Markdown Formatting & Story Styling Guide
Everything you need to write and style captivating stories, blogs, and posts on SkiveCore. Learn basic syntax, explore rich storytelling elements, and quickly troubleshoot common formatting glitches.
⚡ At a Glance: 30-Second Cheatsheet
**bold** & *italic*
Combine with ***both***
||hidden plot secret||
Blacks out text until clicked
--- or ***
Renders an elegant ✦ ✦ ✦ divider
->Centered line<-
Perfect for poems, titles & epigraphs
:::note [Title] ... :::
Also supports :::warning & :::tip
>> Featured excerpt
Large styled pullquote styling
1. Text Formatting & Emphasis
Markdown lets you format text naturally as you write without taking your hands off the keyboard. Here is how inline styles work in the SkiveCore editor:
2. Storytelling & Creative Writing Tools
SkiveCore includes built-in styling tools crafted specifically for fiction writers, serialized storytellers, and essayists.
✦ Scene Breaks & Chapter Dividers
When shifting perspective or time in your story, type three dashes or three asterisks on their own line with an empty line before and after:
End of chapter one. --- Meanwhile, across the city...
End of chapter one.
Meanwhile, across the city...
🙈 Click-to-Reveal Inline Spoilers
Wrap plot secrets, puzzle solutions, or twists in double vertical bars ||text||. Readers must click or tap to unmask the spoiler:
The detective realized that ||the butler had the key|| all along.
The detective realized that the butler had the key all along.
📌 Author Notes, Content Warnings & Creator Tips
Inspired by modern fiction platforms (like AO3 and Wattpad), you can add highlighted callout cards by typing triple colons :::type [Title]:
:::note Chapter 4 Notes Thanks for following the series! Next update this Friday. :::
Thanks for following the series! Next update this Friday.
:::warning Sensitive Themes This chapter contains depictions of severe claustrophobia. :::
This chapter contains depictions of severe claustrophobia.
🎯 Centering & Right-Aligning Text
Centering is often used in novels for epigraphs, poems, telegrams, and chapter banners:
->To the stars and beyond<-
->>— Signed, The Author<<-
🔽 Collapsible Sections / Spoilers Accordion
Keep lore sheets, cast lists, or extended trigger warnings tucked neatly out of the way until the reader wants to view them:
<details> <summary>Click to expand: Character Cast & Lore</summary> Detailed descriptions, worldbuilding notes, and timeline facts go here. </details>
Click to expand: Character Cast & Lore
3. Headings, Quotes & Structure
Headings (H1 to H4)
Start the line with hashes followed by a space:
# Main Title (H1) ## Chapter Title (H2) ### Section Subtitle (H3) #### Minor Topic (H4)
# and your title text.
Blockquotes & Pullquotes
Use > for standard dialogue or >> for stylized pullquotes:
> Standard blockquote for cited text. >> Large editorial pullquote that stands out.
4. Lists, Task Checklists & Tables
- First character - Second character - Third character
- First character
- Second character
1. Create outline 2. Draft chapter 3. Publish to readers
- Create outline
- Draft chapter
- [x] Character bios complete - [ ] Chapter proofread - [ ] Upload custom cover
🛠️ Common Rendering Issues & Quick Fixes
Did something look strange when you previewed or published your story? Here are the most frequent formatting hiccups and how to solve them in seconds:
1. Asterisks or tags show literally instead of turning into bold or italic
Why it happens: In Markdown, there cannot be spaces between the asterisks and your words.
* gentle whisper *
*gentle whisper*
2. Paragraphs running together into a single block of text
Why it happens: Pressing Enter only once is treated as a soft wrap. Readers will see one continuous paragraph.
3. Scene break (---) accidentally enlarged the previous line
Why it happens: If you put --- directly below a sentence without an empty blank line, Markdown interprets it as an alternate Heading 2!
End of scene ---
End of scene ---
4. Bullet list or numbered list not formatting
Why it happens: Lists require two things: (1) a blank line above the list to separate it from your preceding paragraph, and (2) a space after the dash or number (e.g. - item, not -item).
5. Pasting from Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or Wattpad
Word processors often insert invisible styling tags or “smart quotes” (curly quotes). When pasting into the SkiveCore editor:
- You can click the Preview tab in the editor at any time to verify how your text looks before saving.
- Standard quotes (
"and') work cleanly across all platforms. - If a pasted blockquote looks disordered, backspace the opening mark and re-type
>or backticks.
Still having trouble with your story formatting?
Our creator support specialists can inspect your draft, fix unexpected tag errors, or help you convert complex manuscripts into clean SkiveCore chapters.
✉️ Contact Creator Support