Marginalia, Long-Form Writing App Template

What you would actually use this for

You would open this template on a Tuesday morning to begin drafting a complex research paper or a long-form novel chapter. It is specifically designed for writers who need to keep citations, character notes, or technical observations pinned to specific claims without cluttering the actual document. An academic might use it to store peer feedback directly next to the relevant paragraph, while a novelist could keep character backstory notes anchored to specific dialogue lines.

What you would change first

The first thing most users do is set up persistent storage. The template defaults to local device saving, so you would likely ask to connect a database to keep your drafts synced across devices, which is a paid-plan feature. You should also update the pricing page to reflect your specific subscription model and swap the placeholder story for a guided tour of your own product features.

When to skip it

Skip this if you are building a tool that requires real-time multiplayer collaboration like Google Docs, or if your app is primarily for short-form content like social media posts. The layout is optimized for focused, deep-work writing sessions and is not suitable for data-heavy dashboarding or complex project management with kanban boards.