Folio

Folio is an Obsidian plugin for long-form writing projects such as books, screenplays, TV series, essays, and films. Maintainer: Daniel Garvire.

It introduces a project-centric writing workflow that combines structure, drafting tools, and writing reference material—all inside Obsidian.

Quick start

1. Install the plugin (Community Plugins or manual install).
   • Manual install: copy main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css into your vault at .obsidian/plugins/folio/ and reload Obsidian.
2. Open Folio from the ribbon (book icon) to create or open a project.
3. Use the Folio view to manage your structure and drafts.
4. Open Writer Tools for Focus Mode, Export Assistant, and references.

Core concepts

• Projects: Each writing project lives in its own structured workspace.
• Narrative structure: Chapters, scenes, or sections are organized as a meaningful hierarchy, not just files.
• Drafting + reference: Writing tools and narrative reference material coexist in the same workflow.
• Focus: Dedicated tools for distraction-free drafting and writing sessions.

Folio is designed for writers working on complex, long-form material who need more than plain markdown notes, while keeping full control of their files.

What Folio does today

Project-based workspace

• Create projects with predefined folder structures depending on project type (book, script, etc.).
• Each project has its own root, metadata, and internal organization.
• Projects are self-contained and coexist cleanly with the rest of your vault.

Folio View (project overview)

• Central project dashboard with:
  • Cover placeholder
  • Title and subtitle
  • Author and description
  • Live project statistics (word count)
• Acts as the main entry point for navigating and managing a project.

Tree / Outline view

• Hierarchical outline representing chapters, scenes, or sections.
• Drag-and-drop reordering.
• Context actions for managing project files.
• Designed to reflect narrative structure, not just folders.

Writer Tools view

The Writer Tools view is a core part of Folio and provides writing-focused tools and reference material alongside drafting.

Characters

• Centralized character reference.
• Designed to keep character information accessible while writing.
• Helps maintain consistency across long-form projects.

Narrative

• Narrative techniques, devices, and concepts.
• Intended as an in-project reference while planning or revising.
• Useful for both fiction and scripted formats.

Structure

• Structural models and frameworks (acts, journeys, story shapes).
• Supports planning and analysis of long-form narrative structure.
• Acts as a conceptual guide rather than a rigid template.

Tips

• Writing advice, best practices, and common pitfalls.
• Focused on practical guidance during the writing process.

Export Assistant

• Tool to consolidate a project into a single document.
• Designed for exporting or reviewing full drafts outside the vault.
• Formats: PDF (desktop) and Final Draft (.fdx) screenplay export.
• Final Draft export respects the project's structure order and lets you choose the save location via a native dialog.

About

• Plugin information, support links, and contact.

Focus Mode (drafting)

• Distraction-free writing mode.
• Built-in timer for writing sessions.
• Session-based word count tracking.
• Focus Mode Stats modal for reviewing session data.

Screenplay formatting

Notes with frontmatter cssclass: md-screenplay (or cssclass: folio-screenplay) render in screenplay style.
Folio bundles a third-party MIT-licensed screenplay CSS snippet for formatting (see Third-party notices).

Heading mapping (basic)

The bundled snippet maps markdown headings (#) to screenplay elements:

• # → Scene heading
• ## → Character
• ### → Parenthetical
• #### → Transition
• ##### → Act / section

Helper labels (e.g., “Scene Heading”) appear when the snippet’s helper classes are enabled.

PDF export

1. Open Writer Tools → Export Assistant.
2. Choose your project and format (PDF).
3. Open PDF Settings to customize layout (page size, margins, fonts, cover, etc.).
4. Click Export to generate the PDF.

Screenplay CSS is applied automatically in exports when cssclass: md-screenplay or cssclass: folio-screenplay is set.

Designed to separate drafting time from planning and management.

Screenplay export (Final Draft)

In Writer Tools → Export Assistant, choose Final Draft to export the whole project as a single .fdx file. A native save dialog lets you pick the destination, and the exported file is revealed in your file manager afterwards. It also runs from the command palette:

• Export current project to Final Draft (.fdx)

All of the project's markdown is included in tree order. Markdown headings are mapped to screenplay elements (same convention as the bundled snippet): # scene heading, ## character, ### parenthetical, #### transition, ##### section/act. Plain text following a character cue is treated as dialogue.

Statistics

• Project-level word count tracking.
• Session-level statistics for Focus Mode.

Project structure (developer overview)

High-level structure of the codebase:

• src/main.js — plugin entry point, event handling, orchestration.
• src/views/ — UI views (Folio view, Writer Tools view, settings).
• src/services/ — configuration, tree management, statistics.
• src/modals/ — modals (new project, manage project, focus stats).
• styles.css — UI styling.

End users install only the compiled release files.

Support

Folio is free and open-source.

If you find it useful, you can optionally support its development here:
☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/danielgarvire

Support is voluntary and does not unlock features or provide special access.

Disclaimer

This plugin is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind.
The author is not responsible for data loss, corruption, or any unintended behavior.

Use at your own risk and always keep backups of your vault.

No Warranty / No Liability

This plugin is provided without warranties or conditions of any kind.
In no event shall the author be liable for any claim, damages, or other liability.

Not affiliated with Obsidian

This plugin is an independent project and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Obsidian.

Third-party notices

• PRO Screenwriting Snippet — Bluemoondragon07 (MIT)
• Lucide Icons — https://lucide.dev

Roadmap (ideas)

• Extended export formatting options.
• Additional narrative frameworks and writing resources.
• Expanded Focus Mode analytics and history.
• Additional project types and customization.
• Any additional idea provided by kind users!

Folio is under active development.
UI and features may evolve as the project grows.