction candidates and creates your first novel ready for further development.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Starting a book does not mean writing the main text immediately. Your first book does not need every setting filled in at once; the system can later expand the world, characters, and chapters through the Auto Director.

## When to Use This Module

* You want to create a new novel.
* You want to start a book via the Auto Director from a trending genre or a reference novel.
* You want to return to an existing project and continue writing.
* You want to manage test projects, archived projects, or backup content.
* You want to enter the Creative Hub, Director Follow-up, or chapter workflow from the project level.

## Three Ways to Start a Book

| What you have | Recommended entry | What the system does first |
| - | - | - |
| A single idea | AI Auto Director start | Organizes genre, selling points, reader feel, and the overall direction |
| No idea yet | Trending Genre Radar | Extracts verifiable market signals from public rankings |
| A completed book breakdown | Write based on a book | Choose to continue the original work or create a new book by reference, bringing in the breakdown conclusions |
| A complete setup already | Create novel manually | Fill in project details directly, then enter the professional workbench |

For first-time users, prioritize the first three entries to let the system provide direction first. Manual creation is better suited for users who already have a firm grasp of book-level settings.

## Write Based on a Book

Both the novel list and the Auto Director start page offer **Write Based on a Book** (照着一本书写). You need at least one successful book breakdown result before using it.

**1. Click the entry**

Select **Write Based on a Book** (照着一本书写).

**2. Choose a reference**

Select a reference novel breakdown.

**3. Choose a mode**

Choose **Continue Original Work** (续写原作) or **Create New Book by Reference** (参考创作新书).

**4. Review settings**

Enter the Auto Director start page and review the imported breakdown conclusions, style, and basic settings.

**5. Generate and confirm**

Continue generating direction candidates and confirm the new project.

| Creation method | What is kept | What is regenerated |
| - | - | - |
| Continue Original Work | Characters, world rules, timeline, and unresolved threads | New plot and chapters after the original ending |
| Create New Book by Reference | Structure, pacing, and style experience | Characters, world, plot, and project facts |

Creating by reference does not treat the original work's characters and facts as the new book's settings. The style is prepared in the background; the start process can still continue even if the style is temporarily unavailable.

## Creating a Novel

When creating a project, you do not need to fill in every setting at once. New users are advised to prepare the following information first:

* Book title or temporary title
* One core idea
* Target genre or reader feel
* A brief protagonist direction

The system can later expand the world, characters, volume structure, and chapter tasks through the Auto Director. You can also use a temporary title first and adjust it after the Title Workshop generates candidates.

## Simple Creation vs. Professional Creation

After a project is created, you can enter two creation interfaces:

* **Simple Creation**: Focuses on the bookshelf, main text reading, progress, and recommended next steps. Ideal for letting the Auto Director continuously complete the entire book.
* **Professional Creation**: Displays project settings, story macro, characters, volume strategy, chapter breakdown, chapter execution, and quality repair. Ideal for reviewing and adjusting the full pipeline.

Both interfaces share the same main text, proofreading, recovery, editing, and export data. Switching interfaces does not recreate the project or require regenerating chapters from scratch.

## What to Check After Opening a Novel

After opening a novel, review the following items in order:

1. Whether basic information is complete
2. Whether the Auto Director has pending confirmation items
3. Whether the chapter plan is ready
4. Whether recent chapters have quality debt or repair suggestions
5. Whether the Run History has running tasks

This helps avoid repeatedly triggering generation from the wrong entry.

## Test Project Management

When testing a new model, new prompt, or new knowledge base setting, create a test novel to validate. Name test projects with their purpose, for example "Test - Knowledge Base Recall" or "Test - Main Text Model".

Apply stable configurations to your formal novel only after testing is complete. This reduces the risk of important projects being affected by incorrect settings.

## Deletion and Backup

Before deleting a novel, confirm that you have a backup. For important novels, keep at least:

* Novel exported text
* Database backup
* Key settings, characters, and world materials
* Knowledge base source files

Do not treat deletion as the first choice for troubleshooting. When encountering status anomalies, check the Run History, Director Follow-up, and troubleshooting documentation first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

> [accordion] Can I start a book without an idea?
>
> Yes. Open the **Trending Genre Radar** (热门题材雷达) directly, choose inspiration from public ranking signals, and then enter the Auto Director.

> [accordion] How long after starting a book can I write the main text?
>
> It depends on the run mode you choose. When you select **Prepare to Ready for Writing** (先准备到可开写), the system will first generate the world, characters, volume plan, and chapter tasks, then stop and wait for your confirmation. When you select **Full Book Auto-Completion** (全书自动成书), it will continue pushing forward to main text output after you confirm the plan.

> [accordion] Can I start multiple books at the same time?
>
> Yes. Each book is an independent project. Auto Director tasks and chapter execution are isolated by project, but pay attention to model quota allocation.

> [accordion] What is the difference between Simple Creation and Professional Creation?
>
> They differ only in interface focus; the underlying data and assets are completely identical. You can switch between the two interfaces at any time.

> [accordion] Is there a system-level difference between test projects and formal projects?
>
> No. It is recommended to distinguish them by naming and project notes.

> [card] [Auto Director](https://ai-novel-writing-assistant.mintlify.site/en/features/auto-director.md)
>
> Choose direction, push planning, and enter chapter production

> [card] [Short Story](https://ai-novel-writing-assistant.mintlify.site/en/features/short-story.md)
>
> A standalone workflow from idea to complete short story

> [card] [Title Workshop](https://ai-novel-writing-assistant.mintlify.site/en/features/title-workshop.md)
>
> Generate, compare, and refine book titles and chapter titles

> [card] [Genre Library](https://ai-novel-writing-assistant.mintlify.site/en/features/genre-library.md)
>
> Choose a genre foundation and reader promise before starting a book


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