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Writegeist Desktop - User Guide

Welcome to Writegeist Desktop! This guide will help you get started with the application.

📥 Installation

  1. Download the installer: Get writegeist-desktop-1.0.0 Setup.exe from your provider
  2. Run the installer: Double-click the downloaded file and follow the installation prompts
  3. Launch the app: Find "Writegeist Desktop" in your Start Menu or Desktop shortcut

⚙️ Initial Setup

Configure Your OpenAI API Key

Before you can use the AI features, you'll need to set up your OpenAI API key:

  1. Get an API key:

    • Visit OpenAI Platform
    • Sign in to your OpenAI account
    • Create a new API key or copy an existing one

  2. Configure the app:

    • Open Writegeist Desktop
    • Click on Settings in the sidebar
    • Paste your OpenAI API key in the "OpenAI API Key" field
    • Click Save Settings
    • The app will automatically restart the backend with your new settings

Verification

After setting up your API key, verify everything works:

  • Go to Chapter Editor or Chapter Ingest
  • Try ingesting a sample chapter
  • If successful, you should see extracted characters, locations, and other metadata

🚀 Using the App

Main Features

  1. Chapter Editor: Write and edit individual chapters
  2. Chapter Ingest: Import existing text and extract metadata using AI
  3. Full Book: View all your chapters in one place
  4. Project: Manage your overall project notes, setting, and outline
  5. Idea Inbox: Capture and organize story ideas
  6. Settings: Configure API keys and app preferences

Writing Workflow

  1. Start a new chapter: Use the Chapter Editor to write new content
  2. Import existing text: Use Chapter Ingest to bring in text from other sources
  3. Review metadata: The AI will automatically extract characters, locations, and plot elements
  4. Organize your project: Use the Project page to keep track of your overall story
  5. View the big picture: Check the Full Book view to see your complete manuscript

🔧 Troubleshooting

App Won't Start

  • Make sure you have administrative privileges to install software
  • Try running the installer as administrator
  • Check Windows Defender or antivirus isn't blocking the application

AI Features Not Working

  • Verify your OpenAI API key is correctly entered in Settings
  • Check that you have credits available in your OpenAI account
  • Make sure you have an internet connection

Data Not Saving

  • The app stores data locally in a SQLite database
  • If data isn't persisting, try running the app as administrator
  • Contact support if the issue continues

Performance Issues

  • The app includes a local API backend that starts automatically
  • If you experience slowdowns, try restarting the application
  • Check Task Manager to ensure writegeist-desktop.exe is running

📝 Tips for Best Results

Chapter Ingestion

  • Provide complete chapters or substantial text sections for best AI analysis
  • Include character dialogue and action for better character extraction
  • Descriptive passages help with location and setting identification

Organization

  • Use the Project page to maintain a central overview of your story
  • Regularly sync your chapters to keep the project outline updated
  • Take advantage of the character and location tracking features

🆘 Getting Help

If you encounter any issues:

  1. Check this guide for common solutions
  2. Restart the application - this resolves many temporary issues
  3. Contact support with details about:
    • What you were doing when the issue occurred
    • Any error messages you saw
    • Your Windows version

🔄 Updates

The app supports automatic updates:

  • When a new version is available, you'll be notified
  • Updates are downloaded and installed automatically
  • Your data and settings are preserved during updates

Happy Writing! 📖✨

Writegeist Desktop helps you organize, analyze, and enhance your creative writing with the power of AI.