Your First Step: "Your Story Idea"

Welcome to the wonderful beginning of your storytelling journey: the "Your Story Idea" page! This is your creative playground, where you're free to sketch out the rudimentary elements of your tale. This is also where you can christen your budding story with its title and select its "Genre". The story title and genre not only shape the identity of your story but also guide Subtxt's understanding of your narrative vision.

Selecting Your Story's Genre

When you think of genre, think of it as a way of "tagging" your story with familiar, conventional notions. This is a powerful way to inform Subtxt—and your potential readers—about the kind of narrative journey you're setting out on. You're welcome to add as many genre tags as you wish, but we suggest aiming for two.

The first tag is typically your "Sub-genre", and the second one is your primary "Genre". For instance, a "Coming of Age Comedy" would be primarily a Comedy, with the sub-genre of Coming of Age. Remember, these genre tags help Subtxt grasp the kind of story you're aiming to tell. This way, when it's time for Subtxt to generate examples for you in the future, it'll tailor its responses based on your chosen genre tags.

And don't worry if you're undecided—you can always switch things up later. However, keep in mind that Subtxt won't retroactively update any current Illustrations you already have. If you alter the genre, you'll need to revisit and re-do these Illustrations to align with your new genre choice.

The Story Idea Section

Once you've planted your story's title and genre tags, it's time to dive into the "Story Idea" section. This is your space to breathe life into your initial ideas about what you want your story to be. It's like whispering your story's secrets into Subtxt's ear, allowing it to begin to understand your narrative world. So, go ahead, unravel your creative musings, and let Subtxt assist you in transforming those precious ideas into a compelling story!

Brainstorming with Subtxt

The first time you encounter the Brainstorming AI button in Subtxt will be on the first page on the Idea page. Just beneath the Story Idea box, you will find a small electronic brain icon. Simply tap on that and an entry box will open up with the instructions to "brainstorm some ideas...".

You can then jot down any ideas you have pertaining to the story idea or simply enter some keywords. Then tap the brain icon again to have Subtxt AI generate some new Storytelling incorporating those ideas. Once the reply arrives, you can review it and, if you like it, tap Add or Replace to add the new Storytelling into the Storytelling box.

You can then move on or add some more ideas by jotting down some new concepts and hitting the buttons again, even if the new ideas have nothing to do with the previous ones. Once you have added a bunch of ideas, you can choose to Merge all these ideas into one by clicking the Merge button that will appear below the Storytelling box.

Lastly, if you don't have any ideas at all for the Story Idea or even any of the Storybeats or Storypoints that will come up in the development process, you can simply tap on the brain icon and have Subtxt come up with some Storytelling from scratch. This approach gives you the greatest amount of flexibility in merging your own narrative instincts with that of a powerful AI system.

The "Teach Me" Journey

Subtxt's "Imagining" space is your ultimate guide for step-by-step story development. It's more than a writing tool; it's a mentor, nurturing you through four enlightening interactions, which we've cleverly arranged in sequence:

• "Teach Me a Complete Story" from the Story Idea screen: Think of this as a grand unveiling of your story's Four Throughlines, the pillars that your story leans on. Each throughline will give you a distinct perspective on your story, from the objective bird's eye view to the intimate personal journey of your characters.
• "Teach Me Plot & Players" from the Complete Story screen: This is where the magic happens! Subtxt brings to life your cast of Objective Story Players, assigning the roles of the hero and villain. An exciting narrative springs forth as we present you with an Initial Story Driver, a Story Goal, and a Concluding Story Driver rooted in the Objective Story Throughline. This step sets the stage for your story's external conflicts and identifies the major players.
• "Teach Me Character Arcs" from the Plot & Players screen: This step is all about diving deep into the subjective side of your story. Subtxt will weave together two defining Character Arcs for your Main Character and the Obstacle Character. These arcs will follow the Main Character's Resolve, deciding whether they evolve or remain unyielding as the story unfolds.
• "Teach Me the Storyform" from the Character Arcs screen: The final flourish! Subtxt paints a full picture of your narrative by laying out the remaining Story Drivers, four Transits of the Objective Story, and four Transits of the Main Character Throughline. With these elements, we contemplate the Story Outcome and the Story Judgment, which will ultimately shape how your audience feels about the story. This is also the first time you'll come face-to-face with the Storyform and the key Pivotal Elements of your narrative. More on that later.

This four-step journey with Subtxt is a well-structured and comprehensive approach to a rich, complete story. "Teach Me" is about guiding writers through the intricate process of crafting narratives with depth, nuance, and emotional resonance. Not only does this journey streamline the story development process, saving your precious time, but it also doubles as an enlightening course in foundational story crafting concepts.

Heads Up for "Teach Me a Complete Story" and "Teach Me Plot & Players"

Before we set off with "Teach Me a Complete Story" or "Teach Me Plot & Players," it's important you know a few things:

These features are here to kindle fresh, exciting ideas for your story. To do that, they wipe the slate clean by clearing all existing Players, including the Main Character and Obstacle Character, from your current story. This action extends to ALL structures linked to the current story.

While this approach gifts you the freedom to conceive completely new Throughlines, it does mean your earlier work on your Players will be overwritten. This includes any in-depth motivations, backstories, or traits you've lovingly attributed to them.

If you've put your heart into developing your Players and want to hold onto that work, we advise steering clear of the "Teach Me a Complete Story" or "Teach Me Plot & Players" options.

Instead, think about duplicating the Storyform without engaging these features. This way, you keep all your original Players and their associated quirks, while being able to explore fresh ideas in a separate copy of the Storyform.

Please make sure you're comfortable with this before setting out with "Teach Me a Complete Story" or "Teach Me Plot & Players".

Remember, creativity is an adventure. These features offer opportunities for fresh ideas but are best used when their implications are fully understood. Happy writing!