Use the map to choose the next scene
Connecting everyone can produce a crowded address book. Map the relationships affecting choices in this stretch. A shared goal need not mean identical views, and rivals need not argue at every encounter.
The cited character-relations reference distinguishes conflict, alliance, intimacy and authority, emphasising personal goals and relational change. style-resolution gives the author and book priority; a relationship need not acquire a betrayal merely to satisfy a generic test rule.
A story bible stores identity and current facts; ensemble writing addresses narrative roles. This page focuses on a map of conditions and next steps rather than another biography for everyone.
Label the relationships with usable information
A hand-made relationship label can record:
People and story cutoff: [A and B, through which chapter or scene]
Goals and offers: [what each wants and can provide]
Agreements and boundaries: [confirmed terms and unanswered requests]
Knowledge and mistakes: [what each actually knows and its source]
Next step and evidence: [what remains pending and which passage confirms change]
An arrow can mark a one-way request or promise, while a two-way line marks confirmed cooperation. Define the legend. Dashed lines or “pending” are manual conventions, not native skill fields. A planned reconciliation is not an accomplished one.
Every line need not have an affection score. Define numbers only if the story needs them. One helpful act can affect trust or task progress, or simply fulfil an existing agreement.
Complete example: four people organise a used-book fair
In this original used-book-fair story, Zhou Nan wants to open on time. Ye Sang lends collection books and has said they are not for sale. Tang He designs the poster and wants to use a flyleaf without approval. Lu Yin lends a transport cart, which Zhou Nan has promised to return Friday evening. Not every pair needs another relationship. Map three active lines before the scene:
Zhou Nan ↔ Ye Sang: confirmed cooperation; display-only books, signage pending.
Tang He → Ye Sang: flyleaf request awaiting an answer.
Zhou Nan → Lu Yin: Friday-evening return promised, exact time pending.
Here arrows indicate requests or promises; the two-way line indicates cooperation. Write the three decisions as one continuous scene:
Zhou Nan put two labels on the table. “Separate loan displays from stock for sale. Can we use these?”
Ye Sang placed “Display only” beside three old books. “These are for looking at. Don’t photograph their flyleaves either.”
Tang He put down the phone ready for scanning. “Then I’ll draw ordinary book spines without words from these books.”
“That’s fine.” Ye Sang gathered the three books. Zhou Nan marked a display-only area on the list; Tang He wrote “ordinary book spines” on the poster draft.
Lu Yin opened the calendar. “Load at three on Friday. Return the cart by eight that evening. I need it Saturday.”
Zhou Nan recorded both times in the transport plan. “Agreed. I’ll tell you when I’ve returned it.”
Update the confirmed signage, rejected flyleaf request and accepted spine proposal, plus agreed cart-return time. Exhibition, finished poster and actual return remain pending. Three and eight o’clock and the spine design are concrete example choices rather than universal plot requirements.
Update after the event without turning plans into facts
Record the chapter or scene cutoff and the passage confirming a change. Update the affected line while retaining other relationships. Place secrets only beside characters who actually know them; the author’s view of the full map does not give it to the cast.
Use paper, a table or a drawing tool according to how you find information. This manual template is not an Oh Story file protocol or a replacement for workspace state management. Give AI this brief:
Organise relationships through this scene without drafting prose. Show both sides’ goals, confirmed agreements, pending requests and knowledge sources in a simple map and short table. Keep established facts and label future plans separately. Add no automatic betrayal or affection increase. Identify what the next scene genuinely needs to resolve.
For a crowded map, filter to people relevant to the current plot, then check cross-line effects against the full view. Showing less does not delete story facts.
FAQ
Should every pair be connected?
No. Map relationships affecting the current story; keep other facts on character cards without inventing events to fill the network.
Can the map replace a story bible?
No. It exposes relationship conditions and changes; identity, history, abilities and authoritative facts remain in their established places.
Do it with the skill
Use /story-long-write, or $story-long-write in Codex, only to organise or plan these relationships, supplying settings, story cutoff and actual events. Request a map, goals on both sides, boundaries and pending decisions without starting the book or drafting prose; manual labels are not native state fields.
Read the method: Relationship types, personal goals and relationship arcs · Book choices and factual boundaries take priority