Your First Project in 10 Minutes

Article Metadata
Category	Start Here
Difficulty	Beginner
Target OS	Windows · macOS (coming soon)
Summary	Create a project, write your first sheet, and add your first character.

This walkthrough takes you from an empty Project Hub to a project with a written scene and a character linked to a location.

1. Create the project (1 minute)

1. In the Project Hub, click New Project (top right).
2. Type a Project Name for your story.
3. Pick a Type, such as Novel or Short Story.
4. Click Create Project.
5. Your project appears in the grid. Click its card to open it. You land on its Dashboard.

More options: Create a Project.

2. Write your first sheet (3 minutes)

1. On the Dashboard, click Open Workspace.
2. In the File Browser on the left, make sure the Structured tab is selected.
3. Hover over the Manuscript section → click the + that appears.
4. Type a name, such as Chapter 1, then press Enter. The sheet opens in the editor.
5. Start typing.

Cicero saves as you go. Watch the top bar: it shows Saved with a check mark once your words are on disk.

Tip

Select any text to bring up the Type Bar: bold, italic, headings, alignment, comments, and links. See Format Your Text.

3. Create a character (3 minutes)

1. Click the Lorebook icon in the nav rail.
2. Next to the Characters section, click +.
3. Type your protagonist’s name → press Enter. Their Lorebook sheet opens.
4. On the Overview tab, fill in the Snapshot: one line about who they are.
5. Under Core Motivations, fill in what they Want, what they Need, and their Flaw.

Every field saves as you type.

4. Link them to a place (3 minutes)

1. Next to Locations, click + → name your character’s hometown → press Enter.
2. Go back to your character (click their name in the left panel).
3. Open the Relations tab → click + Add first relation.
4. Click Element → choose the hometown.
5. Under Relationship, choose Home. Add any details, if you’d like.
6. Click Add relation.

Now open the hometown. Your character is already listed in its Relations tab, ready for you to describe the link from the town’s side. See Relations: Connect Your World.

5. Make a backup (30 seconds)

1. Click the Dashboard icon in the nav rail.
2. In the top bar, click the Backups button (the database icon with a +).
3. Choose where to save the .zip → click Save.

It’s highly recommended to make this a habit. See Back Up a Project.

Related

• Tour the Interface
• Structured vs. Freeform
• The Lorebook at a Glance