Free AI Story Generator: What a Story Costs to Read and Write
Four places a story can cost credits
| Step | What happens | What it costs | Free part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing | AI Create writes a script from your brief | Priced by the length you pick; each option in the menu shows its price | None, but the shortest option is the cheapest |
| Pasting | You bring a story you already have | Nothing until it is read | All of it |
| Reading | The story becomes a summary, a cast, places, props and an episode list | 4 credits per 1,000 counted characters | None |
| Storyboard | Each episode becomes numbered shots with seconds | 1 credit per 100 counted characters of the episode | Episode 1 of your first drama |
| Pictures | A picture for each character, place and prop | Priced per picture after the free pool | The first 15 on the account |
Editing the text of the story or of any storyboard is always free. Only the machine steps are charged, and they are charged by length, so the cheapest way to spend less is to hand over less text, not worse text. Choosing the script length and cost.
How English is counted, and why it matters here
Every length on the site is counted in Chinese-equivalent characters, because a thousand Chinese characters carry about as much story as a few thousand letters. For English and other alphabetic text, 3,333 characters count as 1,000. The count is then rounded up to whole thousands, so a story of 3,400 English characters pays for two units, not one and a bit. The counter under the script box on the home page shows the converted number against the cap, so you never have to do the arithmetic by hand. How characters are counted.
The table shows what that means for the reading fee. Word counts are approximate, at about 5.7 characters a word including spaces. The fee is the number of units times the per-1,000 price.
| English story (characters) | About how many words | Counted as | Units | Reading fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,333 | 600 | 1,000 | 1 | 1 × 4 credits |
| 8,333 | 1,450 | 2,500 | 3 | 3 × 4 credits |
| 16,665 | 2,900 | 5,000 | 5 | 5 × 4 credits |
| 33,330 | 5,800 | 10,000 | 10 | 10 × 4 credits: the top of the one-pass read |
| 99,990 | 17,500 | 30,000 | 30 | 30 × 4 credits: read in two passes |
One pass handles up to 10,000 counted characters. Longer stories are read in two passes, the cast first and then the episodes, up to 300,000 English characters, and the fee is still one fee for the whole length. Long scripts are read in two passes.
The site’s own worked example
The site prices one example throughout: a 30,000-character English story, split into ten episodes of about 3,000 characters each. In the same terms as above:
- Reading it costs 36 credits (9 units at 4 credits).
- Ten storyboards cost 90 credits in all, 1 credit per 100 counted characters. Episode 1 is free on your first drama, so the first one costs nothing.
- The cast is free up to the first 15 pictures.
For comparison, a new account starts with 50 credits. Everything above is the story stage; it is the video that costs, at 10 credits a second on the default tier, plus 1 credit a second to join. A whole 60-second episode on the default tier comes to about 660 credits, around $4.11 at the lowest credit price, which is why testing the story before the video is the cheap order. Where the credits go in one episode.
Writing the story with AI
If you do not have a story yet, AI Create writes one from a brief. The length menu has five options, sized in counted characters, and each shows its price. For English, multiply by about three to get letters.
| Option | Counted characters | In English, about | What it gives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 1,000 | 3,333 characters | One scene, a test |
| Brief | 2,500 | 8,333 | One or two short episodes |
| Short | 5,000 | 16,665 | A handful of episodes; the usual first choice |
| Medium | 10,000 | 33,330 | A short season |
| Long | 20,000 | 66,660 | A full series |
Options too long to read afterwards are hidden rather than sold and then refused, so the top option can disappear in English while it shows in Chinese. The writing is charged when the script is delivered, and a writing that fails is refunded. The read that follows is priced separately by the script’s length and is shown on Start Creating. The brief matters more than the length: writing the one-line brief and AI story writer cover how to ask. The finished story is yours to rewrite for free, by hand or with a one-sentence instruction.
Keeping the story stage cheap
- Start with Mini or Brief. One scene is enough to see the whole path: reading, cast, storyboard and preview.
- Stop at a unit boundary. The fee goes up in whole thousands of counted characters, so a story that is a little over 3,333 English characters pays for a second unit. Trim the extra paragraph and the unit goes away.
- Cut the backstory before pasting. You pay to read every character, and a camera cannot show a paragraph of history. Keep it as one spoken line.
- Test the opening alone. A story is read once for its whole length, so reading only the first scene to check the tone costs a fraction of reading the book.
- Edit before you regenerate. Fixing the text is free; regenerating a storyboard is charged and discards the finished videos in that episode.
Spend fewer credits on an AI drama has the longer list, and AI story generator shows what a story turns into.
FAQ
Is there a free AI story generator?
It is free to start: a new account has 50 credits, pasting a story is free until it is read, and the reading and first storyboard are small charges or free. AI writing is priced by length.
How much does it cost to read a story?
4 credits per 1,000 counted characters, rounded up. English counts 3,333 characters as 1,000, so a 33,330 character story is 10 units.
How long a story can the free credits read?
The site’s example, a 30,000 character English story, costs 36 credits to read; a new account starts with 50 credits. Other lengths scale by the table above.
Is the first storyboard really free?
Yes. The storyboard for episode 1 of the first drama you ever create is free. Later episodes, regenerations and later projects are charged.
Does writing a story with AI cost credits?
Yes. The length menu shows the price of each option, and the charge is made when the script is delivered. A writing that fails is refunded.
Can I use my own story instead?
Yes. Paste it or upload a .txt, .docx or .md file. It costs nothing until you press the button that reads it.
Does editing the story cost anything?
No. Editing the story or any storyboard text is always free. Only reading, writing, pictures and video are charged.
What is the longest story it can read?
Up to 300,000 English characters, read in two passes. Beyond that the read is refused before you pay.
Read one scene before you read a book
The story stage is cheap. Test it there before you spend on video.
Updated November 2, 2026