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Add narrative text

Narrative text is the foundation of a story. There are several types of content blocks for text that can be added to a story map:

  • Paragraphs
  • Headings and subheadings
  • Quote blocks
  • Numbered and bulleted lists
There are also other content blocks that can be used to help organize and enhance a story:
  • Buttons—Links to external web pages
  • Separators—Adds vertical spacing and a horizontal rule between content blocks

Add text to your story

Add narrative text and other content blocks to a story from the block palette. Use the block palette to insert new content blocks at the top of the story, at the bottom of the story, and in between any existing blocks in the body of the story.

Use the following steps to add text:

  1. Click the open button Open to open the block palette.
  2. Select a content block: Paragraph, Heading, Subheading, Bulleted List, Numbered List, or Quote.

The new block appears, and you can type text into the story.

Format and convert text

Formatting text in bold or italics can add emphasis or provide depth to the story's narrative. In StoryMaps, you can format the text in paragraphs, quotes, and lists. Hyperlinking text can provide context and quick access to information sources or other reference materials. You can also convert any text block from one style to another, for example, changing a heading to a subheading or a paragraph into a quote block.

Use the following steps to edit text:

  1. Highlight the text you want to edit.

    The text editing toolbar appears above the selected text.

  2. From the text editing toolbar, select the formatting or conversion option you want.
    Note:

    Some block types do not support all of the text formatting options that are available for the paragraph text block.

  3. If you are adding a hyperlink, enter the URL for the link.

The selected text changes to the selected format.

Format text color

You can change text color to one of the recommended colors or a custom color. The recommended colors come from the story theme. The color palette always shows the body text color and three theme accent colors for the currently selected theme. These colors will change if you apply a different theme in the Design panel. If you have formatted text in a story using these colors, that text's color will update to reflect the accent colors in the new theme. If you have set a custom accent color in the Design panel, that color will be shown as a fifth recommended color. This color option and any text formatted with it will not change if you apply a different theme, but it will change if you change the custom accent color in the Design panel.

Additionally, you can specify any color for a text selection by entering a hex code under Custom color. Text formatted using a custom color will not change if you apply a different theme. For convenience, the last used hex code may be available the next time you open the color picker. If you need to reuse this color, click the color dot to apply the color to the selected text.

Note:

Color contrast is important for accessibility. When formatting text color, consider that some theme colors may provide better contrast than others. Be sure to test your story for accessibility before sharing it widely.