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PlotDirector

Phase 5 -- Multi-User, Collaboration & Subscription Architecture

Version: 1.0
Status: Approved Architecture Document
Date: June 2026

Purpose

Phase 5 introduces multi-user support, subscriptions, collaboration capabilities, storage management, auditing, and monetisation foundations to PlotDirector.

The goal is to transform PlotDirector from a single-user authoring platform into a secure SaaS application while preserving its core philosophy as a planning and writing workspace for authors.

Core Principles

  • PlotDirector is an active workspace, not a permanent archive.
  • Security takes precedence over convenience.
  • Collaboration supports planning, not real-time writing.
  • Subscription limits should be generous but prevent abuse.

Definitions

User

Authenticated account holder within PlotDirector.

Project

Highest-level container which may represent a standalone book or an entire series.

Book

A single book within a project. Subscription limits are enforced against books.

Owner

The user who created a project and manages collaborators.

Collaborator

A user granted edit access to another user's project.

Subscription

Defines usage limits and capabilities.

Security Architecture

Project access shall be determined through ProjectUserAccess records.

Access checks must answer:

Can this user access this project?

Not:

Does this user own this project?

Access Roles

Owner

  • Full project access
  • Invite/remove collaborators
  • Delete projects
  • Export projects

Collaborator

  • View projects
  • Edit projects

Restrictions: - Cannot delete projects - Cannot invite collaborators - Cannot transfer ownership - Cannot manage subscriptions

Viewer-only access is explicitly excluded from Phase 5.

ProjectUserAccess

Fields:

  • ProjectUserAccessID
  • ProjectID
  • UserID
  • AccessRole
  • InvitedByUserID
  • InvitedDateUTC
  • AcceptedDateUTC
  • IsActive

All project-scoped operations must validate user access.

Protected areas include:

  • Projects
  • Books
  • Chapters
  • Scenes
  • Timeline
  • Characters
  • Assets
  • Locations
  • Plot Lines
  • Relationships
  • Workspace
  • Imports
  • Exports
  • Attachments

Subscription Levels

Draft Desk

  • Books: 2
  • Chapters per Book: 75
  • Scenes per Book: 300
  • Characters per Project: 75
  • Storage: 100 MB
  • Collaborators: 0

Writing Room

  • Books: 10
  • Chapters per Book: 150
  • Scenes per Book: 1000
  • Characters per Project: 250
  • Storage: 1 GB
  • Collaborators: 1

Story Forge

  • Books: 30
  • Chapters per Book: 200
  • Scenes per Book: 2000
  • Characters per Project: 500
  • Storage: 5 GB
  • Collaborators: 3

Author Studio

  • Books: Practical unlimited
  • Chapters: Practical unlimited
  • Scenes: Practical unlimited
  • Characters: Practical unlimited
  • Storage: 20 GB
  • Collaborators: 10

Collaboration Requirements

Supported:

  • Invite collaborators
  • Remove collaborators
  • View collaborator lists

Excluded:

  • Real-time editing
  • Internal messaging
  • Viewer-only roles
  • Conflict resolution
  • Ownership transfer

Audit Requirements

Major entities should support:

  • CreatedByUserID
  • CreatedDateUTC
  • ModifiedByUserID
  • ModifiedDateUTC

Track activity for:

  • Projects
  • Books
  • Chapters
  • Scenes
  • Characters
  • Assets
  • Locations
  • Plot Lines
  • Relationships

The audit system should answer:

Who changed what and when?

Storage Management

  • Storage tracked per user
  • Limits enforced by subscription
  • Restrict file types
  • Resize uploaded images
  • Convert images to WebP
  • Remove unnecessary metadata

Timeline and planning interfaces should remain fast and primarily text-based.

Export and Archiving

Projects should support export including:

  • Project data
  • Images
  • Attachments

Archive workflow:

  1. Export project
  2. Offer download
  3. Remove from active workspace

Payment Integration

Stripe will be introduced only after:

  • Security is complete
  • Subscription infrastructure exists
  • Limit enforcement is operational

Phase 5 Implementation Order

  1. Phase 5A -- Project Ownership & Security
  2. Phase 5B -- Subscription Infrastructure
  3. Phase 5C -- Subscription Limit Enforcement
  4. Phase 5D -- Collaboration Foundation
  5. Phase 5E -- Audit History & Activity Tracking
  6. Phase 5F -- Storage Management
  7. Phase 5G -- Export & Archiving
  8. Phase 5H -- Subscription Management UI
  9. Phase 5I -- Stripe Payment Integration

Out of Scope

  • Real-time collaborative editing
  • Internal messaging systems
  • Viewer-only roles
  • AI collaboration workflows
  • Team organisations
  • Ownership transfer
  • Conflict resolution systems

Success Criteria

Phase 5 is complete when:

  • Project access is secure
  • Subscription limits are enforced
  • Collaboration functions safely
  • Audit history is available
  • Storage limits are operational
  • Projects can be exported and archived
  • Payment processing is integrated successfully