Plan the whole serial. Write the next chapter.
Webnovels AI keeps your outline, chapter plans, characters, world rules, timeline and open plot threads in the same window as the draft. Plan a volume, then plan each chapter with Bao, and approve what gets recorded as canon.
A plan you can see working
Here is part of a plan for a xianxia serial. The volume outline sets the arc, each chapter has a goal and scene beats, and the records hold facts as they are at the current chapter.
| Level | What it holds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | The arc, its turning points and where it ends | Volume 2: Wen Yu enters the Azure Peak sect and is framed for a theft (ch. 31–70) |
| Chapter plan | Goal, conflict and scene beats | Ch. 41: Wen Yu breaks through to Foundation Establishment; Elder Qin sees it and says nothing |
| Character record | Current rank, relationships and what they know | Wen Yu: Foundation Establishment since ch. 41. Knows the jade slip is forged since ch. 38 |
| Timeline | Events in story order, with chapters | Day 112: sect tournament opens (ch. 44) |
| Plot thread | Planted where, paid off where | Who forged the jade slip? Planted ch. 33, open |
What to look for in novel planning software
Most planning tools handle an outline and character sheets. A long serial needs a few more things, because readers notice when a rank or a name drifts after a hundred chapters.
Plans beside the draft
If the outline lives in another app, you stop checking it. Webnovels AI shows the chapter plan next to the chapter.
Facts with a chapter number
A character’s rank in chapter 20 and in chapter 80 are both true. Records keep the chapter each fact comes from.
Current facts apart from future plans
The twist in volume 4 belongs in the outline, not in what Bao treats as known today, so it doesn’t surface in chapter 12.
Open threads in one list
See every promise you made to readers and where you plan to pay it off.
Your files, your folder
Chapters are saved as Markdown in a folder you choose, so the plan and the book never get stuck in an account.
AI that asks first
Bao suggests directions for the next chapter and proposes record updates. You approve or reject each one.
How planning works in Webnovels AI
- Start a book. Begin from a blank page, from your Author Voice, or from an earlier book whose characters and world carry over. You can also import an existing TXT, Markdown or EPUB manuscript.
- Outline the volume. Write the arc yourself or ask Bao for options and pick one.
- Plan the chapter. Set the goal and scene beats. Bao reads your records and suggests ways to move the plot.
- Draft and review. Write the chapter, or draft it with Bao and accept the parts you want.
- Update the records. Bao proposes what the chapter changed, such as a new rank or a closed thread. You approve it, and the next chapter starts from the right facts.
New to story records? Start with our free story bible template, or read the Webnovels AI beginner’s guide.
If you don’t want AI at all
Scrivener, Plottr and Campfire are established planning tools without a built-in writing agent, and they are good choices if that is what you want. Webnovels AI is for writers who want the plan and an AI partner in one place, on their own AI account. See how it compares with Sudowrite and Novelcrafter, or check the pricing: $10 a month, no credits.
Questions
What is novel planning software?
Software that holds the parts of a book you decide before and during drafting: the outline, chapter plans, characters, places, rules of the world, a timeline and the plot threads still open. Good planning software keeps those beside the draft so you use them while you write.
Do I have to use AI to plan in Webnovels AI?
No. You can write outlines, chapter plans and records yourself. Bao, the writing agent, can suggest options for the next chapter when you ask, and you choose which to keep.
Can I plan a series, not just one book?
Yes. Webnovels AI organizes a project as book, volume and chapter, and a related-story start can carry characters and world records from an earlier book into a new one after you review them.
Is Webnovels AI good for plotters or pantsers?
Both. Plotters can outline every volume first. Discovery writers can draft, then ask Bao to record what the chapter established and list the threads it opened.
What does it cost?
Webnovels AI is $10 a month or $49 a year, with every feature. AI runs on your own ChatGPT or Claude plan, an API key or a local model, so there are no credits.
Need more help? Contact us
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