Exporting Worldbuilding Data
The Export Wizard guides you through saving your book's worldbuilding (characters, locations, items, notes, chapter outlines, and arcs) to a file on your computer. Exporting only makes copies; it never changes or removes anything from your book. You can export everything or just certain types, choose the file format, and decide whether to save it all as one file or organize everything into folders.
How to Export
Go to Settings, select "Import/Export" from the sidebar, and click "Open Export Wizard" in the Export Data section. The wizard will walk you through four steps:
- Select Data Types - Choose which types of content to export (characters, locations, items, notes, chapters, arcs)
- Select Characters, Locations, etc. - Pick specific items from each selected type, or use "Select All" to export everything
- Export Options - Choose export settings like file structure and formatting
- Review & Export - Confirm your selections and choose where to save the files
Export Options
Export Format
Choose the file format that best fits your needs:
- Markdown (.md) - A plain text file (its name ends in .md) that opens in any text editor. This is the one to pick if you want to edit your export and bring it back into Penpoint
- Plain Text (.txt) - Simple text with no styling, opens in any text editor
- Word Document (.docx) - Opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and similar apps. Great for sharing with editors or publishers
- Rich Text (.rtf) - A formatted document most word processors can open
- PDF (.pdf) - A read-only document, perfect for sharing character sheets or reference material someone just needs to read
Tip: Not sure which to pick? Use Markdown if you plan to edit your export and bring it back into Penpoint. Use Word or PDF when you're sharing with someone who just needs to read it. Plain Text works almost anywhere, but drops styling like bold and italic.
One File or Many Files?
Choose how your export is organized:
- Single File - Everything you selected goes into one file, organized by type with clear headings
- Multi-File - Creates a folder for each type (characters, locations, and so on) with a separate file for every entry. Handy for editing one entry at a time, but it can make a lot of files: one per character, location, and item
Additional Options
Additional formatting choices:
- Add Timestamp - Includes a header noting when the file was exported and that it came from Penpoint
- Include Templates - Also exports blank markdown templates in a templates/ folder for creating new content (only available with Multi-File export)
- Include Pictures - Save profile pictures and any pictures inside your text alongside your character, location, and item files (only available with Multi-File export, when exporting Characters, Locations, or Items)
Understanding Your Exports
Each exported file is laid out with clear headings. A character export, for example, starts with the character's name, then their details: Importance, Tags, Bio, and any custom traits you've added. Formatting like bold, italic, and lists is kept in the Markdown, Word, Rich Text, and PDF formats. Plain Text has no styling by design, so it drops bold and italic.
A Markdown export is a complete, editable copy of your worldbuilding. Edit the files, then bring them back in and every detail, picture, and @mention lands exactly where it was: custom traits, relationships, and organizational details included. See Importing Data for how the import process works.
Note: When you type a character's or place's name into your text, Penpoint links it to that character or place; those links are called @Mentions. In a Markdown export they're preserved, so if you edit the file and bring it back, each one still points to the right character. In the other formats (PDF, Word, Rich Text, and Plain Text), they become plain text names. Only Markdown exports can be brought back into Penpoint.