Understanding Sudowrite's Context and Memory

Sudowrite maintains context based on the active project, document, and associated tools like the Story Bible and Canvas. This context allows the AI to generate text that is relevant and consistent with previous inputs and settings. The "memory" isn't a single cache but rather the combined information available to the AI in a specific workspace.

This active context includes:

• The text content within the current document.
• Information entered into the Story Bible for the document or project.
• Details and connections defined on the Canvas.
• Settings specific to the current document or project.

Over time, with extensive text or outdated information in the Story Bible/Canvas, the context might become less focused or include details no longer relevant to the current writing direction. Effectively "clearing" this memory involves managing or resetting these sources of context.

Why Manage or Clear Sudowrite Context?

There are several reasons why managing the AI's active context is beneficial:

• Starting a New Project: Beginning work on a completely different topic or story requires a fresh context, free from details of previous work.
• Changing Document Focus: Shifting significantly within the same project (e.g., starting a new scene that requires different background details).
• Reducing Contradictions: Outdated information in the Story Bible or conflicting details within the main text can lead to AI generations that are inconsistent.
• Troubleshooting: Sometimes, unexpected AI behavior can be linked to confusing or excessive context. A fresh start can resolve this.
• Improving Focus: A lean, relevant context helps the AI stay focused on the desired output.

Methods for Effectively Clearing Sudowrite Memory

Sudowrite does not feature a single button labeled "Clear All Memory" that wipes everything across the application. Instead, clearing the AI's working memory is achieved by managing the scope and content of the information it accesses. The primary methods involve leveraging the platform's organizational structure and editing features.

1. Starting a New Project

The most definitive way to clear context related to a previous body of work is by creating a new project.

• Each project is a self-contained workspace.
• Information (text, Story Bible, Canvas) within one project is generally isolated from others.
• Creating a new project provides a completely clean slate for the AI's context.

This is the recommended approach when moving from one distinct body of work to another.

2. Creating a New Document Within a Project

While projects offer the highest level of isolation, starting a new document within an existing project also significantly impacts the AI's immediate context.

• The primary text the AI considers is usually the content within the active document.
• Moving to a blank new document removes the text from the previous document from the AI's immediate consideration.
• Note that the Story Bible is often shared per project, so information there might still influence a new document within that project.

This method is useful when beginning a new section or chapter within the same overall work but wanting to reset the textual context.

3. Managing the Story Bible Content

The Story Bible stores persistent information about characters, settings, plot points, etc., that the AI should remember across different generations within a document or project. To "clear" or update this specific source of context:

• Locate the Story Bible feature associated with the document or project.
• Edit existing entries to update details.
• Delete entries that are no longer relevant or contain outdated information.
• Ensure the information remaining is concise and accurate relative to the current focus.

Regularly reviewing and curating the Story Bible is crucial for maintaining accurate AI memory.

4. Editing or Resetting the Canvas

The Canvas helps structure ideas, characters, and plot points visually. Information and connections defined here can also influence the AI, particularly for features like 'Describe' or when generating based on structural notes.

• Access the Canvas associated with the document or project.
• Edit or delete elements (cards, connections) that are confusing or no longer needed.
• A more drastic step is to clear the entire Canvas if starting a structural outline from scratch.

Maintaining a clear and accurate Canvas contributes to the AI's understanding of the overall structure and elements.

5. Editing the Main Document Text

The text currently in the main editor is a primary source of context.

• Simply deleting irrelevant paragraphs or sections from the document text removes that specific information from the AI's immediate working memory for subsequent generations.
• This is a basic, ongoing part of editing that also serves to refine the AI's focus.

Proactive Context Management Tips

Instead of needing drastic "clears," proactive management keeps the AI's memory sharp:

• Use Projects for Isolation: Create a new project for each distinct body of work (novel, short story, article series).
• Utilize Documents for Sections: Use separate documents within a project for different chapters, scenes, or parts to limit the immediate textual context.
• Keep Story Bible Lean: Include only essential, verified information in the Story Bible. Avoid including conflicting or overly detailed entries that aren't critical for the AI to remember.
• Regularly Review and Update: Periodically check the Story Bible and Canvas for outdated information that could confuse the AI.
• Trim Excess Text: As writing progresses, be mindful of how much text is kept before the cursor, as lengthy preceding text can dilute the AI's focus.

By consistently managing the input sources (document text, Story Bible, Canvas) within the appropriate project and document structure, effective control over the AI's context is maintained, often mitigating the need for a complete "clear."