# Getting Started

Source: https://docs.skaz.io/getting-started

> Create your first interactive story in Skaz: from an empty canvas to a published link you can share, step by step.

This page walks you through creating your first story, from an empty canvas
to a link you can share.

### Create an account

Sign up at [skaz.io](https://skaz.io) with your name, email,
password, country, and birthdate, then verify your email with the code sent
to you. The same account works both for building stories in Studio and for
reading them at skaz.io. See [Account & Sign In](/account) for details.

### Open the Studio editor

Head to [studio.skaz.io](https://studio.skaz.io). You'll land on your
**Dashboard**, which lists all the stories you own, your current
[plan](/plans), and how many stories you've used out of your plan's limit.

### Create a story

Click **New story**. Give it a title and pick at least one category, then
create it — you'll land straight in the editor. See
[Creating a Story](/guide/creating-a-story) for what each field does,
including the 18+ content flag.

> Free accounts can have up to 3 stories at a time. If you're at your limit,
> the dashboard will offer to upgrade your [plan](/plans) instead of creating
> a new one.

### Add your first block

Every new story starts with a single block. Use the toolbar on the left edge
of the canvas to add more blocks — start with a **Text** block to write your
opening scene. See [Blocks](/guide/blocks) for what each block type does.

Prefer not to build it block-by-block? The [AI co-writer](/guide/ai-cowriter)
(Creator and Pro plans) can draft a whole branch from a prompt, which you can
then edit by hand.

### Connect blocks with choices

Select a block, open the **Branching** section in the inspector, and click
**+ Add choice**. Give the choice a label (this becomes the button text the
reader sees) and connect it to the next block. See
[Choices & Branching](/guide/choices).

### Set the starting block

Select the block you want the story to begin at and click **Set as start**.

### Fill in the story details

Switch to the **Story** tab in the right-hand panel to set your story's
title, description, and cover image.

### Preview it

Click the **eye icon** (Preview story) in the left toolbar to play your story
from the start, right inside the editor — no need to publish first. Walk each
branch and confirm it plays the way you meant. See [Previewing](/guide/previewing).

### Publish and share

Click the status badge in the top-left corner of the editor, then
**Publish story**. Once published, you'll get a shareable link to your
story on [skaz.io](https://skaz.io). See
[Publishing & Sharing](/guide/publishing).

## What's next?

- Work through the [Tutorials](/tutorials) — three hands-on builds that go from
  a simple branch to a full scoring system with multiple endings.
- Read the full [Editor Guide](/guide/editor-basics) for a tour of the canvas
  and inspector panels.
- Learn about all the [block types](/guide/blocks) you can use.
- Learn how to track story state with [Variables](/guide/variables).
- Try the [AI co-writer](/guide/ai-cowriter) to draft branches faster.