Importing Files – Sudowrite

Sudowrite offers several different ways to import your existing work or works-in-progress. Each method serves a different purpose and has its own unique features. Let’s explore the available options to help you choose the best one for your needs.

Import Novel

Do you have a work-in-progress that you’re excited to bring into Sudowrite to continue? Or perhaps you're gearing up to write a sequel and need a comprehensive Story Bible based on your previous work? The Import Novel feature is perfect for these scenarios. It's a one-stop solution that brings your entire manuscript into Sudowrite and fills in your Story Bible for you in the process.

Import Novel Purpose: Create an entirely new project with a pre-populated Story Bible based on your partial or complete manuscript (or even a less-than-organized pile of notes).

How to use Import Novel:

Click the "Import" button in the upper left corner of your Sudowrite home page.

Drag a file into the Import modal or click "Browse" to select a file from your computer.

Wait for the import process to complete (typically a few minutes, but may take up to 10 minutes for complex manuscripts).

Import Novel Features:

Automatically creates a new Sudowrite project

Populates the Story Bible with the essential components, including characters, world-building elements, and a detailed outline

Optimized for documents up to 120,000 words

Focuses on importing 5-7 primary characters

Supports .txt, .doc, .docx, .rtf, and .odt file types

Import Novel Limitations:

Always creates a new project to avoid conflicts with existing Story Bible data

May generate placeholder names for unnamed characters

Very long outlines may be saved as separate documents (though we’re working on improving the Outline section of Story Bible to better support long outlines)

2. Smart Character Import

Already working on a project in Sudowrite but want to quickly add an exhaustive Character list from a pre-existing chapter (or even an entire manuscript)? The Smart Character Import is your go-to tool. It's especially useful in cases where you decide to pull characters from an existing work mid-stream.

Smart Character Import Purpose: Quickly populate the Characters section of an existing Story Bible.

How to use Smart Character Import:

Navigate to the Characters section of your Story Bible.

Click the three dots (•••) menu in the header and select "Import".

Choose to import from text or a file.

Smart Character Import Features:

Can import up to 30 characters at a time

Accepts text input or file upload (up to 60,000 words)

Supports .txt, .doc, .docx, .rtf, .odt, and .csv file types

Allows for validation before importing characters

Does not use credits

CSV Import Option

The Smart Character Import option also allows you to optionally import a full character list using our CSV template. This bypasses the 30-character limit of the Smart Import, and works like this:

Assumes each row represents a character and each column a character trait

First row should contain column headers (field names)

Get the template here: Sudowrite Character Import Template

3. Document Import

Sometimes all you need is to get your existing work into an existing Sudowrite project so you can get to work. Maybe you've written a few chapters already, or just want to use Sudowrite for the powerful editing tools. The simple Document Import is ideal for these situations, allowing you to bring in content without affecting your existing Story Bible or project structure.

Document Import Purpose: Add an existing document to your project without affecting the Story Bible.

How to use:

In an existing project, click the "Import" button in the editor's left bar.

Select the file you want to import.

Features:

Creates a single document in your project containing the full imported text

No limit on document size

Preserves any existing Story Bible content

Allows for manual Story Bible creation or editing after import

By choosing the appropriate import method, you can efficiently bring your existing work into Sudowrite while maintaining control over how it integrates with your project structure and Story Bible. Whether you're starting fresh with a completed manuscript, populating your character list, or simply adding content to an existing project, Sudowrite has an import option tailored to your needs.