Generated
Seconds. No voice.
Anyone can prompt it.
use your imagination
Writing Studio
No authors or books match.
Writers on the line
Commercial AI can draft a chapter in seconds. That is not writing one.
The question
Generated
Seconds. No voice.
Anyone can prompt it.
Written
Hours. Your voice.
Only you can write it.
UYI is for authors who still do the work.
Every book on UYI is written by a person.
Fix punctuation and tense. Keep your voice.
Talk to readers. Support other writers.
Payouts go to people, not generated filler.
Writers first
We are recruiting writers now. Public shelves stay empty until real books land.
The prize
Publish on UYI. First Draft Audio produces the winner.
Use your imagination.
UYI, short for Use Your Imagination, is a space built for people who love stories, whether you’re writing them or reading them.
The idea is simple. Storytelling shouldn’t feel complicated, restricted, or out of reach. UYI gives you the tools and the space to just start, explore, and build something of your own.
On the writing side, UYI is a workspace for people using their own imagination. It will not write your story for you.
You get a place to draft, keep characters, places, lore, and items, check grammar, and hear your own words in the editor. You’re in control of every sentence.
On the reading side, UYI is designed to help you find exactly what you’re in the mood for. Instead of endlessly scrolling, you can filter stories by genre, themes, tone, length, and more. Whether you know exactly what you want or you’re just exploring, the goal is to make discovering the right story quick, easy, and actually enjoyable.
We’re currently in beta, which means things are still evolving. We’re building and improving the platform as we go, and feedback from the community plays a big role in shaping what UYI becomes.
UYI is a place where stories are created with ease, without restrictions.
Beta platform terms and Creator Terms
UYI Terms and Conditions
Last Updated: September 2026
These Terms and Conditions govern access to and use of the UYI Writing Tool, a creative writing platform operated by First Draft Audio (Pty) Ltd (“UYI”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). By accessing or using UYI, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not access or use the platform.
1.1 UYI is strictly limited to users 18 years of age or older.
1.2 By creating an account or using the platform, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old.
1.3 UYI does not permit use by minors under any circumstances.
2.1 Use of the platform requires account creation.
2.2 Accounts may be created via email and password registration or Google Sign-In, and UYI may offer additional sign-in methods from time to time.
2.3 You agree to provide accurate account information and to keep it accurate and up to date.
2.4 You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.
2.5 UYI may suspend or restrict access to any account where misuse, fraud, impersonation, or security concerns arise.
3.1 UYI is a creative writing platform that provides tools for drafting, editing, exploring, and, where enabled, sharing fictional written content. UYI is built for writers using their own imagination.
3.2 Writing tools currently include a rule-based grammar check (LanguageTool), on-device and optional cloud text-to-speech for writers in the editor, story planning tools such as a mind map, and encyclopedias for characters, places, lore, and items. Generative writing features (including an AI assistant, brainstorm, name index, word finder, and rewrite) are not offered to users at this time. If those features return, they will be described in-product and in these Terms.
3.3 UYI is a platform provider only and is not a publisher, editor, literary agent, manager, or representative of users or creators.
3.4 UYI does not guarantee publication, visibility, readership, monetization, adaptation, or commercial success of any content.
4.1 UYI hosts user-generated content.
4.2 UYI does not pre-screen, endorse, verify, or approve all content made available through the platform.
4.3 Content available on UYI may include disturbing, controversial, mature, dark, offensive, or emotionally intense fictional material.
4.4 Users access and engage with content at their own discretion and risk.
4.5 UYI is not liable for any loss, harm, upset, offence, or emotional distress arising from user-generated content, except where liability cannot lawfully be excluded.
4.6 The views expressed in user content are those of the relevant user, not UYI.
5.1 UYI supports broad creative freedom in fictional storytelling.
5.2 UYI does not remove or restrict content solely because it is dark, intense, controversial, morally complex, or uncomfortable.
5.3 However, UYI may investigate, restrict, remove, demote, or disable access to content or accounts where we reasonably believe there is:
6.1 Users retain full copyright ownership of original content they create on UYI.
6.2 UYI does not claim ownership of user-created stories, characters, worlds, concepts, or other original written material.
6.3 UYI’s tools do not transfer authorship or ownership to UYI. You remain the author of what you write.
6.4 Users are solely responsible for the content they create, upload, publish, or share through the platform.
7.1 By creating, uploading, storing, or publishing content on UYI, you grant UYI a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to:
7.2 This license:
7.3 Public-facing use of content by UYI ends within a reasonable time after content is unpublished or an account is deleted, subject to technical, legal, archival, backup, or operational requirements.
8.1 Users may request deletion of their account.
8.2 Upon account deletion:
8.3 UYI is under no obligation to restore deleted accounts or deleted content.
9.1 Grammar Check uses LanguageTool, a rule-based checker. The selected passage is sent to LanguageTool to run the check. UYI does not send your drafts to Grok or other generative AI providers for writing, rewriting, brainstorming, or similar features while those features are disabled.
9.2 Writers may use text-to-speech in the editor to hear their own draft. Reader-facing text-to-speech is not offered. Cloud speech, where available, is billed in Ink and is for the writer’s editor use only.
9.3 If UYI later offers generative writing tools, output is assistive only. Users remain fully responsible for reviewing, editing, and deciding whether to use any generated output.
9.4 UYI will not sell user content to third parties or use it to train third-party generative AI systems without a separate agreement or lawful basis.
9.5 Where UYI offers an opt-out from internal improvement use, that opt-out will apply in accordance with platform settings and technical limitations.
10.1 By using UYI, you warrant that:
10.2 UYI does not verify authorship and is not responsible for resolving private ownership or plagiarism disputes between users, although UYI may take action where necessary.
11.1 UYI may offer community features such as comments, reviews, feedback, recommendations, discovery tools, and creator profiles.
11.2 Any feedback or comments provided by users are advisory only.
11.3 Writers retain full creative control over their content unless they separately agree otherwise.
11.4 UYI may remove, limit, or disable community interactions where needed for platform integrity, safety, or legal reasons.
12.1 UYI is a live writing platform. Features may be added, changed, or withdrawn as the product develops.
12.2 You acknowledge and accept that:
12.3 To the maximum extent permitted by law, UYI is not liable for losses arising from outages, bugs, or feature changes.
13.1 Core access to UYI may remain available without payment. Certain features require Ink, a paid subscription, or both.
13.2 Ink is a platform balance used within UYI. Unless expressly stated otherwise:
13.3 UYI may offer once-off Ink packs and recurring supporter subscriptions (including Basic Supporter and Premium Supporter). Subscriptions grant a periodic subscription Ink allotment and may lift certain free-tier limits. Current pack and subscription prices and Ink amounts are shown in the Ink Store at checkout. Plan names, allotments, prices, currencies, billing regions, and feature costs may change. Changes to future pack sizes, subscription allotments, or feature costs do not automatically add or remove Ink already in a wallet.
13.4 Payments are processed by third-party payment providers (currently PayPal and Paystack, depending on region and product). UYI does not store full payment card numbers. By purchasing, you also agree to the applicable provider’s terms.
13.5 Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. You may cancel from the Ink Store (or the provider’s billing portal where linked). After cancellation:
13.6 Purchases and subscription fees are generally non-refundable once fulfilled, except where required by law or where a refund is processed through the payment provider. If a refund is processed, UYI may claw back the related Ink and, for subscription refunds, disable further billing.
13.7 Prices, taxes (where applicable), exchange rates used for display, regional availability, and feature caps may vary by billing region and may be updated at any time. Displayed amounts are estimates until checkout confirms the charge.
13.8 UYI may refuse, reverse, or limit transactions suspected of fraud, abuse, chargebacks, or policy breach.
13.9 UYI offers creator monetization features, including premium chapter unlocks, reader tips, and cashout of eligible Earned Ink where available.
13.10 Unless a different rate is stated in-product for a specific program, eligible tips and premium chapter unlocks credit creators with Earned Ink equal to the Ink spent (1:1).
13.11 Only Earned Ink may be cashed out. Purchased, subscription, and bonus Ink cannot be withdrawn. Unless a different rate is stated in-product, when cashing out Earned Ink creators receive 70% of the cash value and UYI retains 30%. Minimum cashout amounts, the Earned Ink to USD conversion rate, supported payout countries and currencies, settlement timing, and identity or bank-linking requirements are shown in-product (including the Payouts tab) and may change.
13.12 Cashouts are processed via third-party payout rails (currently PayPal Payouts and, where enabled, Paystack Transfers). Availability depends on your billing region and linked payout corridor. UYI is not responsible for delays or failures caused by banks, payment providers, incorrect account details, or regulatory holds.
13.13 Nothing in these Terms guarantees earnings, readership, or payout approval. Licensing, exclusivity beyond ordinary platform rules, or special commercial deals require a separate written agreement.
14.1 No user is guaranteed promotion, adaptation, monetization, or commercial selection.
14.2 If UYI wishes to pursue adaptation, publishing, audio, film, or other commercial exploitation of a user’s content beyond ordinary platform operation and promotion, this will require a separate written agreement.
14.3 If UYI wishes to negotiate such rights, UYI may have a first right of refusal to negotiate, subject to any separate creator or monetization terms that define the response window and process.
15.1 UYI may suspend, restrict, or terminate access to the platform or any account at its discretion where reasonably necessary for:
15.2 Where reasonably possible, notice may be provided, but UYI may take immediate action where urgent action is required.
15.3 Upon suspension or termination:
16.1 UYI is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.
16.2 UYI makes no warranties or representations, express or implied, regarding:
16.3 UYI does not guarantee that content warnings, tags, or classifications will always be complete, accurate, or consistently applied.
17.1 To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, UYI, First Draft Audio (Pty) Ltd, and their directors, employees, contractors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or economic loss arising from or related to:
17.2 Nothing in these Terms excludes liability where such exclusion is not permitted by law.
17.3 Any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded is limited to the minimum extent permitted by law.
18.1 UYI processes personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws, including POPIA where applicable.
18.2 By using UYI, you acknowledge that personal information may be collected, used, stored, and protected as described in the Privacy Policy.
18.3 The Privacy Policy forms part of these Terms by reference.
19.1 These Terms are concluded electronically.
19.2 By clicking to accept, signing in, registering, or continuing to use the platform where acceptance is required or reasonably communicated, you agree to be bound by these Terms.
19.3 UYI may keep electronic records of acceptance, account creation, and platform use for evidentiary and operational purposes. Electronic contracting is recognized in South Africa, and online consumer terms should be clearly incorporated and made available to users.
20.1 UYI may update these Terms from time to time.
20.2 Updated Terms will be posted on the platform with an updated effective or last-updated date.
20.3 Continued use of UYI after updated Terms become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms, unless applicable law requires a different form of consent.
21.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
21.2 Subject to any mandatory rights a consumer may have under applicable law, disputes arising from these Terms or the use of UYI shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa.
21.3 UYI may specify the Western Cape as the primary forum where lawful and appropriate.
Operator: First Draft Audio (Pty) Ltd
Platform: UYI Writing Tool
Contact Email: [email protected]
Jurisdiction: South Africa
UYI Creator Terms
Last Updated: September 2026
These Creator Terms apply to users who choose to publish content on the UYI Writing Tool platform. These terms supplement the UYI Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Content Disclaimer. By publishing content on UYI, you agree to these Creator Terms.
A Creator is a user who:
Users who only read content or keep drafts private are not considered Creators.
Creators retain full copyright ownership of the original content they create. This includes:
UYI does not claim ownership of creator content. Creators remain the legal authors of their work.
By publishing content on UYI, Creators grant UYI a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to:
This license exists only to operate and grow the UYI platform. Ownership of the work remains with the Creator.
UYI does not currently offer generative writing tools (such as an AI assistant, brainstorm, or rewrite) to creators. Creators remain the legal authors of their stories. If those tools are re-enabled, works created with them may need to be published on UYI before commercial distribution elsewhere, unless UYI grants a written waiver or a paid creator plan that expressly removes this requirement. Supporter subscriptions that grant Ink do not by themselves remove that requirement. UYI does not claim ownership of creator content.
Creators are free to publish their work on other platforms, including:
This applies unless a first-publish requirement is triggered through the use of UYI generative writing tools (if those tools are offered) and no written waiver or expressly exempting creator plan applies.
Creators control the visibility of their stories. Content may be set to:
Creators may change visibility settings at any time.
Creators are fully responsible for the content they publish. Creators must ensure that their work:
UYI does not verify authorship or originality of stories.
Creators are encouraged to publish using pseudonyms or pen names. This allows creators to separate their writing identity from their real-world identity. Creators remain responsible for all activity associated with their account.
UYI offers creator monetization features, including:
Unless a different rate is stated in-product, eligible tips and premium chapter unlocks credit creators with Earned Ink equal to the Ink spent (1:1). When cashing out Earned Ink, creators receive 70% of the cash value and UYI retains 30%. Current conversion rates and cashout minimums are shown in-product (including the Payouts tab) and may change. Only Earned Ink may be withdrawn. Purchased, subscription, and bonus Ink cannot be cashed out. Participation remains optional. Use of the platform does not guarantee revenue or compensation. Additional programs (such as paid discovery or exclusivity deals) may be offered under separate terms.
UYI may identify stories suitable for additional opportunities such as:
If UYI wishes to pursue commercial rights related to a story, a separate written agreement will be required. Creators are not obligated to accept such agreements.
Creators may unpublish or remove their content at any time. When content is unpublished:
UYI may retain limited records of removed content for:
UYI does not moderate fictional themes. However, UYI may remove content that:
Accounts may be restricted where necessary to protect the platform.
Creators operate independently. Nothing in these Terms creates:
Creators remain solely responsible for their work and decisions.
UYI may update these Creator Terms from time to time. Updated terms will be published on the platform. Continued use of creator features constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.
UYI Copyright Ownership Model
Last Updated: September 2026
UYI operates under a Creator-Owned Copyright Model. This model protects creator rights while allowing UYI to operate and promote the platform.
All original content created on UYI is owned by the creator. UYI does not claim authorship or ownership of user-created works. Creators remain the legal copyright holders of their stories unless a separate written agreement states otherwise.
Creators retain full ownership of:
Ownership applies whether content is:
Use of UYI writing tools does not transfer ownership to the platform.
When creators publish content on UYI, they grant UYI a limited platform license to:
This license exists only to operate the platform. Ownership remains with the creator.
Use of UYI writing tools does not transfer ownership to the platform. Grammar check and writer text-to-speech do not make UYI an author of your work. UYI does not currently offer generative writing tools to creators. If those tools are re-enabled, works created with them may need to be published on UYI before commercial distribution elsewhere, unless UYI grants a written waiver or a paid creator plan that expressly removes this requirement. Supporter subscriptions that grant Ink do not by themselves remove that requirement.
Creators may publish their stories on other platforms. Examples may include:
This applies unless a first-publish requirement is triggered by generative writing tools (if those tools are offered) and no written waiver or expressly exempting creator plan applies.
UYI does not automatically receive commercial rights to creator content. Any of the following requires a separate written agreement:
Creators are not obligated to accept such agreements.
Creators publish their work independently. UYI is not:
Creators maintain full control over their intellectual property.
Nothing in the UYI platform:
Creators maintain full ownership of their intellectual property.
UYI Content Disclaimer
Last Updated: April 2026
UYI is a creative writing platform designed to support open fictional storytelling.
All stories published on UYI are created by individual users. UYI provides the platform and tools but does not author, endorse, or validate user content.
All stories on UYI are user-generated fiction.
Creators are fully responsible for the content published under their account.
Stories on UYI may include dark, controversial, or emotionally intense fictional themes, including but not limited to:
Users acknowledge that fictional storytelling may explore difficult or uncomfortable subjects. Readers access content at their own discretion.
By using UYI, you acknowledge that:
UYI is not liable for emotional distress, offence, or discomfort resulting from fictional content.
Creators are solely responsible for:
Creators are encouraged to publish under pseudonyms if they wish to separate their writing identity from their real-world identity.
UYI requires creators to apply appropriate content warnings and trigger tags where relevant. These warnings help readers make informed choices.
Examples may include tags for:
Failure to tag content appropriately may result in platform action.
UYI does not permit content that violates applicable law. This includes, but is not limited to:
Such content may be removed and accounts may be restricted.
Stories on UYI are works of fiction. They do not represent:
Readers should treat all stories as fictional creative works.
Stories referencing public figures or real individuals are discouraged. Creators are responsible for ensuring their content does not violate defamation or other applicable laws. UYI does not verify such references.
UYI exists to support creative exploration through fiction. The platform does not remove stories based solely on:
Platform action is limited to cases involving:
By accessing or using UYI, you acknowledge that:
If you prefer fully moderated or sanitized storytelling environments, UYI may not be suitable for you.
Operator: First Draft Audio (Pty) Ltd
Platform: UYI Writing Tool
Contact: [email protected]
UYI Privacy Policy
Last Updated: September 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how First Draft Audio (Pty) Ltd collects, uses, stores, and protects personal information when you use the UYI Writing Tool. By using UYI, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
UYI is a creative writing platform designed to support fictional storytelling. We follow a data-minimization approach, meaning we collect only information necessary to operate the platform.
When you create an account (via email registration or Google Sign-In), UYI may collect:
This information is used for:
UYI does not access unrelated Google services.
UYI stores content created on the platform, including:
Users control the visibility of their content and may choose to make stories:
UYI may collect limited usage information such as:
This helps improve the functionality and performance of the platform.
When you purchase Ink, subscribe, tip, unlock content, or cash out Earned Ink, UYI and its payment providers may process:
Card payments, subscriptions, and creator cashouts are handled by PayPal and/or Paystack (and any successor processors UYI enables). UYI does not store full payment card numbers on its own servers.
UYI uses cookies and similar technologies to:
UYI does not use advertising cookies. Users can control cookies through their browser settings.
UYI may use analytics or monitoring tools to:
Where possible, data used for analytics is:
Grammar Check sends the selected passage to LanguageTool, a rule-based spelling and grammar service, so it can return suggested corrections. UYI does not send your drafts to Grok or other generative AI providers for writing, rewriting, brainstorming, or an in-editor assistant while those features are disabled.
UYI will not:
Writers may use text-to-speech in the editor to hear their own draft. Reader-facing text-to-speech is not offered. On-device Kokoro speech is processed in your browser when that option is selected; model files may be downloaded from UYI or a content-delivery host and stored locally by your browser. If you use cloud text-to-speech, audio and related text may be sent to UYI’s speech providers to generate speech. Microphone access is used only while voice input is active.
UYI may share limited information with trusted service providers required to operate the platform, such as:
Information may also be disclosed where required by law. UYI does not sell, rent, or trade personal data.
UYI is hosted using secure infrastructure providers, currently including Xneelo. Data may be stored across infrastructure systems that support:
Reasonable safeguards are used to protect stored information.
Account information and content are retained while the account is active. After account deletion:
Billing, purchase, subscription, tip, unlock, and payout records may be retained as required for accounting, fraud prevention, dispute handling, and applicable law, including after an account is closed where necessary.
In accordance with POPIA, users may request:
Requests may require identity verification. Some data may be retained where required by law.
UYI uses reasonable security measures including:
No online platform can guarantee complete security, but reasonable safeguards are implemented.
UYI may be accessed from multiple countries. Privacy rights may vary depending on user location. Where applicable, UYI complies with relevant data protection laws.
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. Updated versions will be published on the platform with a revised date. Continued use of UYI means you accept the updated policy.
Operator: First Draft Audio (Pty) Ltd
Platform: UYI Writing Tool
Email: [email protected]
Users may contact this address for privacy-related requests.