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When you first open Pensiv,
you don’t land on a writing screen.
What you see first is
the step of creating a project. That flow isn’t just setup;
it shows how Pensiv starts from structure.

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① All projects

The first screen is All projects. If you have none yet,
you’ll see something like “No projects yet.” One thing matters here: Pensiv
starts from a project, not from a file. Before you create a document,
you create the world that document belongs to. To start:
click + New project at the top right.

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② Create from scratch vs. Start from example

When you click New project
you get two options:
  • Create from scratch
  • Start from example
The difference is how you start,
not which features you get. Create from scratch:
build structure in an empty space.
Start from example:
experience a ready-made structure first. If you’re new, the example can help;
if you want to write right away, start from scratch.
Neither is wrong.

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③ Create from scratch

If you choose Create from scratch,
you’ll see a template picker. Here a template is not a design;
it’s a starting point for structure. Pick a template and continue.
Then enter the project title. Next you add
a short description of the project. One line is enough. Finally
review what you entered and
click Create project. The project opens.

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④ After the project is created

Once the project exists,
the first screen you see is the project home. That screen is not for writing;
it’s a dashboard of the project’s current state. On the left you see structure;
in the center, recent files and tasks. From here,
documents, characters, and plot
are created inside this project.

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⑤ If you start from an example

If you choose an example project,
a project with existing structure opens. The sidebar shows characters and plot;
documents and tasks are already linked. This is a way to
experience how Pensiv is used
by seeing the full structure first.

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What to remember at this step

You don’t need to understand every feature yet. For 0.2, one thing is enough:
Pensiv
doesn’t start from documents.
It starts from a project.
That’s enough for now. Next you’ll
create your first document
inside this project.