Story Codex, Timeline, and Canvas-Style Side Chat Panel +BYOK

Add a project-level Story Codex database for auto-summarizing events/characters from folders/files, a sequential Timeline for chapter progression, and a Gemini Canvas-like side chat panel that directly edits the open file at paragraph level. These build on your already amazing platform—BYOK will make it unbeatable for everyone.

Current Pain Points
Novela excels at distraction-free drafting, linked planning (plots/characters), and quick notes, but lacks:

• No persistent database like Codex for overall project context—writers manually track events across chapters/folders.

• No visual Timeline for story arcs, pacing, and continuity.

• The current side panel is a separate entity that cannot edit the opened file (unlike Canvas/Gemini Workspace). It is only an ‘asking me anything’ kind of feature, not actively contributing to the writing but only helping answer questions in the side panel, not in the writing panel directly.

Proposed Features

1. Story Codex (Auto-Summary Database)

   • Auto-ingests folders (Drafts, Characters, Plot) to generate structured entries: events, characters, locations, concepts.

   • Each entry: AI summary (1-2 sentences), source links, tags, timeline index.

   • Queryable with natural language/filters; toggle auto-update; editable with history.

   • Benefit: Instant project-wide context—the missing database piece.

2. Chapter Timeline

   • Reads chapters sequentially (via index/plot board).

   • Creates zoomable strips: chapter meta (title, WC, POV) + AI event summary + tags.

   • Click to source/codex; spots pacing gaps.

   • Benefit: Visualize progression without spreadsheets.

3. Side Chat Panel (Gemini Canvas-Style, File-Bound)

   • Replace/extend current panel with "Story Assistant" that reads + directly edits the open file (unlike today's separate notes panel).

   • Canvas parity: Select paragraph/sentence/scene → chat to rewrite/expand/shorten/tone-shift → apply inline (replace selection), insert below, or discard.

   • Benefit: True collaborative editing—no tab-switching, hidden by default.

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Business Suggestion: One-Time Purchase + BYOK
Have you considered one-time purchase options with BYOK? Many users will like that option (with their own API keys) over subscriptions.