A novelyst plugin for managing Markdown “Story Templates”.

Installation

If novelyst is installed, the setup script auto-installs the novelyst_templates plugin in the novelyst plugin directory.

The plugin adds a Story Templates entry to the novelyst Tools menu, and a Template plugin Online Help entry to the Help menu.

Command reference

You can open the submenu with Tools > Story Templates.

Load

This loads the story structure from a Markdown template file.

Save

This saves the story structure to a Markdown template file.

Open folder

This opens the templates folder with the OS file manager, so you can manage and edit the templates.

Conventions

In novelyst, you can define stages of your story structure model with “Todo” scenes that are tagged with “stage”. novelyst_templates faciliates the reuse of story structures.

Only “Todo” scenes with the “stage” tag are exported as stages.

Markdown file structure

The Story Template Markdown file defines such a structure with headings and ordinary text.

First level heading for top level stages, e.g. acts

The first level heading begins with #, followed by a space and a stage title.

Second level heading for minor stages or turning points

The second level heading begins with ##, followed by a space and a stage title.

Ordinary text

Any text under a heading is used as a description for the element generated from the heading.

Example

# ACT 1

Setup

## Inciting Incident

Also called "catalyst" or "call to adventure".
This sets the protagonist in motion.

## Plot Point 1

"Point of no return": The protagonist engages with the action 
the inciting incident has created.

# ACT 2

Confrontation

## Midpoint

The main turning point. A significant event, changing the 
development of things from good to bad, or vice versa.

## Plot Point 2

The aftermath of the Midpoint crisis.
What changes the protagonist from "passenger" to "driver".  

# ACT 3

Resolution

## Climax

The final moment of the story's conflict.

This file generates the following structure in an empty project:

Screenshot

License

This is Open Source software, and the novelyst_templates plugin is licensed under GPLv3. See the GNU General Public License website for more details, or consult the LICENSE file.