Storyform Builder

The Storyform Builder is the 2025 evolution of Dramatica’s classic Story Engine Settings module. It gives you direct, modern access to the full set of 32,768 Storyforms available in the current Dramatica theory—so you can dial in a story from scratch and instantly see how every choice relates to every other.

• Live counts show how many Storyforms remain as you decide.
• Each pick tightens the space of possibilities; related fields update in real time.
• When only one choice remains for a field, the Builder infers it for you (you can still clear or lock as needed).

TIP

Selecting a Source of Conflict domain—whether you choose it or the Builder infers it—will “move” that throughline into its proper position within Dramatica’s framework. For example: an Objective Story (OS) source of conflict in Psychology will appear in the lower‑left quadrant; Physics will show in the upper‑right. The Builder reflects these placements as you work, so you can visualize where conflict lives.

Sections

Dynamics

Pick your eight core Dynamics:

• MC Resolve, Growth, Approach, Problem‑Solving Style
• Story Driver, Story Limit, Story Outcome, Story Judgment

With just these Dynamics plus a single OS Domain selection, you can arrive at a complete Storyform. From there, explore or fine‑tune any remaining items with confidence.

Sources of Conflict (Throughlines)

For each Throughline—Objective Story (OS), Main Character (MC), Influence Character (IC), and Relationship Story (RS)—choose the source of conflict at four levels of the model:

• Classes: Domain
• Types: Concern, Benchmark
• Variations: Issue, Catalyst/Inhibitor or Unique Ability/Critical Flaw
• Elements: Problem, Solution, Symptom, Response

As you choose or lock items, other areas narrow their options accordingly. Domain assignments shift into place (see the tip above) and the Builder keeps track of inferred values when a slot has only one valid option.

Additional Storypoints

Round out the objective view with the storywide points:

• Goal, Requirements, Prerequisites, Preconditions
• Dividends, Costs, Forewarnings, Consequence

These align with your Dynamics and Throughline choices and update as the space of valid Storyforms tightens.

Using the Controls

• Undo/Redo: Step backward or forward through your changes.
• Reset: Clears all unlocked choices and recalculates from your remaining locks.
• Lock: Freeze any selection to protect it while you explore or randomize.
• Random: Generate a Storyform consistent with your current locks.
• Copy: Copies a clean, labeled list of your Storyform selections. Paste it anywhere—including AI tools like Narrova, or your notes.
• Remaining/Progress: The header shows remaining Storyforms and progress (user vs inferred picks) so you always know where you stand.

When a field is closed, the button shows your current pick. When you open it, the dropdown displays:

• A live count of possible choices for that aspect
• A fast search—just start typing to filter by term or definition

Share and export your Storyform

When the remaining Storyform count drops to 1, a Share button appears so you can hand off your finished structure.

Open in Narrova

Choose Open in Narrova to send the Storyform straight into the assistant. You can spin up a brand-new Story (perfect for a fresh project) or drop the Storyform into the Story you’re actively refining. Narrova keeps the Builder’s structure intact, so you can continue exploring perspectives, Storybeats, and notes without re-entering choices.

Coming from Narrova is just as easy: open the Storyform Context, then choose Open in Storyform Builder to adjust the Storyform with the full Builder experience.

Share to Subtxt (coming soon)

You’ll see a Share to Subtxt option soon. It will let you publish the finished Storyform directly into Subtxt, so your structural work moves with you into day-to-day drafting and analysis without manual export steps.

Download the NCP

Select Download NCP to grab a Narrative Context Protocol file—our open-source representation of a Dramatica Storyform. Use it to archive your structure, sync with other tools, or inspect the data model. The specification lives at github.com/narrative-first/narrative-context-protocol if you want to explore or contribute.

Signposts and Act Orders

Switch between your Throughlines’ sources of conflict and the Signpost act order to feel how the story unfolds in time. Use the Builder to dial in Domains, Concerns, Issues, and Elements, then flip over to the Signpost view to see how those selections shape the progression of each throughline.

You’ll find a toggle labeled Domains/Signposts anchored along the bottom edge of the Builder. Tap s at any time to jump straight to the Signpost view, or press d to return to Domains and the Sources of Conflict (your areas of conflict). The toggle updates instantly so you can compare structural choices without losing your place.

TIP

Everything in a Dramatica Storyform is interconnected—tough calls like Success vs. Failure and Action vs. Decision ripple through to the order of your Signposts. Try adjusting those Dynamics inside the Builder, then switch views with the toggle to watch the Signpost order respond. You’ll see immediately which sequence best supports the story you want to tell.

Available Options and Bias

The Signpost portion of the Storyform Builder intentionally starts from a narrow set of options because the model defaults to a knowledge-anchored, or K-based, reading of structure. That bias puts “knowing what the problem is” of a narrative at the baseline, so the Builder only surfaces the Signpost progressions that stay aligned with this biased look at story.

Because Signposts and their Storybeats track the temporal flow of the argument, the model leaves that layer intentionally coarse so it can stay sharp about the underlying Problems and Solutions within each Throughline. Some Storybeats simply will not appear until the structure is well defined, and the four perspectives can look uneven along the way. Future versions of the model may experiment with tighter temporal fidelity, but that would come at the cost of the diagnostic clarity you get today around Problem and Solution.

Tips for Fast Storyforming

• Start with Dynamics, then add one OS Domain to resolve quickly to a single Storyform.
• Lock anything you love before exploring alternatives or using Random.
• Watch the option counts: big drops signal high‑leverage choices.
• Use search in any dropdown to jump straight to a term.

That’s it—enjoy building rock‑solid Storyforms with a modern, responsive toolset that honors Dramatica’s full theoretical depth.