Make a story

Pick your language, level, and topic on the Story Studio form, then choose Generate. Stichos writes the story, usually in about half a minute, and opens it right under the form.

Make a new story

1. Open the Story Studio. As a learner, it’s where Stichos opens when you sign in.
2. Under Reading, check the Target language and choose a Level from A0 to B2.
3. Under Story, pick a Topic: Random lets Stichos choose, Browse opens the topic list, and Custom lets you type your own idea (Learner Plus and Educator Studio).
4. Under Format, choose Story or Dialogue.
5. On Learner Plus or Educator Studio, you can add Key words under What to practice. This is optional.
6. Check the line next to the button. It says what you’ll get, for example “A1 story in Croatian · 2 key words”.
7. Choose Generate. The button says Generating… while Stichos writes. With your own topic, it first says Checking topic….

The form folds up, and the story opens in the reader. Every option on the form explains each one.

The summary line next to Generate says what you’ll get.

Example

Sarah is learning Croatian at A1. She chooses Browse, picks “Ordering Coffee and Pastries” under Food & Dining, switches Format to Dialogue, and chooses Generate. She gets a short conversation in a café, with an English translation under every line.

Change the settings and make another

Once a story is open, the form is folded away. A line at the top of the page still shows your level, language, format, and topic.

1. Choose Edit on that line to open the form again. The arrow strip under the form also opens and closes it.
2. Change what you like, then choose Generate.

To make a new story with the same settings, choose Generate another under the story.

Stichos remembers your language and level for next time.

How many stories can I make?

Each plan has a daily and a monthly number of stories. On Free, the line at the top shows how many you have left today, for example “1 of 2 free stories left today”. The numbers for every plan are in Plans and limits.

Reading stories from Discover or your Library doesn’t use up any stories.

What happens when I run out of stories?

When today’s or this month’s stories are used up, the Generate button is replaced by a message:

• For the day: “That’s today’s 2 stories done. Nice reading!” (with your plan’s number), and a countdown such as “New stories in 5h 12m.”
• For the month: “That’s this month’s stories done. Nice reading!” and the date new ones arrive, such as “New stories on November 3, 2026.”

A notice above the story may say so too, with the time or date more stories arrive.

On Free, a button offers more: Upgrade to Learner Plus for 60 stories a month. Under the reader, Keep reading offers stories you can open without making a new one. See Keep reading and Discover.

Daily limits reset at 00:00 UTC. Monthly limits start again on the same day each month.

When your stories run out, a message replaces Generate.

A story failed. Did it count?

When the message says “Your generation wasn’t used”, it didn’t count. Choose Generate to try again.

It says “Your last story is still being written.”

You can make one story at a time, for example if you chose Generate in two tabs. Wait for the first story to finish, then try again.

Related: Every option on the form · Plans and limits · Keep reading and Discover · Layout: Guided, Assisted, Solo