Boundless Stories

GETTING STARTED: After logging in, the first screen you look at shows you a list of any adventures you've already started (of course, the first time you log in, there won't be any), or it gives you the option to create a new adventure. To create a new adventure, there are three fields to fill out.

The top field is the Title of the adventure. This is pretty obvious: You've been to bookstores, you know that books have titles - this is that title.

The second field is the description of the adventure. If you look at the back of a paperback book, you'll see a squib printed there that tells you what the book is about. This field is the place to put that squib. Yes, the text you place here goes on the virtual cover of your adventure, so write it thoughtfully. You can edit your squib later, so if you are the type who prefers to write the squib last, that's okay - just fill in something for now, and change it later.

The final field is, for most people, the most confusing of all. You must give your first page a title. Think of this as a chapter title in a book - and yes, the reader will see this chapter title printed in large letters at the top of the page.

Now you click the big button marked "Save this page" - and viola, you've now started your story. It's that easy.

NAVIGATING YOUR ADVENTURE LIST: After you've created at least one adventure (or story, if you prefer), you'll notice that along the top of your adventure list page (the main page where you began), there is a list of all the adventures you have created. Each one lists the title and description you wrote. More importantly, each one has six links nestled under commands - edit, delete, pages, play, graph, and review.

Edit will enable you to edit your story description and adventure title. You can also change the start page title, but if you do, be very careful to also go and change the start page title in the list of story pages, or you'll have a broken story.

Delete will delete the whole story. Luckily, there IS a confirm box on this, but you still should try not to click this link unless you mean it.

Pages will enable you to return to the story to add more pages or edit the pages you've already got.

Play will simulate the experience of reading through your story as a reader, starting at your first page and making choices as you go. This is an excellent way to test your work.

Graph takes you to a very handy visual tool that shows you a full graph of all the pages you have added so far, and how they link together.

Review tests your story to make sure it is complete - that is, all links are closed off and all pages either go somewhere or are checked as an end page. If it finds any unresolved links, it tells you where they are so you can go and close them off. If the review function finds your story complete, then it offers you the option to submit your story for publication.

Note that you can create as many stories as you want.

Below the save button, you'll see three links: logout, edit account info, and add new task. Logout should be obvious, and the other two options are each explained on their own tutorial page.

CREATE A PAGE: What the reader will see on each story page is a page title (or chapter title, if you prefer), possibly a picture, some text, and then, finally, either some choices to make or the words "THE END" in very large letters. This "create a page" form is where you make each story page happen. You do that by filling in the form for each page individually.

Those first two fields should always be filled in for you.

Next, there's a checkbox marked "Ending page?" This is a very important checkbox when you're ready to use it. This box does two things when you choose to check it:

1. Within the inner workings of the writing software, it informs the computer that it is okay that no pages follow this one, because it is the end of the line. There is no more. This is important for submission purposes, because the software checks to make sure that every page has at least one page to choose next OR an ending checkbox. Any page that doesn't have one of the two will be flagged as incomplete. Obviously, we can't be publishing any incomplete stories :)
2. In the final client where the reader sees your story, this checkbox causes the story to add the words "THE END" in big huge letters. This isn't just a decorative "The End", either - it is a link the reader can click, which will manufacture a completion badge for the story on the reader's character page. (Well, to be more precise, the FIRST TIME that the reader clicks "The End" will manufacture this badge - once they have it, they won't get it again.)

Obviously, you should not write the words "The End" yourself. That would be redundant, since the software adds them in for you.

Next, you will see a big box cleverly marked "Page Text". This is where you type the words to your story.

Next, you'll see a place where you can upload an image. This image will appear ABOVE any text you write in the reader's client, even though the box to upload the image is below the text. As I said earlier, you do not have to upload an image - it is strictly optional.

Next, you will see the link options. More on these to the right.

Finally, there is a "Save this Page" button. It is IMPORTANT to remember to press this button!! Many authors have gotten frustrated because they open a new page in another link and wander off to write it, forgetting to save the page they left behind. Oops. No, sorry, there is NO auto-save at this time. If you close your browser without saving, then our software has no record of your page. I recommend saving often :)

A little quirk: The FIRST time you save a page, it creates the page, and then presents you with a new, blank page. You will have to click "edit" on the page's title to get back to the page you just wrote. However, from the second time onwards, whenever you save, you keep on staring at the same page. I don't know why, it just does this.

AFTER STARTING A STORY: Once you have clicked the "Save this page" button to begin a new story, you will automatically find yourself on the page to create your first story page. The first two fields will be filled in for you because you already defined them when you created the story: the adventure name, and the page name.

From here, you begin writing your story, page by page.

UNCONDITIONAL LINKS: Your Unconditional Links are the choices you are offering the reader. There are two fields per choice.

The first field is the description, or whatever words will prompt the user to pick this choice. For example, this might read "Pick up the amulet" or "Hide under the desk" or "Go left".

The second field prompts you to name the next page. Again, think of this as a chapter title - yes, the reader WILL see this at the top of the page. It also does double-duty as a file name, because each page is saved as a separate file.

Next to that is a link to "Open in new window". If you press this link after filling out both fields, it will, surprisingly enough, open a new window, which has the story and page title already filled in for you. We encourage you to use this, because our software is finicky - your page title must match the link title EXACTLY, including invisible spaces at the beginning and end, and authors who don't use the "open new window" link often report having trouble with their links "not working" :)

Also, if the page already exists, it will open that page for you. If the page does not yet exist, it will open a blank page with the title filled in, ready for you to type in.

Note that yes, you CAN choose to link to an existing page instead of creating a new one. If you do, be sure you type in the link exactly. There is no automated way to do that.

Also note that this means that you cannot have two different pages with exactly the same title.

LEARN MORE: Visit the Software Questions section of the FAQ for Authors for more details.

Or, return to the main author page.

NAVIGATING YOUR PAGES: After you've created at least one page, you'll notice that along the top of your create a page, there is a list of all the pages created in THAT story. Each one tells you whether it is an ending page or not (most will be not, of course). More importantly, each one has two links next to it - edit and delete.

The edit button, obviously, opens that page in the space below so you can change your text, add new links, etc.

The delete button will delete the entire page. Be VERY careful not to press the delete button unless you mean it. There IS a confirmation box, but there is no undo.

Below the big save button is the option to return to the adventure list, or to logout.

I'm sure logout is obvious :)

Returning to the adventure list returns you to that page where you created your first story. You will now see your story listed there - title, description, and a list of commands.

CONDITIONAL LINKS: Your Conditional Links are based on performing a task. This is the same in concept as the Unconditional Links, but it is a bit more complex and has more fields to fill in.

The first field, the description, is exactly the same as with the Unconditional Links.

The next field is a drop-down box to choose a task. From here, you pick a task from a list of available tasks. The task is what you are expecting the person to do - swim, joust, drive a car, whatever. See the Task section to learn about tasks and how to create them.

Next, you have the success choice. This is the page that the person goes to if the task succeeds. Like with the Unconditional Links, it needs a name, which is both a chapter title and a file name.

The success choice is followed by an "Open" link, which opens that page in a new window, same as with the "Open in new window" link on Unconditional choices. This new page is the same as any other page, of course, so you simply resume the story from there - remembering, of course, that the person succeeded at what s/he was trying to do.

Then, you have the failure choice. This is the page the person goes to if the task fails. Like with the Unconditional Links and the success choice, it needs a name, which is both a chapter title and a file name.

The failure choice is followed by an "Open" link, which opens that page in a new window, same as with the success choice's link. This new page is the same as any other page, of course, so you simply resume the story from there - remembering, of course, that the person failed at what s/he was trying to do.

SKILLS AND TASKS: The skill system unifies all Boundless Stories by creating characters that grow and change in response to their story experiences. As the character moves from one story to the next, the skills learned in stories experienced previously remain, just as a real person's skills learned in the past remain in the present.

You are not required to use any skills or tasks at all in your story. In fact, many of our stories do not have any skill tests. That said, however, a few well-placed tasks can add an extra dimension to your story.

To use the skill system, create a conditional link based on a task you define to fit the occasion. Think of it this way: at this juncture in the story, you offer the player's character the option to attempt to do something that requires a bit of skill to pull off, such as ballroom dancing or solving complex mathematical equations. The character might succeed or fail, and the outcome of what happens next changes depending on whether the attempt was successful.

Walk through the process of creating a task here.

ACCOUNT INFO: Before submitting your first story, you MUST visit the edit account info page.

Walk through the account info page here.