Timeline - Chapters

This article covers Chapters, which are the horizontal headings listed across the top of the Plottr Timeline, allowing you to organize your book’s linear progression. 

What this Article Covers

Getting Started

Here are some things to know about Chapters before diving in:

  • Chapters are laid horizontally across the Plottr Timeline and auto-numbered by default
  • You can add unlimited Chapters to the Timeline 
  • You can manually edit Chapter headings
  • You can change the auto-numbered Chapter heading (e.g. to Scene or Beat) and styling
  • You can drag and drop Chapters to move them around the Timeline

Adding Chapters

There are three ways to add a chapter to the Timeline: 

  1. Hover your mouse next to a chapter and click the plus (+) button that appears:


  2. Scroll to the beginning or end of the Timeline and click the plus (+) button that appears:

  3. Hover next to a scene card and click the plus (+) button that appears:

Editing Chapters

To edit an individual chapter title: 

  1. Click the title of the Chapter you wish to edit OR hover over the Chapter title and click the pencil/edit icon that appears 
  2. Update the Chapter title 
  3. Click Enter / Return on your keyboard to save 

Deleting Chapters

To delete a chapter (and its Scene Cards): 

  1. Hover over the name of the Chapter you wish to delete 
  2. Click the trash icon 
  3. When prompted, click “Delete” to confirm

When deleting Chapters, all Scene Cards contained within the Chapter will be deleted as well – and the remaining Chapters will renumber by default.

Ordering Chapters

To move a Chapter (and its Scene Cards) to a different part of the Timeline: 

  1. Hover over the Chapter you wish to move 
  2. Click and hold the Chapter you wish to move with your mouse 
  3. Drag and drop the Chapter onto its new location 

When moving chapters, all Scene Cards contained within the Chapter will also move to the new location – and the Chapters will renumber by default. Moreover, the Chapter it is dropped onto (and others to the left of it) will shift to the left on the Timeline.

Advanced

There are a few advanced Chapter features you may wish to use.

Creating a Prologue 

By default, Plottr’s chapters are auto-numbered, starting with Chapter 1. However, you can add a Prologue without interrupting the built-in auto-numbering. 

To create a Prologue: 

  1. Click on the Chapter 1 Heading 
  2. Rename the Chapter 1 Heading as “Prologue” 
  3. Now the second heading will read Chapter 1, followed in sequential order by Chapter 2, etc.

Configuring the Auto-Numbered Chapter Headings

By default, Plottr’s Chapter Headings are auto-numbered, starting with Chapter 1. However, you may wish to alter these auto-numbered headings to read as Scene or Beat or Episode, etc.

To change the auto-numbered Chapter Heading:

  1. Click the "Structure" button on the Timeline
  2. Update the word "Chapter" to your preferred heading title

➡️ Click here to see how this works in more detail

Configuring the Chapter Heading Styling

You can adjust the font-size, color, border, border style, and background color of your Chapter Headings.

To change the styling of your Chapter Headings:

  1. Click the "Structure" button on the Timeline toolbar
  2. Update the styling options of your Chapter Headings

➡️ Click here to see how this works in more detail

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