Plot Structure

Plot Structure

Overview

Plan and manage story arcs, plot points, foreshadowing, and narrative timeline. Each arc is a markdown file in plot/arcs/ with a chronological timeline maintained in plot/timeline.md. The plot index tracks all arcs, their status, and theme coverage.

Prerequisites

A story project must already exist (created via the story-init skill). Verify by checking for story.md in the project root.

Choosing a Story Structure

1. Read story.md for genre and themes
2. Consult references/structure-models.md for available structures
3. Recommend a structure based on genre (default to three-act if unclear)
4. Update plot/_index.md frontmatter structure field
5. Populate the story structure section with the beat sheet
6. When CLI access is available, run story validate .

Creating an Arc

1. Read story.md for themes
2. Read plot/_index.md for existing arcs
3. Read characters/_index.md to understand available characters
4. Ask for:
   • Arc name
   • Type (main, subplot, character, thematic)
   • Which characters are involved
   • Which themes it serves
5. Build the arc through conversation: setup, escalations, climax, resolution
6. Write the file using references/arc-template.md
7. Save to plot/arcs/{arc-name-kebab}.md
8. Update plot/_index.md arcs table
9. Update theme tracking in plot/_index.md
10. If characters are referenced, verify they exist in characters/
11. When CLI access is available, run story reindex ., story links ., and story validate .

Managing Plot Points

Plot points live within arc files in the "Plot Points" table. When adding a plot point:

1. Read the relevant arc file
2. Add the plot point to the table with chapter reference (if known)
3. Add the event to plot/timeline.md in chronological order
4. If the plot point involves foreshadowing, add it to the arc's foreshadowing table
5. If the plot point creates a reader promise or mystery, create or update a record in continuity/promises/ or continuity/questions/
6. When CLI access is available, run story validate .

Timeline Management

The timeline at plot/timeline.md is a chronological master list of all story events across all arcs.

When adding events:

• Insert in chronological order
• Link to the relevant arc and chapter
• Keep entries concise (one line per event)

When reviewing the timeline:

• Check for chronological consistency
• Identify pacing issues (too many events clustered, long gaps)
• Flag arcs that haven't progressed

Foreshadowing Tracking

Each arc tracks its own foreshadowing in the "Foreshadowing" table:

• Planted: What hint or setup is placed
• Payoff: What the payoff will be
• Chapter Planted / Chapter Payoff: Where each occurs
• Status: planned, planted, or paid-off

During chapter writing, flag any planted items that haven't been paid off as reminders.

For durable cross-arc setup/payoff tracking, also maintain continuity/promises/{promise-kebab}.md with status, planted, payoff, arcs, and characters. For mystery or open-continuity tracking, maintain continuity/questions/{question-kebab}.md.

Cross-Referencing

• Arcs reference characters via frontmatter characters field
• Arcs reference themes via frontmatter themes field
• Plot points reference chapters
• Timeline entries link arcs and chapters
• Theme tracking in plot/_index.md maps themes to arcs and chapters
• Promises and questions reference chapters, arcs, and characters where relevant

CLI Maintenance

Use the Story CLI when it is available. If story is not installed but the story-maintenance skill is present, use node ../story-maintenance/scripts/story.js with the same arguments, resolving the path relative to this skill folder. If no CLI is available, perform the registry and backlink checks manually.

Reference Files

• references/arc-template.md - Template for arc files with frontmatter and sections
• references/question-template.md - Template for continuity questions and mysteries
• references/promise-template.md - Template for setup/payoff tracking
• references/structure-models.md - Story structure models (three-act, hero's journey, save the cat, kishotenketsu, five-act) with beat sheets