Guides & Support
Common Issues & Solutions
Common Issues & Solutions
Category: Troubleshooting Read Time: 8 minutes
Quick Solutions to Common Problems
Having issues with EpicWrite? Most problems have simple solutions. This guide covers the most common issues and how to fix them.
Login & Account Issues
Can't Log In
Problem: "Invalid credentials" or "Account not found"
Solutions:
-
Check your email address
- Make sure you're using the email you signed up with
- Try your Google account if you used Google OAuth
- Check for typos
-
Reset your password
- Click "Forgot Password" on login page
- Check your email (including spam folder)
- Follow reset link
-
Clear browser cache
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac)
- Clear cookies and cached data
- Try logging in again
-
Try a different browser
- Switch to Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
- Disable browser extensions temporarily
Still stuck? Email support@epicwrite.ai with your email address.
Google OAuth Not Working
Problem: "Failed to authenticate with Google"
Solutions:
-
Allow pop-ups
- Check if pop-ups are blocked
- Allow pop-ups for epicwrite.ai
- Try again
-
Clear Google cookies
- Go to Google Account settings
- Sign out of all devices
- Sign back in, try OAuth again
-
Use a different Google account
- Maybe you signed up with a different email
- Try your work or school Google account
Brinley AI Issues
Brinley Not Responding
Problem: Message sent but no response
Solutions:
-
Check your internet connection
- Brinley requires active internet
- Refresh the page
- Check WiFi/ethernet connection
-
Wait 30 seconds
- Sometimes responses are delayed during high traffic
- Don't send multiple messages
- Response will appear
-
Refresh Studio
- Press F5 or Ctrl+R
- Your work is auto-saved
- Try asking again
-
Check AI word limit
- You might have hit your monthly limit
- Ask: "How many AI words have I used?"
- Upgrade plan or wait for monthly reset
Brinley Gives Generic Answers
Problem: Responses don't reference your story
Solutions:
- Be more specific
- Reference character names
- Mention plot threads
- Provide context
Instead of: "What should happen next?" Try: "Elena just discovered Kael's betrayal in Chapter 12. What should happen next given her impulsive personality?"
-
Make sure your story data is saved
- Check that characters/locations are created
- Verify AWE data is complete
- Ask: "Show me all my characters"
-
Refresh Brinley's context
- Ask: "What's the current state of my story?"
- This helps Brinley reload your project data
Brinley Contradicts Itself
Problem: Brinley suggests something that contradicts earlier advice
Solutions:
-
Provide full context each time
- Don't assume Brinley remembers the last conversation
- Include relevant details in every question
-
Check your story data
- Make sure AWE is up to date
- Brinley references your latest saved data
- Update character/location info if changed
-
Be specific about what you want
- "Ignore previous suggestions, here's what I'm doing..."
- "I decided to go a different direction..."
Writing & Editor Issues
My Work Isn't Saving
Problem: Changes disappear after refresh
Solutions:
-
Check auto-save indicator
- Look for "Saving..." or "Saved" message (bottom left)
- If stuck on "Saving..." - internet issue
- Wait for "Saved" confirmation
-
Manual save
- Press Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on Mac)
- Force save immediately
- Look for save confirmation
-
Check internet connection
- Auto-save requires internet
- If offline, your work stays in browser
- Reconnect, then manually save
-
Browser storage issue
- Clear browser cache
- Disable browser extensions
- Try incognito/private mode
Lost work? Check version history (paid plans):
- Settings > Version History
- Restore from recent backup
Text Formatting is Wrong
Problem: Bold/italic/headings not working
Solutions:
-
Use Markdown syntax
**bold**for bold*italic*for italic# Headingfor headings
-
Or use keyboard shortcuts
- Ctrl+B (Cmd+B) for bold
- Ctrl+I (Cmd+I) for italic
-
Check export formatting
- Formatting shows correctly in exported files
- Studio editor has minimal styling
- Export as DOCX/PDF to see full formatting
Scene Selector Won't Load
Problem: Can't see or switch between scenes
Solutions:
-
Refresh the page
- Press F5 or Ctrl+R
- Scenes should reload
-
Check project structure
- Ask Brinley: "Show me all my scenes"
- Verify scenes exist in database
- Create new scene if needed
-
Clear browser data
- Clear cache and cookies for epicwrite.ai
- Re-login
- Try again
Search & Memory Issues
Brinley Can't Find Information
Problem: "What color are Elena's eyes?" returns "I don't have that information"
Solutions:
-
Make sure you actually wrote it
- Search manually: Ctrl+F for "eyes"
- Maybe you never described eye color
- Add the detail now
-
Check character is created in AWE
- Ask: "Show me all characters"
- Verify Elena exists
- Create character if missing
-
Use different phrasing
- Instead of: "What color are Elena's eyes?"
- Try: "Describe Elena's appearance"
- Or: "Find everywhere I described Elena"
-
Wait for indexing
- New content takes ~30 seconds to index
- If you just wrote it, wait briefly
- Then search again
Contradiction Alerts Are Wrong
Problem: Brinley alerts for contradictions that don't exist
Solutions:
-
Dismiss false alerts
- Click "Dismiss" on the alert
- Your story is fine
- Brinley sometimes over-alerts
-
Check context
- Maybe the "contradiction" is in dialogue (character lying)
- Or it's an intentional plot twist
- You're the author - you decide
-
Provide feedback
- Mark alert as "Not a contradiction"
- Helps improve accuracy
- Other alerts will be better
Export Issues
Export File is Corrupted
Problem: Can't open exported DOCX/PDF/EPUB
Solutions:
-
Try different format
- If DOCX fails, try PDF
- If EPUB fails, try DOCX
- One format should work
-
Re-export
- Delete corrupted file
- Export again
- Files occasionally fail due to network issues
-
Check file size
- Very large projects (500K+ words) take longer
- Wait for full download before opening
- Partial downloads corrupt files
-
Update your software
- Update Microsoft Word / PDF reader
- Update ebook reader app
- Try opening on different device
Formatting Lost in Export
Problem: Bold/italic/headings missing in exported file
Solutions:
-
Use Markdown properly
**text**for bold*text*for italic- Markdown converts to formatting in export
-
Check export settings
- Some formats preserve formatting better
- DOCX preserves most formatting
- TXT has no formatting (plain text only)
-
Export as DOCX, then convert
- DOCX → PDF (better formatting)
- DOCX → EPUB (use Calibre)
- More control over final output
Performance Issues
Studio is Slow or Laggy
Problem: Typing has delay, UI is sluggish
Solutions:
-
Close other tabs/programs
- Free up RAM
- Close unused browser tabs
- Quit memory-heavy programs
-
Disable browser extensions
- Ad blockers can slow down editors
- Grammar checkers conflict
- Try incognito/private mode
-
Use Chrome or Firefox
- Optimized for these browsers
- Safari works but may be slower
- Edge works well too
-
Restart your browser
- Close all windows
- Reopen browser
- Login to EpicWrite again
-
Check your internet speed
- Slow connection = slow sync
- Run speed test
- Connect via ethernet if possible
Page Won't Load
Problem: Blank page or infinite loading
Solutions:
-
Refresh (Ctrl+R or F5)
- Force reload
- Clear stuck state
-
Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R)
- Clears cache
- Reloads everything
- Fixes most loading issues
-
Clear browser cache
- Settings > Clear browsing data
- Select "Cached images and files"
- Leave "Cookies" checked
- Clear data, reload
-
Try different browser
- Switch to Chrome/Firefox/Edge
- Isolates browser-specific issues
Billing & Subscription Issues
Payment Failed
Problem: "Payment declined" or subscription didn't activate
Solutions:
-
Check card details
- Verify card number, expiry, CVV
- Check billing address matches card
- Try re-entering payment info
-
Try different payment method
- Use different credit/debit card
- Try PayPal if available
- Contact your bank (might be blocking charge)
-
Check available funds
- Ensure sufficient balance
- Check for holds on account
-
Contact support
- Email billing@epicwrite.ai
- Include error message
- We'll help resolve
Can't Cancel Subscription
Problem: Cancel button not working
Solutions:
-
Go to Settings > Subscription
- Click "Manage Subscription"
- Click "Cancel Subscription"
- Confirm cancellation
-
Email support
- support@epicwrite.ai
- Request cancellation
- We'll process within 24 hours
Didn't Receive Refund
Problem: Cancelled but no refund
Solutions:
-
Check refund policy
- Monthly plans: no refunds after billing
- Annual plans: 30-day money-back guarantee
- Refunds take 5-10 business days
-
Wait for processing
- Refunds aren't instant
- Check bank statement in 7 days
- Credit card refunds take longer
-
Contact billing support
- billing@epicwrite.ai
- Include transaction ID
- We'll investigate
Still Having Issues?
Contact Support
Email: support@epicwrite.ai
Include:
- Your account email
- Description of problem
- Steps you've tried
- Screenshots if helpful
- Browser and OS version
Response time:
- Trial users: 48-72 hours
- Novelist/Author: 24 hours
- Studio: Priority (12 hours or less)
Check System Status
Status page: status.epicwrite.ai
If services are down:
- We're already working on it
- Check status page for updates
- Follow @EpicWriteAI on Twitter for real-time updates
Community Support
Discord: discord.gg/epicwrite
- Ask other users
- Share tips and tricks
- Get quick answers
Reddit: r/EpicWrite
- Community discussions
- User troubleshooting
- Feature requests
Next Article: Subscription Plans | Exporting Your Work
Last Updated: February 2026 | EpicWrite v2.0