Scene Designer
Start with an idea, arrange its moments, and add as much detail as you need.
Updated
A scene is laid out like a strip of film. Each shot is a frame, left to right, in the order it plays — and that order is yours to arrange. Start freely with a title and an optional idea, or open the framework choices for Action, Sequel, Dialogue, or Reveal prompts. Add shots as you need them; each new shot opens for editing. Supporting cards, cast, and craft guidance are available when you want more detail. The finished strip can render as a storyboard.
✦Quick start
- 1Open Scene Designer from the Story menu, then pick a chapter and create a scene.
- 2Give the scene a name and, if you like, a short idea. Choose Start freely, or expand the optional frameworks.
- 3Add a shot from the empty frame, describe the moment, and repeat as your scene takes shape.
- 4Drag a frame to reorder it — the other shots slide aside to open its place.
- 5Attach sensory or subtext cards to a shot, and open any card's guidance to see what belongs there.
The Film Strip
- Every shot is a uniform frame on the strip — the sequence reads at a glance
- Drag a frame along the strip to reorder it; the shots you pass slide over to make room
- The strip's order IS the scene's order — it's what the storyboard draws
- An empty frame at the end is where the next shot goes
Frameworks
- Action — Goal → Conflict → Disaster, for scenes that drive forward
- Sequel — Reaction → Dilemma → Decision, for the fallout after a blow
- Dialogue — Setup → Exchange → Turning Point, for scenes carried by talk
- Reveal — Setup → Discovery → Repercussion, for the moment something surfaces
- Frameworks suggest prompts; all shot types remain available under More shot types
- Change the Planning framework in scene details at any time; existing cards, answers, and shot order are kept
- Plot connections are an optional expandable section in scene details
Cast, Attachments & the Shelf
- A standing band above the strip holds the scene's conditions and its cast — the characters and items in play
- Attach sensory, subtext, or set-dressing cards to a shot; they ride in the gutter beside it
- The shelf keeps your craft notes and references — real thinking with nothing to draw
- Every card carries craft guidance — its purpose, what goes in it, and common pitfalls
- Arc-beat cards link live to a character's Arc Map — edit in one place, updated in both
✦
Not sure which framework fits? The picker describes each one and what it's best for. Action and Sequel alternate beautifully — a punch, then its consequences.