Structuring a story for tabletop gaming as a GM can be incredibly challenging. In your head, it’s a brilliant linear path. The addition of your player’s choice is where it all goes off the rails. Game masters must account for the player's choices and actions while keeping the narrative coherent and engaging. This is where a tool like our form-fillable Simple Story Structure template comes in.
Plan a story with a narrative through-line while allowing players to drive the story. Sounds impossible? With the story structure, each phase of your story has a feeling as an objective, not strict plot points. Your story can flex and bend to player choice without breaking.
The Story Structure has seven stages: Current, Hook, Kick-Off, Challenge, Choice, Suffer, and Climax, which are followed by the Aftermath. Players may choose a very different direction but we as GM know what the SUFFER stage is all about, so we flex away. HAHAHA!
The Story Circle is adaptable and can be applied at different levels, from individual sessions to entire campaigns. The framework provides a sense of progress to players and allows for the incorporation of emotional losses and character growth. By following this structure, your games can be dynamic and reward journeys that with player agency and provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment.
