From 3414c4593116ad196ba91d658a74754cf645e874 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Nick Beckley Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2026 21:11:15 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Phase 3F Help System --- PlotLine/Help/Articles/Books/Overview.md | 59 ++++++++++++++++++ PlotLine/Help/Articles/Imports/Overview.md | 56 +++++++++++++++++ PlotLine/Help/Articles/PlotLines/Threads.md | 57 +++++++++++++++++ PlotLine/Help/Articles/Projects/Settings.md | 57 +++++++++++++++++ .../Help/Articles/SceneMetrics/Overview.md | 62 +++++++++++++++++++ PlotLine/Help/Articles/Timeline/PlotLines.md | 54 ++++++++++++++-- PlotLine/Help/Articles/Workspace/Overview.md | 58 +++++++++++++++++ PlotLine/Views/Books/Details.cshtml | 2 +- PlotLine/Views/Imports/Index.cshtml | 2 +- PlotLine/Views/PlotThreads/Index.cshtml | 2 +- PlotLine/Views/ProjectMetrics/Index.cshtml | 2 +- PlotLine/Views/Projects/Edit.cshtml | 2 +- PlotLine/Views/Writer/Index.cshtml | 2 +- 13 files changed, 405 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-) create mode 100644 PlotLine/Help/Articles/Books/Overview.md create mode 100644 PlotLine/Help/Articles/Imports/Overview.md create mode 100644 PlotLine/Help/Articles/PlotLines/Threads.md create mode 100644 PlotLine/Help/Articles/Projects/Settings.md create mode 100644 PlotLine/Help/Articles/SceneMetrics/Overview.md create mode 100644 PlotLine/Help/Articles/Workspace/Overview.md diff --git a/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Books/Overview.md b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Books/Overview.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d9899c4 --- /dev/null +++ b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Books/Overview.md @@ -0,0 +1,59 @@ +--- +title: Books +category: Books +tags: books, series, structure, chapters, scenes +contextKey: books.overview +micro: Organise a project into novels, novellas or planned instalments. +quickTitle: What are Books? +quickSummary: Books sit inside a project or series, helping you separate major story structure while keeping continuity connected. +screenshot: +--- + +# Overview + +Books are the major containers inside a PlotWeaver Studio project. A project may be a single novel, but it can also be a series, trilogy, collection of novellas, or long-running world with several planned instalments. Books give that larger structure somewhere practical to live. + +Each book contains chapters, and each chapter contains scenes. This hierarchy keeps the writing plan readable while still allowing story details to connect across the whole project. A clue introduced in book one, a relationship shift in book two, or an asset that returns in book three can remain part of the same continuity system. + +For single-book projects, the book layer still matters. It gives you a clear place to review chapter order, summaries and book-level direction without drowning in every scene at once. + +# When Should I Use This? + +Use books whenever you need a major story container. That might be the only novel in the project, the first instalment of a series, a prequel novella, or a later volume you are planning ahead of time. + +Series writers can use books to keep long-range continuity visible. If a character disappears for one volume, a family secret waits for a later reveal, or an object changes meaning across instalments, keeping books inside one project helps the story world remain coherent. + +# How To Use It + +Start with a book title, book number and short description. The description should explain the book's function in the project: the central mystery, emotional promise, main conflict, or turning point in the wider series. + +Add chapters in narrative order. As the structure changes, use the book page to review whether chapters still flow naturally. If a chapter belongs in another book or a book has grown too large, the chapter and scene structure will make that visible. + +Use the Timeline from a book when you want to focus on one instalment rather than the whole project. + +# Example + +A project called "The Blue House" might contain: + +- Book 1: The Locked Nursery +- Book 2: The Missing Sister +- Book 3: The House Beneath the Hill + +Each book has its own chapter structure, but the same characters, assets, relationships and unresolved threads can continue across the project. + +# Writer Tip + +Give each book a promise. Even in a series, every instalment should offer the reader a satisfying movement: a question answered, a relationship changed, a threat defeated, or a new truth revealed. + +# Common Mistakes + +- Treating a series project as separate unrelated files and losing continuity between books. +- Using book descriptions as marketing blurbs instead of structural planning notes. +- Letting book boundaries hide unresolved plot threads that still need payoff. +- Planning later books without recording which earlier scenes set them up. + +# Related Guides + +- [Chapters](/Help/Article/chapters.overview) +- [Scenes](/Help/Article/scenes.overview) +- [Plot Lines](/Help/Article/timeline.plotLines) diff --git a/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Imports/Overview.md b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Imports/Overview.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..efa67ad --- /dev/null +++ b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Imports/Overview.md @@ -0,0 +1,56 @@ +--- +title: Imports +category: Imports +tags: imports, json, structure, setup, migration +contextKey: imports.overview +micro: Bring prepared project structure into PlotWeaver Studio. +quickTitle: What are Imports? +quickSummary: Imports let you bring prepared story structure into PlotWeaver Studio so books, chapters, scenes and related items can be created together. +screenshot: +--- + +# Overview + +Imports allow you to bring prepared story structure into PlotWeaver Studio instead of entering every project, book, chapter and scene by hand. This is useful when you have planned elsewhere, generated a structured outline, or need to move a project from another format into the app. + +The import page is intentionally practical. You can upload or paste a JSON package, preview the result, run checks, and then create a new project when the package looks safe. The goal is to reduce setup friction while still protecting your data from accidental messy imports. + +Imports are best for structure and known planning information. They are not a replacement for revision judgement. After importing, you should still review the project as a writer. + +# When Should I Use This? + +Use imports when you already have a structured outline or data package. This might include books, chapters, scenes, characters, locations, plot lines, story assets, scene links or other supported planning details. + +Imports are also useful for testing a large project shape quickly. A dry run can show whether the package is valid before anything is saved. + +Do not use imports for small changes to an existing project if normal editing is simpler. The import flow is designed for bringing in a prepared package, not for everyday scene editing. + +# How To Use It + +Upload a JSON file or paste the package into the text area. Use validation and preview before importing. Read any warnings carefully. Warnings may not block the import, but they often point to names, aliases or links that deserve attention. + +Use dry run when you want to check mapping and structure without saving data. If a duplicate project title is found, the importer can rename the new project so existing work is not overwritten. + +After a successful import, open the created project and review the books, chapters, scenes, characters and related records. + +# Example + +You may have an outline with three books, thirty chapters and two hundred scenes. Entering that manually would be slow. An import package can create the structure, then you can use PlotWeaver Studio to refine scene summaries, metrics, relationships, locations and continuity. + +# Writer Tip + +Preview before committing. The most useful import is not the fastest one; it is the one that gives you a clean starting structure you trust. + +# Common Mistakes + +- Importing without checking whether scene order and chapter order are correct. +- Treating warnings as meaningless because the import can still continue. +- Expecting imports to solve story quality rather than structure setup. +- Re-importing the same material instead of editing the created project. + +# Related Guides + +- [Books](/Help/Article/books.overview) +- [Chapters](/Help/Article/chapters.overview) +- [Scenes](/Help/Article/scenes.overview) +- [Characters](/Help/Article/characters.overview) diff --git a/PlotLine/Help/Articles/PlotLines/Threads.md b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/PlotLines/Threads.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8560fb8 --- /dev/null +++ b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/PlotLines/Threads.md @@ -0,0 +1,57 @@ +--- +title: Plot Threads +category: Plot Lines +tags: plot threads, mysteries, promises, payoffs, continuity +contextKey: plotThreads.overview +micro: Track individual unresolved questions, clues, promises and payoffs. +quickTitle: What are Plot Threads? +quickSummary: Plot Threads are the specific story strands that sit inside plot lines and create markers across scenes. +screenshot: +--- + +# Overview + +Plot Threads are the individual strands of story that develop across scenes. A plot line is the broad lane, such as "Rebecca's family history" or "The hotel conspiracy". A plot thread is a specific question, clue, promise, secret, risk or payoff inside that lane. + +Threads help you avoid dropped story material. If a character notices a locked drawer, receives a warning, hides a letter, or makes a promise, the thread gives you a way to track where that strand begins, develops and resolves. + +This is useful during drafting, but it becomes especially powerful during revision. You can ask whether a thread has enough setup, whether it disappears for too long, whether the payoff is earned, and whether the reader has been given a fair trail to follow. + +# When Should I Use This? + +Create a plot thread when something needs to be followed over time. It might be a mystery question, romantic tension, a clue chain, a betrayal, a promise between characters, a political scheme, a magical rule, or a hidden danger. + +If the item is physical, it may also deserve a Story Asset record. If the concern is mostly narrative tension or reader expectation, a plot thread is usually the better home. + +# How To Use It + +Start by choosing the plot line that owns the thread. Give the thread a clear title that describes the unresolved matter, not just the scene where it starts. "Who locked the nursery?" is more useful than "Nursery scene". + +Set the type, status and importance so you can scan the list quickly. Use high importance for threads that shape reader trust or major plot turns. Lower importance threads can still be valuable, especially for atmosphere, subplots and character texture. + +As you connect events to scenes, the thread becomes visible in the wider story structure. This lets you see whether the thread has a beginning, development and resolution. + +# Example + +Plot line: "The Blue House Mystery" + +Thread: "Who has the nursery key?" + +The thread might begin when Rebecca sees the locked door, develop when Beth reacts too strongly, and resolve when the key is found in a place that changes the reader's understanding of the family. + +# Writer Tip + +Phrase threads as questions or promises whenever possible. A good thread title should remind you what the reader is waiting to understand. + +# Common Mistakes + +- Creating one huge thread for an entire subplot instead of smaller trackable strands. +- Letting a thread resolve without enough visible development. +- Forgetting to close or deliberately leave open low-importance threads. +- Confusing a physical asset with the narrative question attached to it. + +# Related Guides + +- [Plot Lines](/Help/Article/timeline.plotLines) +- [Scenes](/Help/Article/scenes.overview) +- [Story Assets](/Help/Article/storyAssets.overview) diff --git a/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Projects/Settings.md b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Projects/Settings.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a26ca52 --- /dev/null +++ b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Projects/Settings.md @@ -0,0 +1,57 @@ +--- +title: Project Settings +category: Projects +tags: projects, settings, series, setup +contextKey: projectSettings.overview +micro: Define the working container for a novel, series or story world. +quickTitle: What are Project Settings? +quickSummary: Project Settings define the basic container your books, characters, scenes and continuity records belong to. +screenshot: +--- + +# Overview + +Project Settings define the working container for your story. In PlotWeaver Studio, a project can be a single novel, a planned series, a shared story world, or a large writing idea that will eventually split into several books. + +The project is where the major pieces connect: books, chapters, scenes, characters, locations, assets, plot threads, relationship history and workspace queues. The settings page keeps the practical identity of that container simple and editable. + +This is not meant to be a technical administration area. It is a place to name the work clearly, describe what belongs inside it, and choose useful starting options when beginning a new project. + +# When Should I Use This? + +Use Project Settings when you are creating a new writing container or adjusting how an existing one is described. This is useful when a standalone novel becomes a series, a working title changes, or the scope of the project becomes clearer. + +You may also return here when you want the project description to reflect the current shape of the story rather than the early idea that started it. + +# How To Use It + +Give the project a name that you can recognise quickly in lists and navigation. It can be a working title. You do not need the final published title yet. + +Use the description to explain the project in practical writing terms. Good descriptions mention the central premise, genre, series scope, or planning purpose. For example: "A gothic mystery series centred on the Blue House and the family secrets connected to it." + +When creating a new project, choose a starting metric preset if one is offered. This gives scenes a useful set of sliders for tone and pacing. You can refine scene metrics later as the project develops. + +# Example + +Project name: "The Blue House" + +Description: "A three-book gothic mystery series following Rebecca as she uncovers the hidden history of her mother's family and the house that shaped it." + +This tells you the project is larger than one book and that family history, mystery and place are central concerns. + +# Writer Tip + +Keep the project description useful to your future self. A sentence that explains the story's working purpose is often more valuable than polished jacket copy. + +# Common Mistakes + +- Creating separate projects for books that share heavy continuity. +- Leaving the description as an early idea after the story has changed. +- Treating settings as something you must perfect before planning can begin. +- Choosing a project title so vague that several projects become hard to tell apart. + +# Related Guides + +- [Books](/Help/Article/books.overview) +- [Characters](/Help/Article/characters.overview) +- [Story Assets](/Help/Article/storyAssets.overview) diff --git a/PlotLine/Help/Articles/SceneMetrics/Overview.md b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/SceneMetrics/Overview.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..025285e --- /dev/null +++ b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/SceneMetrics/Overview.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +--- +title: Scene Metrics +category: Scene Metrics +tags: scene metrics, pacing, emotion, intensity, revision +contextKey: sceneMetrics.overview +micro: Manage the sliders used to track pacing, tension and emotional shape. +quickTitle: What are Scene Metrics? +quickSummary: Scene Metrics define the sliders available on scenes, helping you compare intensity, tension and emotional movement across the story. +screenshot: +--- + +# Overview + +Scene Metrics are the configurable sliders used to describe the shape of a scene. They can track overall intensity, tension, emotional weight, action, darkness, romance, comedy, mystery or any other story quality that matters to your project. + +The values are not a scorecard. They are a planning and revision tool. A quiet scene can be excellent with low action. A comic scene can still carry high emotional weight. The purpose is to make patterns visible so you can see whether the story rises, falls, rests and turns in ways that match your intention. + +This management page controls which metrics are available for the project. The scene inspector uses active metrics as sliders, and timeline graph views can use them to show peaks and troughs. + +# When Should I Use This? + +Use Scene Metrics when you want to track story qualities consistently across scenes. This is especially useful for thrillers, mysteries, romance, horror, action-heavy stories, emotionally intense fiction, or any project where pacing and tonal balance matter. + +You may also create custom metrics for a specific book. A ghost story might track "Uncanniness". A political thriller might track "Public Pressure". A romance might track "Trust" or "Longing". + +# How To Use It + +Review the existing metrics first. Activate the metrics you actually want to use and deactivate those that do not fit the project. Add a new metric when a repeated story quality needs to be visible across many scenes. + +Keep the scale understandable. A 1 to 10 scale works well when 1 means barely present and 10 means dominant. The default value should represent a neutral starting point, often 5. + +Use sort order to keep the most useful metrics near the top of the scene editor. Writers are more likely to maintain metrics when the important ones are easy to find. + +# Example + +A gothic mystery might use: + +- Overall Intensity +- Tension +- Emotional Weight +- Darkness +- Mystery +- Hope / Lightness + +If several chapters feel flat, the graph may show that tension and mystery both remain at mid-level for too long. That does not rewrite the book for you, but it tells you where to look. + +# Writer Tip + +Do not try to measure everything. A small set of meaningful metrics is more useful than a long list you stop maintaining after three scenes. + +# Common Mistakes + +- Treating high numbers as automatically better. +- Adding too many custom metrics with overlapping meanings. +- Changing metric definitions halfway through a project. +- Forgetting that missing values may simply mean a scene has not been reviewed yet. + +# Related Guides + +- [Scenes](/Help/Article/scenes.overview) +- [Writer Workspace](/Help/Article/workspace.overview) +- [Project Settings](/Help/Article/projectSettings.overview) diff --git a/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Timeline/PlotLines.md b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Timeline/PlotLines.md index 77d2245..5b68952 100644 --- a/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Timeline/PlotLines.md +++ b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Timeline/PlotLines.md @@ -1,16 +1,62 @@ --- title: Plot Lines category: Timeline -tags: plot, threads, continuity +tags: plot, threads, continuity, mysteries, payoffs contextKey: timeline.plotLines micro: Track unresolved story threads across scenes and books. quickTitle: What are Plot Lines? quickSummary: Plot Lines help you track unanswered questions, clues and story threads across chapters and books. -screenshot: plot-lines-overview.png +screenshot: --- # Overview -Plot Lines help you follow story threads across scenes, chapters, and books. +Plot Lines are broad story lanes that help you follow unresolved material across scenes, chapters and books. They are useful for mysteries, subplots, relationship arcs, political schemes, investigations, emotional promises, clue chains and long-range series questions. -Use them to keep track of promises, clues, unresolved questions, payoffs, and continuity threads that need attention later in the story. +A plot line is not necessarily the same thing as the main plot. A book may have one central plot line and several smaller ones. For example, a mystery novel might track "Who killed Arthur?", "Rebecca's family history", "Beth's hidden loyalty" and "The missing railway timetable" as separate plot lines. + +Plot Lines become most useful when paired with plot threads and scene events. The line gives you the lane; the threads give you the specific unresolved questions and payoffs that move along it. + +# When Should I Use This? + +Use a plot line when a story concern needs to be visible over time. If a question begins in chapter three and resolves in chapter twenty, it belongs somewhere trackable. If a relationship tension keeps surfacing, if a clue chain needs fair setup, or if a promise is made to the reader, a plot line can keep it from disappearing into the draft. + +Plot Lines are especially helpful during revision. They let you ask whether the story has dropped a thread, repeated the same beat too often, delayed a payoff too long, or resolved something before the reader had enough information. + +# How To Use It + +Create a plot line with a name that describes the broad story concern. Choose a type and colour that make it easy to recognise. If the plot line belongs only to one book, associate it with that book. If it runs across the whole project or series, leave it project-wide. + +Then add plot threads for the specific unresolved questions, clues or promises inside the line. As scenes develop those threads, they become easier to inspect from the timeline and related views. + +Keep plot lines broad enough to be useful, but not so broad that everything belongs to the same lane. + +# Example + +Plot line: "The Blue House Mystery" + +Possible threads: + +- Who locked the nursery? +- Why does Beth refuse to enter the east wing? +- What happened to Rebecca's aunt? +- Why was the silver locket hidden? + +Each thread can appear, develop and resolve in different scenes while remaining part of the same larger plot line. + +# Writer Tip + +Name plot lines for the reader's experience. "Blue House Mystery" is more helpful than "Subplot A" because it reminds you what curiosity or promise the reader is carrying. + +# Common Mistakes + +- Making one plot line so broad that it covers the entire book. +- Creating plot lines but never adding specific threads or scene events. +- Tracking only mysteries and forgetting emotional promises or relationship questions. +- Letting a plot line vanish for many chapters without deciding whether that silence is intentional. + +# Related Guides + +- [Plot Threads](/Help/Article/plotThreads.overview) +- [Scenes](/Help/Article/scenes.overview) +- [Story Assets](/Help/Article/storyAssets.overview) diff --git a/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Workspace/Overview.md b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Workspace/Overview.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2eb36b2 --- /dev/null +++ b/PlotLine/Help/Articles/Workspace/Overview.md @@ -0,0 +1,58 @@ +--- +title: Writer Workspace +category: Workspace +tags: workspace, drafting, revision, polishing, reminders +contextKey: workspace.overview +micro: See what to draft, revise, polish or resolve next. +quickTitle: What is the Writer Workspace? +quickSummary: The Writer Workspace gathers practical next actions so you can move from planning into drafting and revision with less friction. +screenshot: +--- + +# Overview + +The Writer Workspace is a practical working view. It helps you decide what to do next without reopening every book, chapter and scene. Instead of showing the whole structure, it gathers scenes and reminders into useful queues: continue writing, needs attention, revision, polishing and story health reminders. + +This is where PlotWeaver Studio becomes less like a filing cabinet and more like a desk. The timeline is for seeing story shape. The workspace is for choosing the next piece of work. + +The queues are based on the information already recorded in your scenes and project. A scene that is planned may belong in a drafting queue. A scene with structural uncertainty may need attention. A nearly finished scene may belong in polishing. Reminders point you back to continuity, research or story health issues that should not be forgotten. + +# When Should I Use This? + +Use the Writer Workspace at the start of a writing session, revision session or planning review. It is especially helpful when a project has grown large enough that "what should I work on next?" becomes a real question. + +It is also useful when returning after time away. Instead of trying to remember the entire state of the book, you can scan the workspace for scenes that are ready, blocked, or waiting for a final pass. + +# How To Use It + +Choose a project focus if needed. Then review the sections from top to bottom. "Continue Writing" is usually the best place to find scenes that can move forward. "Needs Attention" highlights practical blockers. "Revision Queue" points to scenes needing structural or content changes. "Polishing Queue" is for language, rhythm, clarity and final presentation. + +Use reminders as notes from the system and from your earlier planning. They may point to missing continuity details, unresolved warnings, research follow-up or scenes that deserve another look. + +# Example + +You open the workspace and see: + +- A planned scene ready to draft. +- A scene needing location details for a character. +- Two revised scenes ready for polish. +- A reminder that an important clue has not been paid off. + +That gives you a clear session menu instead of a vague sense that the manuscript needs "work". + +# Writer Tip + +Use the workspace to protect momentum. If you have low energy, pick a polishing task. If you have creative energy, draft a ready scene. If you have analytical energy, clear a blocker. + +# Common Mistakes + +- Treating every queue as urgent. +- Ignoring reminders until they become revision problems. +- Polishing scenes that still have structural uncertainty. +- Staying in planning mode when a scene is ready to draft. + +# Related Guides + +- [Scenes](/Help/Article/scenes.overview) +- [Chapters](/Help/Article/chapters.overview) +- [Project Settings](/Help/Article/projectSettings.overview) diff --git a/PlotLine/Views/Books/Details.cshtml b/PlotLine/Views/Books/Details.cshtml index 4a91b27..ead878f 100644 --- a/PlotLine/Views/Books/Details.cshtml +++ b/PlotLine/Views/Books/Details.cshtml @@ -28,7 +28,7 @@

@Model.Project.ProjectName

-

Book @Model.Book.BookNumber: @Model.Book.BookTitle

+

Book @Model.Book.BookNumber: @Model.Book.BookTitle

@if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(Model.Book.Description)) {

@Model.Book.Description

diff --git a/PlotLine/Views/Imports/Index.cshtml b/PlotLine/Views/Imports/Index.cshtml index 906b435..aff4cfb 100644 --- a/PlotLine/Views/Imports/Index.cshtml +++ b/PlotLine/Views/Imports/Index.cshtml @@ -7,7 +7,7 @@

Tools

-

JSON Import

+

JSON Import

Paste or upload a Phase 1G package, preview it, dry-run if needed, then import a new project.

diff --git a/PlotLine/Views/PlotThreads/Index.cshtml b/PlotLine/Views/PlotThreads/Index.cshtml index 3aee67a..52f919d 100644 --- a/PlotLine/Views/PlotThreads/Index.cshtml +++ b/PlotLine/Views/PlotThreads/Index.cshtml @@ -19,7 +19,7 @@

@Model.Project.ProjectName

-

Plot threads

+

Plot threads

Timeline diff --git a/PlotLine/Views/ProjectMetrics/Index.cshtml b/PlotLine/Views/ProjectMetrics/Index.cshtml index 7af8465..5f01cb5 100644 --- a/PlotLine/Views/ProjectMetrics/Index.cshtml +++ b/PlotLine/Views/ProjectMetrics/Index.cshtml @@ -11,7 +11,7 @@

Project Settings

-

Scene Metrics

+

Scene Metrics

Create and manage the metric sliders available when editing scenes.

diff --git a/PlotLine/Views/Projects/Edit.cshtml b/PlotLine/Views/Projects/Edit.cshtml index f50180a..08e1988 100644 --- a/PlotLine/Views/Projects/Edit.cshtml +++ b/PlotLine/Views/Projects/Edit.cshtml @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@

Project / Series

-

@ViewData["Title"]

+

@ViewData["Title"]

Back to projects
diff --git a/PlotLine/Views/Writer/Index.cshtml b/PlotLine/Views/Writer/Index.cshtml index c9d685c..4df5512 100644 --- a/PlotLine/Views/Writer/Index.cshtml +++ b/PlotLine/Views/Writer/Index.cshtml @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@

Today view

-

Writer Workspace

+

Writer Workspace

A practical control room for drafting, revision, polish, and story readiness.