Who this is for
Fiction writers, screenwriters, and creatives who get scenes and lines at the worst moments and lose them before the desk.
The moment this saves you
A perfect line of dialogue lands while I'm cooking, I tell myself it's too good to forget, and by the time I'm at the desk all that's left is the frustrating knowledge that it WAS good.
See it work
Messy spoken thought in. A clean, structured artifact out.
Scene idea, catching it. There's a moment I want, the two estranged brothers meet at their father's funeral and neither of them can say the thing they actually need to say, so they end up arguing about where to park the car, this petty surface fight that's really about everything else. The line I love, one of them says you always did this, and the other says did what, and the first one just says, this, and gestures at nothing. That gesture at nothing is the whole thing. It's for the novel, the chapter where the inheritance stuff starts. The feeling is grief disguised as irritation.
Scene idea, June 5, 2026
- The scene: Two estranged brothers meet at their father's funeral. Neither can say what they need to, so they argue about where to park the car, a petty surface fight that's really about everything else.
- The line: One says "You always did this." The other: "Did what?" The first just says "This," and gestures at nothing.
- The heart of it: That gesture at nothing is the whole thing.
- For: The novel, the chapter where the inheritance starts.
- The feeling: Grief disguised as irritation.
The workflow
Record a voice note
Hit the hotkey and talk, no formatting, no typing.
Tag it with this context
Contextli shapes your words into the structured output above.
Find it later
Everything's searchable and organised by context.
Pull it into Claude or ChatGPT
Bring your contexts straight into your AI tools with the Contextli MCP.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
The prompt behind this context
I'm going to capture a scene, line, or story idea. Turn it into a scene-idea note: a bold "Scene idea, [today's date]" heading, then labeled lines: The scene (the situation), The line (any exact dialogue, preserved word for word in quotation marks), The heart of it (what makes it work, in my words), For (the project/chapter it belongs to, if I say), and The feeling (the emotion underneath). Preserve my exact lines, that's the material. Don't embellish or extend the scene. Output only the note.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Use this context
One click copies it and shows you exactly how to drop it into Contextli.
Next, open Contextli, go to the Contexts page, click Import, choose From JSON, paste, then Import Context. It is ready to use.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
Related contexts
Content Idea Capture
Mid-gym, mid-drive, the perfect hook just hit you. Say 'Hey Siri, dictate with Contextli' and blurt it out. The exact line that made it magic gets captured before it fades, with the angle and format already sorted.
Character Note
A character reveals something to you mid-walk, a fear, a contradiction, the way they'd react, and these flashes are how characters come alive. Say it out loud. You build a living character file, so your people feel real on the page instead of like sketches you keep forgetting.
Daily Journal
It's 11pm and a blank page feels like a chore, so you skip it again. Instead, just talk the way you'd process the day in your head. You'll wake up to a warm, honest entry in your own voice, not a transcript.
Questions people ask
Questions writers ask about Scene Idea Capture
What is the fastest way for a writer to capture an idea before forgetting it?
Speak the idea immediately, before you do anything else. The Scene Idea Capture context accepts a rambling voice note and structures it into an idea brief with the key components preserved and organized. The whole process takes under 60 seconds, which means you can capture while the idea is still alive.
How do I turn a brain dump into something organized and actionable?
Speak everything you are thinking without filtering or organizing, then let the Scene Idea Capture context do the structuring. It groups related items, separates tasks from ideas, and produces an idea brief with categories and priorities. You contribute the raw material; Contextli contributes the organization.
What should I do with ideas I get during a commute or workout?
Speak them into Contextli immediately. Once the Scene Idea Capture context is in your app, you can capture hands-free while walking, driving by voice, or working out. The structured idea brief is waiting when you get back to your desk.
Can I dictate ideas instead of writing them down?
Yes. Contextli is built for this. Select the Scene Idea Capture context, speak your idea in plain language, and receive an idea brief. The output is plain text you can paste anywhere, and your recording stays on your device.
How do I add this context to Contextli?
Copy the context on this page, then open Contextli and go to the Contexts page. Click Import, choose From JSON, paste it into the Import from Clipboard window, and click Import Context. It is ready to use in under 30 seconds. If you do not have Contextli yet, you can download it for free first.
Is my voice recording private? Does Contextli send it anywhere?
Your voice recording and the transcription are stored on your device only. Contextli processes your audio locally and does not send your recordings or transcription text to any server. The structured output it produces is text you control, and you decide where it goes.
Can I change what the output looks like?
Yes. Every context in Contextli is a starting point you can edit. Open the context in the app, change the instructions to adjust the structure, tone, or fields, and save. The next time you use it, the output reflects your changes. You are not locked into the default format.
Do I need to install an app to use this context?
Yes. Contextli is a free app. Download it, then copy this context and paste it into the Import from Clipboard window on the Contexts page. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.