Hello, storyteller!

Have you seen Campfire's YouTube content? Levi, the channel's host, makes video essays about writing by analyzing popular media to teach storytelling concepts. Our content covers everything from character development to plot to worldbuilding.

Check out the most recent video which tackles Wandavision. The show leans hard on its gimmick, but is that a bad thing?

When we released Campfire Pro in 2018, users overwhelmed us with excitement and feedback. People requested more languages, a word processor, and worldbuilding tools so they could create their stories better than ever. We added tons of features over the next year and improved the software in every way we reasonably could.

Unfortunately, it was our first attempt at creating a writing software and had many shortcomings. The same way a novel needs good bones in the edit, so too does software. To create the greatest writing software in the world, we knew we’d have to start from scratch.

In September 2019, Campfire Technology created Blaze’s Kickstarter campaign. 378 backers in our community supported it and raised $37,141. Over the last thirteen months, we’ve added members to the Campfire team and worked tirelessly to create Campfire Blaze.

And it’s finally here.









As a browser-based suite of tools built on a sustainable and scalable infrastructure, we have the flexibility to rapidly build any feature the community wants. Not only does Blaze contain improved features from Campfire Pro, but also all new features like a word processor that integrates with every module. You can collaborate with friends in real-time or work by yourself to flesh out every facet of your story. Campfire Blaze is the ultimate way to stay organized and write your story all in one place, and it’s only going to get better in years to come.

Though Blaze has a free version, we have to keep the lights on. When it came time to ask the community about pricing, they were split 50/50 between a subscription model or one-time payments. So we decided to allow both.

Expand Blaze’s free version by purchasing modules once and owning them forever. Alternatively, build your own subscription to pay only for the features you need. Add modules for less than a dollar, or unlock everything for a few dollars per month with a 30-day return policy.

Try it free today.
To celebrate, we’re running a contest in conjunction with NaNoWriMo. Write 50,000 words in November with Campfire Blaze and submit your story straight from Blaze for a chance to win $3,000 to spend towards your publishing efforts. The deadline is December 15th, so check out all the details at http://www.campfiretechnology.com/contest.

What’s Next?
We’ve committed to hiring four more software developers in 2021 to help us make Blaze the best writing software in the world. There are certainly features to improve and bugs to iron out, but we’re dedicated to making Blaze the perfect tool for storytellers everywhere.

In November and December of this year, you can expect to see significant improvements to the modules we already have – including a complete rewrite of the timeline in response to user feedback. In 2021, you can expect to see more languages, new features, more modules, a desktop app, and maybe even a mobile app for Campfire Blaze. But more on that later…

Thank you so much for all of your patience. We’re excited for you to use Campfire Blaze, and eager to continue improving it to create the ultimate writing software.

Sincerely,
The Campfire Team (Jason, Jackson, Levi, Liv, Hannah, Bryce, Cole, and Adam)

Hello Storytellers,

*Sigh*

That’s right, we did it again. We can’t help it. Over eight months ago we said there would be no further updates… And we’ve continued to update Campfire Pro ever since. What can we say? We hear your requests, we appreciate all your continued support, and we want to make Campfire Pro the best software it can be.

The Navigation Toolbar
Going back and forth between views is easier than ever with the new navigation toolbar. This unobtrusive panel at the bottom of the screen has buttons that help you navigate backwards, forwards, go to any view you want, or add a new panel to the view you’re on. It’s pretty nifty! In the options you can choose whether to make it constantly on-screen or hidden until you move your mouse to the bottom of the screen.

View-Only Mode
Want to share your story with a friend who doesn’t have Campfire Pro? No problem. People who don’t own the software can now open Story files via Campfire -> Open Story from File. It is not possible to make changes to story files in View-Only mode.

QoL Improvements for Big Timelines
Some of your timelines are getting big… like… REALLY big. It’s awesome. To make your lives a little bit easier, we’ve made a few adjustments to the Timeline View:

• Added Timeline zoom using Ctrl + Scroll
  
• Added ability to right-click the Timeline and choose ‘Select All Events to the Right’ and similar commands for quick selection of large pieces of the Timeline.

Miscellaneous Changes

• Added preference for right-to-left text mode
  
• Added ability to hold Shift when clicking the X on a panel to delete something and avoid seeing the popup warning
  
• Added ability to multi-select character panels
  
• Fixed usability issues with dragging character panels
  
• Number of columns in Layout Options now saves as part of Templates
  
• Sidebar now remembers which folders are collapsed/expanded
  
• Added ability to add Magic Guidebook entries as Links and References (Only affects Worldbuilding Pack owners)
  
• Fixed a few Steam achievements (Only affects users on Steam)

We’ll continue to push out bug fixes for the foreseeable future, but we can’t guarantee there will be any further major updates to Campfire Pro. With the help of caffeine and the summer break, we’ve doubled down on building Campfire Blaze. We can’t wait for you to try out the beta in the coming months. Until then, keep working on your amazing stories. The world needs them.

-The Campfire Team

P.S. Did you know we’ve started a YouTube channel with videos on writing? Check out our deep dive into Act 1 of the Hero's Journey!

Hello, Storytellers.

The Worldbuilding Pack is finally here on Steam! Take your planning to the next level by creating Languages, Magic Systems, Species, Religions, Cultures, Systems, Items, and more with the Worldbuilding Pack. It's perfect for creating your next TTRPG campaign or writing your next novel.

Have you seen our new YouTube series on How to Create Compelling Characters? Check it out: Build Characters From the Bottom Up - The Fundamental Aspects of Character

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmBhAk9dCBs

Be sure to subscribe since we're going to continue bringing you writing craft videos every other Monday!

Keep writing! Don't forget, the world needs your story.

- The Campfire Team

Hello, Storytellers.

We're excited to announce that we are releasing the Worldbuilding Pack as DLC on Steam! You'll be able to buy it directly from Steam and expand your story. This release will not affect anyone who already purchased the DLC from our website. Take your planning to the next level by creating Languages, Magic Systems, Species, Religions, Cultures, Systems, Items, and more with the Worldbuilding Pack on April 20th, 2020.

Finally, we have started producing content on our YouTube channel! You can watch the first video in our series "How to Write Compelling Characters" right now:



We're excited to start bringing you videos every other Monday about writing!

Keep writing! Don't forget, the world needs your story.

- The Campfire Team

Hello storytellers,

We know we said the last update was the final one, but we’ve decided to surprise you all with a new update anyways! This one comes with some new features (as well as the usual bug fixes). Introducing the Surprise Update.

• Notepad: Remember that little Notes box that’s on the Title Page of your stories? Well, you can now view and edit those notes from any Campfire View by clicking the little notebook icon at the bottom right of the screen. Use this as a scratchpad to store your thoughts before you find the right place for them in Campfire!
  
• Story Search: You can now search your entire Campfire story to quickly navigate to an entry. Just click the magnifying glass icon at the bottom right of any Campfire view and the search window will appear.
  
• Drag to Multi-Select: We made it easier to select and move multiple items on a Timeline, Relationship Web, System flowchart, or Map. Before, you used to have to shift-click each panel in order to select multiple. Now, just click and drag over the panels you want to select!
  
• Title Page Formatting: In Preferences, you can now use a two-column layout in the title page, and you can control the text alignment for the synopsis and notes panels. The alignment for notes applies to the new notepad as well.

• Offline Use: Fixed a bug with using Campfire Pro on Steam while not connected to the internet
  
• Language Pronunciation: Fixed bug where language pronunciation was converting whitespace into “?”
  
• Tooltip: Fixed the World tooltip
  
• Duplicating Magic Systems: Fixed a bug where the Guidebook of a Magic System was not duplicated along with the rest of the content.

As usual, Steam users will receive the Surprise Update automatically.

So, you're ready to take your worldbuilding to the next level? Campfire Pro is here to help with the Worldbuilding Pack. This optional DLC is purchasable from our website and is fully compatible with the Steam version. It includes Magic System Design, Species Creation, Systems Building, Items Creation, Language Building, Culture Development, Religion Creation, and Philosophy Creation. Here's how you can get these awesome features:

1. Head over to https://www.campfiretechnology.com/pro/pricing/
   
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the "Buy Now" link under the Upgrades section.
   
3. Alternatively, you can simply check out with this link: https://sowl.co/s1dFz
   
4. Go through the buying process, and check your email to retrieve your license key.
   
5. Open Campfire Pro on Steam, open a Story, go to Worldbuilding Pack -> Register License in the top menu, then paste in your key and register.
   
6. Congrats! You should be good to go. If not, don't forget you can always ask us for help on the Steam discussion boards, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Discord, or our website.

Enjoy the Suprise Update, and keep telling those stories!

-The Campfire Team

So, you're ready to take your worldbuilding to the next level? Campfire Pro is here to help with our new Worldbuilding Pack. This optional DLC is purchasable from our website and is fully compatible with the Steam version. Here's how you can get it:

1. Head over to https://www.campfiretechnology.com/pro/pricing/
   
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the "Buy Now" link under the Upgrades section.
   
3. Alternatively, you can simply check out with this link: https://sowl.co/s1dFz
   
4. Go through the buying process, and check your email to retrieve your license key.
   
5. Open Campfire Pro on Steam, open a Story, go to Worldbuilding Pack -> Register License in the top menu, then paste in your key and register.
   
6. Congrats! You should be good to go. If not, don't forget you can always ask us for help on the Steam discussion boards, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Discord, or our website.

Not sold on the Worldbuilding Pack yet? Here's some of the features you'll be able to enjoy with it:

• Magic System Design
  
• Species Creation
  
• Systems Building
  
• Items Creation
  
• Language Building
  
• Culture Development
  
• Religion Creation
  
• Philosophy Creation

If you're curious about what some these features look like, we've got you covered there too!


















If you're interested in checking out more screenshots, head on over to our website!

We hope you're enjoying Campfire Pro. Now go work on your fantastic stories!

-The Campfire Team

Hello storytellers,

Today we bring you the most powerful update Campfire has ever seen. The Final Update is live, and it brings with it two major overhauls: the UI Update and the Worldbuilding Pack.

The UI Update is a free upgrade that improves and streamlines Campfire Pro’s interface. It finally makes Campfire Pro feel like the finished product we always wanted it to be, and adds loads of useful features like statistics, lists, and improved linking between different areas in the software.



The Worldbuilding Pack is an optional $25 expansion pack that adds powerful new worldbuilding features to Campfire Pro: species, cultures, languages, religions, philosophies, magic, items, and systems. We’re really excited about this pack, as it allows committed worldbuilders to dive into their projects in Campfire with a level of detail that was previously impossible.



If you already have Campfire Pro and want to purchase the Worldbuilding Pack, you can do so here.

We hope you’re as excited as we are about these new updates! Now we’ll be turning our attention fully toward Campfire Blaze. Remember that anyone who has Campfire Pro when Blaze launches will be eligible to receive a free 3-month subscription to Blaze!

Best,
The Campfire Technology team

Campfire Blaze will be a web application that encompasses Campfire Pro's greatest features, while adding what users have been clamoring for like sharing, collaboration, and a word processor to actually write your stories.

We just launched a Kickstarter campaign for Campfire Blaze, and we hope you'll take a look at it! Our reward tiers include heavily discounted access to Blaze when it releases, access to a private beta a few months before launch, access to an exclusive development discord, and more.

View the Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/campfiretechnology/campfire-blaze-writing-software-for-storytellers

Hello storytellers,

It's been a while since we've released an update. In fact, we had originally planned on not releasing any more updates to Campfire Pro, and focusing exclusively on the development of our up-and-coming software Campfire Blaze. However, after a discourse with our users, we realized that certain QoL fixes were necessary for the current version of Pro.

Introducing the Utility Update:

• Added the Utilities window, accessible from Campfire -> Utilities, which is designed to help users fix any bugs or issues they're encountering with Campfire
  
• Added support for fully offline use, which will be enabled automatically for all users
  
• Added ability to add Encyclopedia entries to Relationship Webs
  
• Updated Relationships UI to open up more screen space
  
• Added a short "where did you hear about us?" questionnaire that runs the first time a new user opens Campfire
  
• Added a "Cautious Mode" preference that, if enabled, will cause Campfire to display a confirmation prompt if you click 'Cancel' in the Edit Character, Edit Event, or Edit Location windows
  
• Added Village as a location and map type
  
• Made Event names, and the associated trait values, appear when they are hovered over on the trait graph in the Character Arcs view
  
• Added preference for default location transparency
  
• Added ability to delete panels from the "Show Hidden Panels" window in the Characters view to get rid of those pesky misspelled panels
  
• Fixed bug where you couldn't drag a timeline event and scroll at the same time
  
• Fixed bug where creating character groups while using filters could cause errors
  
• Fixed bug where character page refreshed after removing an image from a panel

We hope you all are enjoying using Campfire. As always, we’d love to see what you create on social media if you’d like to share it with us on any of these sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campfiretechnologyllc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/campfiretechllc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgAaPAUwqDR7zbPKqe4jQvQ
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/965480/Campfire_Pro/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/CampfireTechnology/
Discord: https://discord.gg/6dTUvx3

Go work on your fantastic stories!
-The Campfire Team