Story Mechanisms : creating a story profile instructions (part 1)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/257257/Story-Mechanisms

Unlike the character profile which I included as a free download for Character Mechanisms, with November's arrival and my rush to finish up several products, meant that no sheet was included in the Story Mechanisms book.

I mentioned that I might do a December series for Story Mechanisms. 

My blog challenge for December, I hope to be to (1) create a Story Profile sheet, (2) instructions, and (3) an example for Story Mechanisms.

I like to reuse material, so below I copy pasted this from part 1 of the last series.

I'll bracket [character keyword] material from the character profile and add stories keyword first and see if it makes any sense still.

Scope

So, knowing the challenge, it's time to focus on figuring out how much work will be needed.

Different types of stories [y characters]

One factor that comes to mind is that for many of my tools, I mention a different between background, minor, major, and main stories [characters].

• I should probably mention in the instructions a way to generate the different types of [characters for] stories.

Full coverage

For a main story [character], I probably need at least to fill in every category with something.

• All types of data should be covered.

Hierarchy and Prioritize

Since one piece of information isn't as important as other piece, I should figure out what is more important that the other information.

• Prioritize story [character] information.

Time Deadline

Ideally, having this done before New Years [NaNoWriMo] would be ideal. 

• Complete before January 1st 2019 [November 1st, 2018] target.

Summary of challenge

So, for a few posts I hope to create a profile sheet, instructions, and examples for using the new [character] story profile sheet for [Character] Story Mechanisms.

• for different types of stories [characters]
• covering all of the types of data
• with prioritized [character] story information
• with a goal of completing before [November] January 1st, 2019.

Amount of details for [Character] Story types: main, major, minor, background

The number of characteristics rolled may be limited by the type of [character] story. Main stories [characters] most likely are detailed with all or most of these characteristics fleshed out. Major significant and important stories [characters] might have half or more of these details revealed. Minor significant, but important stories [characters to the story] may have three to six or so of these characteristics known. Background stories [characters] focused briefly on in a scene, however that aren’t important, may have one or two characteristics observed.

I want to create a prioritized list using the text found in my product description, since I like to reuse material to speed development up. I will list the 13 [16] items, comment on some, then assign a letter based on importance.

Priorities

1. Solo Game Engine - use where needed? maybe a floating tool for examples
2. Plot Generator - an essential element of a story A
3. Twist Generator relies on other info B
4. Theme Generator - is either an A or D, I've never intentionally written a theme into a story. I'll try both ways maybe unless it doesn't work.
5. Foe Generator - important to describe a story A
6. Motivation Generator - important to reveal character goal A
7. Mood-Emotion Generator - i think mood depends on decisions made in the setting, plot, theme, and foes B
8. Flash RPG, I'll use this like I did the Character Gen, as the foundation structure of a story A
9. Modifier Generator - probably a  D or use where needed.
10. Three Conflict Chain RPG - builds the essential conflicts into a story, but relies on FRPG and plots B
11. Deep Dive Engine - relies on both FRPG & 3CCRPG C
12. Scene Action Generator - a scene level tool C
13. Transition Scene Generator - relies on FRPG, 3CCRPG, and DDE C

After ranking them, I will pile them into groups and then sort them once again. The end result will be the order that I will create the initial instructions for the [character] story profile.

Group A Important

Flash RPG

Plot Generator

Foe Generator

Motivation Generator

Theme Generator

Group B Reliant

Three Conflict Chain RPG

Twist Generator

Mood-Emotion Generator

Group C Flavor

Deep Dive Engine

Transition Scene Generator

Scene Action Generator

Group D Floaters, Use where needed

Modifier Gen

Solo Game Engine

That wasn't so hard. And it seems to make sense still.

Stay tuned for December for the first post — well, the 2nd post, since this is the part 1. I hope to make a story profile sheet first, which might take a day or maybe two (or more).