A Thought is everything you have to say about one book. There is exactly one Thought per book, and it's created the moment you add the book.

Inside a Thought live up to five Ideas, different kinds of note, each with its own purpose and its own word limit. You don't have to use all of them. An empty Idea simply shows nothing; its absence is the invitation to write.

Why word limits?

Every Idea type has a word limit. Not to restrict what you think, but to focus how you say it. Marginalia lived in the margin of a page: finite space, every word earning its place. Limits are the same for free and premium members, and we never use a limit to push an upgrade. Reaching a limit doesn't lock the editor; you can always edit, cut, and rephrase what's there.

Autosave: you won't lose work

Your writing saves on its own about a second and a half after you stop typing. It also saves whenever you close the editor: press the X, hit Escape, or click away from it. You'll see "Saving…" then "Saved" at the bottom of the editor. There is no manual save button; there's nothing to forget.

One small habit: after your last keystroke, give it a moment before closing so you can see "Saved." It's quick, and it's reassuring.

Locking a Thought

When you finish a book and feel you've said what you came to say, you can lock your Thought. Locking is deliberate and meaningful. It seals the book.

• The Lock toggle appears on a book only when its status is Finished and at least one Idea has content. An empty Thought has nothing to lock.
• After you switch the lock on, you have 48 hours to add anything left unsaid. During that window you can still edit freely, or switch the lock back off to cancel it entirely.
• When the 48 hours pass, the Thought locks permanently. Its Ideas can no longer be edited, and its status can no longer change. This is the only permanent state in Marginal, and it's the moment your Hindsights begin.

If you lock a book by mistake and the grace period has passed, the only way back is to delete the book. Locked Thoughts are permanent by design.

Common questions

Q: Why are locked Thoughts permanent? That feels strict. Because that's what marginalia is. When you write in the margin of a real book, can you truly erase it? The ink stays. Locking carries that same honesty: it asks you to mean what you wrote. Make it worthwhile, then seal it. (And if you genuinely need a way out after the grace period, deleting the book is always available.)

Q: Do I have to lock a book? No. Many books stay unlocked forever, especially DNF ones. Lock only when you want the finality and the Hindsight reflections that follow.

Q: What happens to a DNF book? Its Thoughts stay open and editable indefinitely. DNF books never lock and never trigger Hindsights. If you later mark it Finished, the lock option becomes available.