Guides

Whether you're reading your first story on Loreli or writing your hundredth scene, this is where everything practical lives. Guides covers both sides of the platform — how to navigate and unlock stories as a reader, how to use the invite system to access content for free, how to structure your first branching narrative as an author, and how to get the most out of every tool Loreli offers. Step-by-step, no jargon, built for everyone.

How to write a choose-your-own-adventure story: structure, branching, and endings that hit hard

Branching stories fall apart when writers start branching before they've planned how the branches relate. Here's the spine model, parallel and converging paths, and how to write endings that feel earned — not just stopped.

Visual novels vs. interactive fiction: what's the difference, and why it matters

"Visual novel" and "interactive fiction" get used interchangeably — but they're not the same thing. Here's where each came from, how they differ, and where they blur into each other.

What is interactive fiction? A complete guide for curious readers

Interactive fiction is storytelling where your choices shape the narrative. This guide covers the history of the format, the types that exist today, how choices work, and what makes IF different from a conventional book.