Frequently Asked Questions

Continuum Writer is a desktop story engine for novelists. It combines a manuscript editor, visual story workspace, branching timelines, character and world canon, and an AI assistant that has full context of your entire book. It's built for writers working on complex stories — fantasy series, sci-fi worlds, multi-POV novels.

No. Continuum Writer is a story engine with an AI assistant that understands your story. It reads your manuscript, tracks your characters and timelines, and helps when you ask — but every word is yours. You review and accept or reject any suggestion it makes.

Yes — a 14-day free trial with full access to every feature. No credit card required. Just download and start writing.

Mac (macOS 12 Monterey or later, Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows (Windows 10 or later, 64-bit) at launch.

For AI features, yes — you bring your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key, or use free local models via Ollama. The app works fully without AI too: the editor, workspace, timeline, and character management are all available without any API setup.

It depends on the provider and how much you use the AI. Most writers spend a few pounds per month. OpenAI and Anthropic charge per token, and local models via Ollama are completely free. We have a guide in the docs to help you choose the right setup.

For the best experience, we recommend Claude Sonnet (Anthropic) or GPT-4o (OpenAI). For a good balance of cost and quality, Claude Haiku or GPT-4o-mini work well. For local models, Llama 3 or Mistral are solid choices if your hardware supports them.

Yes, via Ollama. This gives you completely free, offline AI — no API key, no usage costs. Performance depends on your hardware: a Mac with 32GB+ RAM or a PC with a decent GPU will get the best results. We have recommended models listed in the docs.

Yes. All non-AI features work fully offline — the editor, workspace, timeline, characters, export, everything. AI features need internet if you're using a cloud provider (OpenAI/Anthropic), but local models via Ollama work offline too.

Prices are still being finalised, but it will be a one-time purchase with 12 months of updates. No subscription, no recurring fees.

The app continues to work exactly as it does — you just won't receive new feature updates. You can renew at a discounted rate to get another 12 months of updates.

One license covers up to 2 personal machines. If you have a desktop and a laptop, you're covered.

14-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. If Continuum Writer isn't right for you, we'll refund you in full.

Everything stays on your machine. Continuum Writer is a local-first desktop app — your manuscripts, characters, and world-building data are stored in files on your computer. AI queries go to your chosen provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, or local), never to us.

The app itself collects no data. Our website uses privacy-friendly analytics (no cookies, no personal data). We never see your manuscripts, characters, or any content you create.

Yes. Import .pdf, .rtf, .txt or .md files and Continuum will detect chapter and scene structure automatically. You can also optionally run AI extraction to pull out characters, locations, and items from your text.

Use the license recovery page on our website — enter your purchase email and we'll send your key straight to you. You can also find it in your original purchase confirmation email.