Feedback & Revision
Fictionary Review (2026): Features, Pricing, Who It Suits
Romance novelist writing cozy, small-town love stories from a bookshop café in Asheville.
Fictionary is structural editing software for fiction. You import a draft, then work through it scene by scene against a fixed set of 38 story elements, and the software turns what you record into charts of your story arc, pacing and cast. It suits writers who want a disciplined self-edit and are willing to do the data entry. It does not suit writers who want the software to read the book and tell them what is wrong.
Prices run from $19 a month for StoryTeller to $49 a month for StoryCoach, the editor plan, with cheaper annual billing and a 7-day free trial, as listed on Fictionary's pricing page on 21 October 2026. This review covers the software at fictionary.co, not the dictionary bluffing game of the same name.
StoryWith AI is our own product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Key takeaways
- Fictionary is a guided, scene-by-scene structural edit built on 38 story elements across character, plot and setting.
- Most of the input is yours. Published reviews name the manual legwork as the main cost of using it.
- StoryTeller costs $19 a month or $168 a year; Premium $39 a month or $348 a year; StoryCoach $49 a month or $396 a year, as listed on 21 October 2026.
- Older published reviews quote a 14-day trial, and one lists Premium at $29. The vendor's own page now says 7 days and $39.
- It runs in Chrome or Safari on a laptop or desktop and imports Word .docx files. Phones and tablets are not supported yet, per its support page.
- Three published reviews report that it does not track subplots.
What is Fictionary, and how does it work?
Fictionary is a web app. Its homepage describes the workflow as "Import your manuscript or start your outline", and its StoryTeller page says it covers outlining, drafting and revision in one place.
The core loop for an existing draft goes like this. You import a .docx file, the software splits it into chapters and scenes, and you open each scene with a Story Elements panel beside the text. You fill in that panel: who holds the point of view, what they want, what happens if they fail, where the scene is set, how it opens and closes, and so on.
According to Fictionary's help page on evaluating scenes, "Fictionary has automatically filled out some of the elements for you", and "As you capture information from your manuscript for each element, Fictionary starts building out your Story Map." The help page also notes that work is saved every 10 seconds.
Once enough scenes are logged, the charts become useful. The StoryTeller page says "Fictionary's 15 visualizations give you the insights you need to find issues and improve your story structure", and names an automated Story Arc, a Story Goal Tracker and a Story Map among them.
Does Fictionary use AI?
Yes, in a limited way. The StoryTeller page lists "Get immediate feedback on every scene" and says you can "Assess your scene goal, word count, tension, conflict and more." The homepage names the feature: "Our safe, built-in AI writing instructor, Edwina, gives immediate, scene-specific feedback."
The pricing page lists "Immediate AI-powered story feedback" on the StoryTeller plans and does not mention AI on the StoryCoach plan. The pages we read did not say whether manuscripts are used to train any model, so ask the vendor if that matters to you.
Jennifer Peaslee, reviewing on The Bleeding Typewriter (2 April 2024), described Fictionary's "ethical AI" naming scenes and finding major plot points, said the plot-point detection worked less well, and wrote: "You have to input the information for the 38 story elements." That review is from 2024 and the AI features may have changed since, so treat it as a dated view.
What does Fictionary cost in 2026?
Fictionary sells three plans. All are in US dollars.
| Plan | Who it is for | Monthly | Annual (billed once) | Annual per month | Manuscripts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StoryTeller | "DIY Writers" | $19 | $168 | $14 | 3 at a time |
| StoryTeller Premium | "Experienced Authors" | $39 | $348 | $29 | 10 at a time |
| StoryCoach | "Editors" | $49 | $396 | $33 | "Support 20 Clients at a Time" |
Prices and plan lines as listed on Fictionary's pricing page on 21 October 2026; manuscript limits from the StoryTeller page the same day.
Premium adds "Track changes and comments" and, on the Premium product page, unlimited six-week live courses with StoryCoach instructors. StoryCoach "Includes All Fictionary Premium Features."
The pricing page says: "All plans in USD and include a 7-day free trial. No credit card required. Cancel anytime." It does not state a refund policy. The StoryCoach product page separately shows a "Start 30-Day Free Trial" button, so editors should confirm which trial applies before they start.
Why other reviews show different prices
Older reviews are still online with older numbers. SelfPublishing.com's review by Gloria Russell (published 13 December 2022, modified 21 April 2026) lists a "Free two-week trial" and "a monthly subscription for $20". Kindlepreneur's review by Jason Hamilton (updated 15 July 2026) lists a 14-day trial and StoryTeller Premium at $29 a month. Both differ from the vendor's page on 21 October 2026.
If you are budgeting, use the vendor's page, not a review, including this one.
What does Fictionary check? The 38 story elements, mapped to the work
Fictionary groups its elements into character, setting and plot. Its own story-elements page did not render the full list when we fetched it, so the list below comes from a guest article on ProWritingAid by JoEllen Nordstrom (1 May 2022) that credits the 38 elements to Fictionary. The vendor may have renamed some since.
| Group | Elements (character items shortened) | What a writer does with it |
|---|---|---|
| Character (10) | Character list; POV character; POV goal; POV internal goal; goals related to plot; what if the goal fails; impact on POV character; impact on protagonist; POV knowledge gained; character in motion | Find scenes where the viewpoint character wants nothing, risks nothing, or learns nothing, and cut or rework them |
| Setting (11) | Location; dates and times; objects; sight; smells; sounds; tastes; touch; emotional impact; location split; weather | Spot white-room scenes, sensory gaps and timeline slips, and check that a place changes how the scene feels |
| Plot (17) | Scene name; story arc; purpose of the scene; opening type; closing type; anchored; entry hook; exit hook; tension; conflict; revelation; backstory; flashback; scene middle; scene climax; action/sequel; reader knowledge gained | Check that each scene earns its place, ends on a pull forward, and moves the arc; find backstory dumps and flat middles |
Element list as published by ProWritingAid (1 May 2022), read on 21 October 2026; character items are shortened from its longer phrasing. Fictionary's story elements page confirms the count of 38.
The value is in the discipline. Filling in "what if the goal fails" for every scene forces a question many drafts skip, and the Story Arc chart then shows where tension sags across the book.
A hypothetical example: a writer logs a 90,000-word draft and notices that 11 consecutive scenes in the middle have no recorded exit hook and the same location. That pattern points to a sagging middle before any reader has to say so.
The cost is time. Thirty-eight fields across, say, 75 scenes is a lot of entries, even with some pre-filled.
What are Fictionary's strengths?
A teachable method. The elements give a writer a vocabulary for structure that carries into the next book. Kindlepreneur's Jason Hamilton (15 July 2026) lists "Makes You Think" and "Manages to Quantify the Structure of Fiction" among its pros.
Visual overview. The 15 charts show the shape of a book in a way a spreadsheet does not. SelfPublishing.com's Gloria Russell lists "Visualize your manuscript" as a pro.
Built for editors as well as writers. StoryCoach is aimed at professional editors doing structural edits for clients, and Fictionary runs a certification for StoryCoach editors.
Ease of use. Both Kindlepreneur ("Easy to Use", "Great Design") and SelfPublishing.com ("Software is easy to use") say so.
What are Fictionary's limits?
You do most of the work. Kindlepreneur's first con is "A lot of legwork is done by the author." SelfPublishing.com lists "Fictionary will not do the work for you."
No subplot tracking. SelfPublishing.com: "Fictionary doesn't track subplots, just the main plot." Kindlepreneur lists "Doesn't track subplots." The Bleeding Typewriter makes the same point.
Character arcs are thin. SelfPublishing.com cites "Limitations in tracking characters and character arcs."
Desktop only. The support page lists Safari and Chrome on Macs and PCs, from a laptop or desktop, and says: "We are going to make some of the features usable on phones and tablets at a later date."
Word only on the way in. The support page says "Fictionary supports importing Microsoft Word .docx files." Scrivener users compile to .docx first. Google Docs is not mentioned. StoryTeller exports the manuscript and notes, with edited manuscripts going back to .docx; in StoryCoach, notes export but manuscripts with tracked changes and comments do not.
No readers. Fictionary measures structure. It does not show whether real readers keep turning pages.
Fiction only. The method is built on scenes, POV and story arc. Non-fiction and memoir writers will find most of the elements do not apply.
Who should buy Fictionary, and who should skip it?
| If you are... | Fictionary fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A novelist with a finished draft who wants to learn structure | Good | The 38 elements teach a repeatable self-edit |
| A writer who likes outlines, beat sheets and checklists | Good | The recommended arc and fields reward that temperament |
| A freelance developmental or structural editor | Good, on StoryCoach | Client seats, tracked changes, recommended arc comparison |
| A writer of a multi-POV or subplot-heavy novel | Weak | Reviewers report subplots are not tracked |
| A writer who wants a fast diagnosis without data entry | Weak | Most input is manual |
| A non-fiction or memoir author | Poor | The elements are fiction specific |
| A writer who mostly works on a phone or tablet | Poor | Laptop or desktop only for now |
| A writer who wants to know where readers stop | Not covered | No reader feedback tools |
Fit judgements are ours, based on Fictionary's pricing, StoryTeller and support pages and the attributed reviews above, read on 21 October 2026.
For side-by-side numbers against other tools, see our Marlowe vs Fictionary vs AutoCrit comparison. If the manual workload is what is putting you off, our Fictionary alternative guide covers the options.
Where StoryWith AI fits
StoryWith AI takes the other approach. It reads the manuscript you import and returns Book Health, one ranked list of what to fix, sorted by severity, with each finding linked to the passage that caused it. It does not write the book; text changes only when you ask for an edit and accept it.
The analyzers listed on our features page cover structure, pacing, emotional arc, character arcs, dialogue, continuity and plot holes, readability, theme and scene purpose. Paid plans add real reader sessions: you share excerpts by private link, ask your own questions and see where each reader stopped. We do not supply the readers.
A book-level pass of a 90,000-word, 75-scene novel uses about 18 AI text actions, which fits inside the free plan's one-time allowance. Our pricing page lists the paid plans. It runs on the web and Android.
Where Fictionary is the better fit. If you want to learn structural editing as a craft, Fictionary's method is the stronger teacher: filling in each element yourself builds judgement that an automated report does not. If you are a professional editor, StoryCoach is built for client work and comes with a certification path; StoryWith AI has no editor certification. Fictionary's live courses on Premium have no equivalent here either. And if you prefer a fixed framework applied the same way to every scene, that is exactly what Fictionary sells.
StoryWith AI is the wrong tool if you want someone else's framework to work through by hand, or if you need an iOS app.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Fictionary worth it in 2026?
For a novelist who wants a structured, hands-on self-edit, the published reviews are broadly positive: SelfPublishing.com (modified 21 April 2026) gave it 4 out of 5 stars, and Kindlepreneur (15 July 2026) called it "a unique software." It is worth less to writers who want automatic diagnosis, track many subplots, or write non-fiction.
How much does Fictionary cost?
As listed on Fictionary's pricing page on 21 October 2026: StoryTeller $19 a month or $168 a year, StoryTeller Premium $39 a month or $348 a year, and StoryCoach $49 a month or $396 a year, all in US dollars.
Does Fictionary have a free trial?
The pricing page lists a 7-day free trial on all plans with no credit card required, as of 21 October 2026. The StoryCoach product page shows a 30-day trial button, and older reviews mention 14 days, so check the offer at sign-up.
Does Fictionary use AI to edit your book?
It offers AI scene feedback through an instructor its homepage calls Edwina, which assesses scene goal, word count, tension and conflict. The structural edit itself still depends on you filling in the story elements. It does not rewrite your text for you.
What file formats does Fictionary support?
Its support page says it imports Microsoft Word .docx files, and edited manuscripts export back to .docx (StoryCoach cannot export manuscripts with tracked changes). Scrivener users compile to .docx first. Password-protected files cannot be imported.
Can I use Fictionary on a phone or iPad?
Not yet. The support page says it works from a laptop or desktop in Chrome or Safari, and that some features will come to phones and tablets later.
Is Fictionary the same as the word game?
No. Fictionary the game is a parlour game where players invent definitions for obscure words. This review covers Fictionary the story-editing software at fictionary.co.
