How ILYS Organizes Your Writing #
ILYS uses a simple structure to keep your writing organized:
- Stories contain one or more Sections
- Sections can contain multiple writing sessions and edits
- Free Floating Sessions are sections not yet assigned to a story
Think of it like a book: the Story is the book, and Sections are chapters.
Visual Overview #
Story: "My Novel"
├── Section: "Chapter 1 - The Beginning"
├── Section: "Chapter 2 - The Journey"
└── Section: "Chapter 3 - The Return"
Story: "Daily Journal"
├── Section: "Monday thoughts"
├── Section: "Tuesday reflections"
└── Section: "Wednesday dreams"
Free Floating Sessions
├── "Random idea about robots"
└── "That poem I started"
Creating a Story #
You can create a story when starting a session — Choose “New Story” in the session setup.
Every story needs at least a title. Cover images are optional but helpful.
Creating Sections #
Sections are created when you write:
- Start a session — A new section is created automatically
- In the Writing Space — Click the + icon to start a new section mid-session
- In the Editor — Click “Create new section” icon
Planning with Outline #
Want to create your section structure before you start writing? Use the Outline button on your Dashboard to enter Speed Sections mode, where you can rapidly create, name, and organize sections.
Speed Sections also lets you:
- See word counts for all sections at a glance
- Edit content inline by expanding any section—perfect for quick edits without starting a full session
- Track save status with “Unsaved changes” and “Saved” indicators
See Outlining Your Work for details on the iterative workflow.
Each section has:
- A title (editable anytime)
- Your written content
- Notes (for research and reminders—separate from main text)
- Word count & other statistics
Free Floating Sessions #
When you start a writing session without selecting a story, it becomes a “Free Floating Session.” These live in a special area on your Dashboard.
Free Floating Sessions are perfect for:
- Quick brain dumps
- Ideas you’ll sort later
- Writing you’re not sure where to put yet
You can always move them into a story later.
Moving Sections Between Stories #
Changed your mind about where a section belongs? In the Editor:
- Click the … icon to open the menu
- Choose “Move”
- Select the destination story
The section transfers instantly.
Copying Sections #
Want to use the same content in multiple places?
- Click the … icon to open the menu
- Choose “Copy”
- Select the destination story
- Optionally give it a new name
The original stays where it is.
Reordering Sections #
In the Editor sidebar, drag and drop sections to change their order. The first section appears first when you export the story.
Tips #
- Name sections descriptively — “Chapter 1” is okay; “The night everything changed” is better
- Use Free Floating Sessions for experiments — Move the good ones into stories later
- One idea per section — It’s easier to rearrange later
- Don’t overthink structure — You can always reorganize
- Use Notes for context — Each section can have its own notes for research, reminders, and ideas
Your writing is safe however you organize it. ILYS gives you tools to keep things tidy.