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📚 MyStoryFlow Docs — Your guide to preserving family stories
User Guides

User Guides

Welcome to the MyStoryFlow user guides. These guides are designed to help end-users make the most of the platform.

Quick Start Guides

Getting Started

  1. Create your account via sign-up or family invitation
  2. Complete onboarding by selecting your relationship and storyteller details
  3. Set up your first campaign to begin capturing memories
  4. Choose whether to start with voice conversations or text-based storytelling

Your First Voice Conversation

  1. Navigate to your campaign and select “Voice Recording” or “Voice Conversation”
  2. Use the immersive conversation interface to record memories
  3. Conversations are automatically transcribed and saved
  4. After ending a conversation, choose to convert it to a story or view the transcript
  5. Review and edit the AI-generated story in the editor

Creating and Editing Stories

  1. Access stories through the Story Library or create new ones from the dashboard
  2. Use the enhanced editor with live preview and templates
  3. Add content using specialized blocks (quotes, timelines, recipes, photos, etc.)
  4. Format text with rich formatting options and page layouts
  5. Stories auto-save as you work
  6. View stories in grid or list view, search by content or storyteller

Building Your Book

  1. Create a new book from the Book Library
  2. Add stories as chapters using the story_ids system
  3. Choose book format, theme, and design elements
  4. Preview your book with the unified preview modal
  5. Track completion percentage and word count
  6. Books support multiple chapters with customizable ordering

Feature Guides

Campaigns

  • Campaign Creation: Set up campaigns to organize your storytelling projects by person or theme
  • Campaign Management: Track progress with overview dashboards showing conversation count, story count, and activity
  • Campaign Types: Support for different relationships (grandparent, parent, friend, etc.)

AI Conversations & Voice Recording

  • Voice Conversations: Real-time AI-powered conversations using the ImmersiveConversation component
  • Text Chat: Alternative to voice for written conversation capture
  • Conversation History: View all past conversations with message counts and duration tracking
  • Story Conversion: Convert completed conversations into narrative stories using AI
  • Conversation Insights: Track total conversations, duration, and activity trends

Story Library

  • Story Management: Browse all your stories in grid or list view
  • Search & Filter: Search by title, content, or storyteller name
  • Story Stats: View total stories, word counts, reading time, and activity metrics
  • Story Status: Track stories as draft or published
  • Book Integration: See which books include each story as a chapter
  • Story Editor: Advanced rich-text editor with templates, media, and collaboration features

Story Editor Features

  • Content Blocks: Use specialized blocks including quotes, Q&A, timelines, recipes, photo collages, life lessons, and more
  • Templates: Choose from pre-built templates for different story types
  • Media Integration: Add and manage photos through the media sidebar
  • Page Layouts: Select from multiple layout options for visual variety
  • Auto-save: Content automatically saves while you work
  • Preview: View real-time preview of how your story will look
  • Collaboration: Work with family members through the family sidebar

Book Creation

  • Book Library: Manage all your book projects in one place
  • Chapter Organization: Stories serve as chapters, organized via story_ids array
  • Book Metadata: Set title, subtitle, author name, and other book details
  • Progress Tracking: Monitor completion percentage and word count
  • Book Status: Track books through draft, designing, ready, and published states
  • Smart Empty State: Get suggestions for creating your first book based on available stories

Family Collaboration

  • Family Groups: Create and manage family groups for shared storytelling
  • Member Management: Invite family members and manage their roles
  • Family Activity: Track member participation and contributions
  • Shared Access: Family members can view and contribute to shared campaigns
  • Role-Based Access: Different permissions for creators, free family members, and subscribers

Dashboard Features

  • Quick Actions: Fast access to common tasks (new conversation, new story, new book)
  • Campaign Overview: See all active campaigns and their progress
  • AI Conversation Hub: Access recent conversations and start new ones
  • Story Library Widget: Preview recent stories with quick access
  • Book Creation Widget: Track book projects and creation status
  • Analytics Insights: View engagement metrics and activity trends

Common Workflows

Workflow 1: From Conversation to Book

  1. Start a voice conversation from your campaign
  2. Have a natural conversation about memories or stories
  3. End the conversation and convert to a story
  4. Edit and refine the AI-generated story in the editor
  5. Create or open a book project
  6. Add the story as a chapter to your book
  7. Preview and publish when ready

Workflow 2: Direct Story Writing

  1. Navigate to the Story Library
  2. Create a new story
  3. Use templates and content blocks to structure your story
  4. Add photos and formatting
  5. Save and optionally add to a book project

Workflow 3: Book-First Approach

  1. Start from the Book Library
  2. Create a new book with your desired settings
  3. Use the smart empty state to create stories for chapters
  4. Write or import stories directly as chapters
  5. Organize chapter order and preview the book
  6. Complete and publish your book

Technical Details

Story and Chapter Model

  • Stories serve as chapters in the MyStoryFlow system
  • Books contain a story_ids array that defines chapter order
  • Each story can be used in multiple books
  • Story metadata includes title, content, word count, status, and campaign association

Auto-Save System

  • Stories auto-save with debounced updates (1000ms delay)
  • Auto-save status indicator shows saving/saved/error states
  • Word count and page count update automatically
  • Recovery content available if browser crashes

Search and Discovery

  • Stories searchable by title, content, and storyteller
  • Books searchable by title, subtitle, and author
  • Grid and list view options for browsing
  • Filter by status, date, and other metadata

Troubleshooting

Voice Recording Issues

  • Ensure browser microphone permissions are enabled
  • Use Chrome, Safari, or Edge for best compatibility
  • Check that microphone is not in use by other applications
  • Verify stable internet connection for real-time transcription

Story Editor Issues

  • If editor doesn’t load, try refreshing the page
  • Recovery content available if browser crashes
  • Auto-save prevents data loss
  • Clear browser cache if experiencing persistent issues

Book Creation Issues

  • Ensure database tables are properly set up
  • Stories must exist before adding as chapters
  • Check that story_ids array is properly formatted
  • Verify campaign association for story access

Common Questions

  • Where are my stories? Access them via the Story Library in the main navigation
  • How do I add a story to a book? Stories appear as chapter options when editing a book
  • Can I use the same story in multiple books? Yes, stories can be referenced in multiple books
  • How do I invite family members? Use the Family Activity section or onboarding invite step
  • What happened to Elena? The AI assistant name may vary; the system uses conversational AI for memory capture

Browser Compatibility

Supported Browsers

  • Chrome 90+ (recommended)
  • Safari 14+
  • Edge 90+
  • Firefox 88+

Required Features

  • JavaScript enabled
  • Local storage enabled
  • Microphone access (for voice conversations)
  • Modern ES6+ support
Testing ScenariosBusiness Model