Format library
379 writing formats in 16 categories, from the BAPC format catalog. Each format is a template on one of 9 shared writing views: it sets up your outline, the look of the page and the checks that apply.
All categoriesBooks, Fiction & Creative Prose (43)Poetry, Verse & Literary Arts (68)Nonfiction, Memoir & Life Writing (16)Film, Television & Cinematic Media (26)Theater, Stage & Live Performance (31)Music, Audio & Spoken Word (19)Interactive, Narrative Design & Games (19)Worldbuilding & Pre-Writing (12)Journalism, Editorial & Media (18)Business & Professional (21)Marketing & Copywriting (16)Academic, Scientific & Educational (21)Technical Documentation (21)Legal, Civic & Institutional (20)Faith, Ceremony & Life Events (13)Everyday & Digital Writing (15)
43 formats
BAPC-001Micro-Fiction / Twitterature
Global / General · Under 100 wordsSingle moment; implied storyBAPC-002Flash Fiction
Global / General · 100–1,000 wordsOne scene, one turnBAPC-003Short Story
Global / General · 1,000–7,500 wordsSingle plot arcBAPC-004Novelette
Global / General · 7,500–17,500 wordsSingle arc, room for subplotBAPC-005Novella
Global / General · 17,500–40,000 wordsFocused arc, limited castBAPC-006Novel
Global / General · 40,000–100,000 wordsMulti-act, subplotsBAPC-007Masterwork / Extended Epic Novel
Global / General · 100,000+ wordsMulti-arc, large castBAPC-008Serial / Web Fiction Episode
Western web platforms · 1,500–5,000 words / episodeEpisodic hooks, cliffhangersBAPC-009Children’s Picture Book
Global / General · 300–1,000 words; 32 ppPage-turn beats + art notesBAPC-010Early Reader Book
Global / General · 200–2,500 wordsLeveled vocabulary, short sentencesBAPC-011Young Adult (YA) Novel
Global / General · 50,000–90,000 wordsTeen POV, coming-of-age arcBAPC-012Graphic Novel Script
Global / General · 60–200+ pagesPage/panel breakdown, dialogue, captionsBAPC-013Single-Issue Comic Book Script
US comics · 22 pagesPage/panel directionsBAPC-014Comic Series Arc / Multi-Issue Treatment
US comics · 4–12 issuesArc across issuesBAPC-015Epistolary Fiction
Global / General · AnyLetters, diaries, logs as narrativeBAPC-016Anthology / Story Cycle Collection
Global / General · Book lengthLinked or themed storiesBAPC-017Middle Grade (MG) Novel
Global / General · 30,000–55,000 wordsAges 8–12 POVBAPC-018Webcomic / Webtoon Vertical Scroll Script
Korea / global · 40–80 panels / episodeVertical scroll pacingBAPC-019Light Novel
Japan · 40,000–60,000 words / volumeFast dialogue + illustration calloutsBAPC-020Monogatari
Japan · VariableEpisodic tale, often with embedded poemsBAPC-021Nikki Bungaku (Diary Literature)
Japan (Heian) · VariableDated diary entries + poetryBAPC-022Watakushi Shōsetsu (I-Novel)
Japan · Novel lengthConfessional first personBAPC-023Kishōtenketsu Story
China / Japan / Korea · AnyFour parts: intro, development, twist, reconciliationBAPC-024Zhanghui Xiaoshuo (Chaptered Novel)
China · Long; 100+ chaptersCouplet chapter titles, ‘to be continued’ endingsBAPC-025Biji (Notebook Literature)
China · Short entriesAnecdotes, notes, miscellanyBAPC-026Xianxia / Wuxia Web Novel Chapter
China · 2,000–4,000 words / chapterDaily serial, cultivation/martial arcBAPC-027Maqāma
Arabic / Persian · EpisodicRhymed prose (saj‘), rogue narratorBAPC-028Frame Tale
Arabic / India (1001 Nights, Panchatantra) · CollectionOuter story nests inner talesBAPC-029Jātaka Tale
India / Buddhist · ShortPast-life story + moralBAPC-030Hikayat
Malay world · VariableProse romance/chronicleBAPC-031Saga
Iceland / Norse · LongTerse prose, genealogies, feudsBAPC-032Picaresque Episode
Spain · EpisodicRogue narrator, loose episodesBAPC-033Cordel Folheto
Brazil · 8–32 ppRhymed verse pamphlet + woodcut coverBAPC-034Testimonio
Latin America · Book lengthFirst-person witness narrativeBAPC-035Feuilleton
France / Europe · InstallmentNewspaper serialBAPC-036Koan
Japan / China (Zen) · Very shortParadoxical dialogue/riddleBAPC-037Aphorism Collection
Global / General · 1–3 sentences eachStandalone maximsBAPC-038Yonkoma (4-Panel Comic)
Japan · 4 panelsKishōtenketsu beats per panelBAPC-039Manga Chapter
Japan · 16–50 pagesRight-to-left page flow, panel scriptBAPC-040Manhua Chapter
China · VariableOften full-color, vertical or pageBAPC-041Bande Dessinée Album
France / Belgium · 46–62 pagesFull-color album formatBAPC-042Fumetti
Italy · VariableItalian comics; digest formatsBAPC-043Fotonovela
Latin America / Italy · VariablePhoto panels + speech balloons