Install Inkweaver

Before you start writing, painting, or coding, you’ll need one of Inkweaver’s development tools. There are two: Inkweaver Studio, and the Inkweaver command line interface (CLI).

Inkweaver Studio Coming soon

Inkweaver Studio is an app for writers and artists. You’ll use it to manage your files, preview your novel, and find and fix problems.

Inkweaver Studio is planned for 2027.

The Inkweaver CLI

The Inkweaver CLI builds your novel, previews it in a browser, and creates web builds you can host yourself or publish on itch.io.

Inkweaver is in early access

During early access, the CLI is the only way to create a novel.

If you’re a writer or artist, don’t worry. The CLI is made for developers, but it’s simple to use, and you’ll spend almost all your time in the writing and painting apps you already know.

If you run into any trouble with this guide, come find us on Discord. We’ll do our best to get you up and running.

Install the CLI

Download and install the CLI using the early access link in your email.

To check that it works, open a terminal and print the version:

Terminal

ink version

Create a workspace

Your novel lives in a workspace: a folder that holds all of its files. Everything in this folder ships with your novel.

Create a new folder on your computer, like my-first-novel, and open a terminal in that folder. Then run init:

Terminal

ink init

The CLI asks whether you want to use JavaScript or TypeScript. Pick whichever you prefer, and Inkweaver sets up your workspace.

Opening a terminal in a folder

In your computer’s file browser, right-click the folder and choose Open in Terminal or New Terminal at Folder.

Preview your novel

The preview command opens your novel in a browser:

Terminal

ink preview

While it’s running, Inkweaver updates the preview every time you save a file in your workspace.

Try it out. Open screenplay.fountain in your favorite text editor, change the first line of dialogue, and save. Your change appears in the browser.

Next steps

Now you’re ready to start on your novel:

1. Write your screenplay.
2. Create your artwork.
3. Compose your soundtrack as cues.
4. Add custom logic with JavaScript.
5. Extend your novel with plugins.