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The Crossroads - scene 4
Interactive Story

Rain fell through the canopy. The path split ahead - two trails swallowed by the dark.

Your torch was almost out. Choose quickly.

Take the eastern path
Head west toward the light
Wait and listen
Chapter 1
New Neighbours

Mama gripped a chicken by its clawed and wrinkled feet, headless over a yellow bucket, with blood dripping; thick and red from where its head had been, ruffled feathers littered the ground and stuck around the rim of the bucket, slick and shiny. That musty smell which came when you dipped a bird in warm water filled the air, and mama looked like a sangoma; her hands covered in blood and tufts of...

In-browser export
EPUB builds client-side. No server, no wait.
Auto saves
Work syncs automatically as you type.
Full theming
Typography, colours, chapter styles - all yours.
Import anything
Bring in an existing EPUB or Word doc.

Two modes. One tool.

Interactive Story

Branch every choice

Variables, conditions, player input, effects on choices - all compiled into a single EPUB that runs anywhere LazyReader is installed.

  • Branching choices & paths
  • Variables & conditions
  • Player input scenes
  • Choice effects & gating
Book

Write the straight line

Chapters, a full TOC, cover art, fine-grained typography control. Import your manuscript from Word or start from scratch.

  • Chapters & table of contents
  • Import .docx or .epub
  • External CSS stylesheet
  • EPUB 2 + 3 compatible

How it works

01

Sign up and choose your format

Create a free account in seconds. Then pick your mode - Interactive Story for branching fiction with choices and variables, or Book for a clean chapter-based ebook.

  • Free, no subscription
  • Story or Book mode
  • Auto-saves as you type
Choose your editor
Interactive Story
Branching choices & variables
📖
Book
Chapters & table of contents
02

Build scenes and branch with choices

The scene list sits on the left - add, reorder, and mark any scene as the start. Each scene has a narrative body and a choices panel where you link to other scenes, creating your branching structure.

  • Visual scene list
  • Named start scene
  • Inline choice editor
  • Ending scene type
Scenes
The Crossroads
Eastern Path
Western Light
Wait & Listen
Choices
Take the eastern path
Head west toward the light
Wait and listen
03

Track state with variables and conditions

Define named variables - numbers, text, flags. Apply effects on choices to modify them, then gate other choices behind conditions. The reader's decisions shape what they see next.

  • Number, text & flag variables
  • Effects on choices (set, increment)
  • Conditional choice visibility
  • Inline variable interpolation {{name}}
Variables
{{playerName}}text
{{courage}}number3
{{hasKey}}flagfalse
Conditioncourage ≥ 2hasKey = true
04

Enrich with media and scene types

Attach images, audio, and video to any scene using inline markers. Switch a scene to Player Input to collect reader text, or to Ending to close a story branch. Add time limits and validation as needed.

  • Images, audio & video
  • Player input scenes with variable binding
  • Ending scenes
  • Timed inputs & validation rules
Scene type
Narrative
Player input
Ending
Prompt shown to reader
What is your name?
Store in {{playerName}} · Next → Eastern Path
🖼 image
🎵 audio
🎬 video
05

Preview your story as you write

Toggle into Preview mode on any scene to see it exactly as a reader will - rendered narrative, choices, conditions evaluated, variables interpolated, and your theme applied.

  • Per-scene live preview
  • Conditions & variables evaluated
  • Full theme applied
  • Book chapter preview with cover
Preview - The Crossroads

Rain fell through the canopy. The path split ahead - two trails swallowed by the dark. Your torch was almost out. Choose quickly.

Take the eastern path
Head west toward the light
06

Import existing work and export to EPUB

Bring in an existing EPUB or Word document - LazyAuthor maps it to scenes or chapters automatically. When you're done, export builds a fully playable EPUB 3 file entirely in the browser. No server. No wait.

  • Import .epub or .docx
  • Auto-maps to scenes / chapters
  • In-browser EPUB 3 build
  • Compatible with Lazy Reader & most e-readers
Export
⬇ Export EPUB
Built in browser · No upload · EPUB 3
Import
.epub
.docx
Scenes & chapters mapped automatically
Detailed Guide ➜

Your first creation is one click away.
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