How to prompt narrative arcs
My prompting strategy to create short stories
Yesterday, I shared a short story I wrote almost entirely with AI. Here are the prompts that I used.
I was prompted (no pun intended) to try this because I saw a $1000 competition for an AI short story. I fed Claude with the competition details and it suggested:
…Hybrid Approach (Best Results)
Use Claude for character-heavy scenes (dialogue, emotional moments)
Use GPT-4 for plot/action scenes and world-building
Use either for final polish pass
How to Generate with Scene-by-Scene Approach:
FIRST PROMPT:
"Here is my complete story outline: [paste filled template]
Please write Scene 1 according to the specifications. Focus especially on establishing [specific element]."
SUBSEQUENT PROMPTS:
"Here is the story outline: [paste template]
Here's what happened in previous scenes: [brief summary]
Please write Scene [X] according to the specifications. Make sure to [specific continuity note]."Here is the prompt template in generated (note, it’s very long):
AI Story Generation Template - 5000 Words
CORE STORY ELEMENTS
1. PREMISE & THEME
One-Sentence Premise: [A character] must [overcome obstacle] to [achieve goal] but [complication makes it harder]
Central Theme: [What universal truth does your story explore? e.g., "The price of revenge," "How grief transforms us," "The masks we wear"]
Subtheme (optional): [Secondary idea that supports main theme]
2. TONE & STYLE REFERENCES
Genre: [Primary genre + any genre blend]
Tone: [e.g., "Dark comedy like Fargo," "Melancholic like Never Let Me Go," "Tense thriller like Gone Girl"]
POV & Tense: [First/Third person, Past/Present tense]
Style Notes: [e.g., "Short, punchy sentences for action," "Lyrical descriptions," "Lots of dialogue," "Minimal exposition"]
CHARACTER PROFILES
PROTAGONIST
Name & Age: Occupation/Role: Physical Description: [2-3 specific details only]
Core Wound/Past Trauma: [What past event still affects them?]
Greatest Fear: [What do they avoid at all costs?]
Greatest Desire: [What do they want more than anything?]
Lie They Believe: [What false belief guides their actions at story start?]
Truth They Must Learn: [What realization will complete their arc?]
Unique Mannerisms/Habits:
[Specific physical habit when nervous]
[Verbal tic or speech pattern]
[How they interact with objects]
Voice/Dialogue Style: [e.g., "Uses technical jargon," "Never finishes sentences," "Asks questions instead of making statements"]
ANTAGONIST (if applicable)
[Same categories as above]
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS (2-3 max)
Character 1 Name: Role in Story: Key Personality Trait: How They Challenge/Support Protagonist:
[Repeat for other supporting characters]
STORY STRUCTURE
ACT 1 - SETUP (1000-1250 words)
Scene 1 - Opening Image (250-300 words)
Setting: [Specific location with mood]
Protagonist's Starting State: [Emotional/physical state]
Introduce Motif/Symbol: [Object or image that will recur]
Hook: [What question/intrigue keeps reader going?]
Scene 2 - Daily Life/Character Establishment (400-500 words)
Show Protagonist's Flaw: [How their wound/lie manifests]
Introduce Stakes: [What protagonist has to lose]
Plant Setup: [Detail that will matter later]
Scene 3 - Inciting Incident (400-500 words)
The Event: [What disrupts the status quo?]
Protagonist's Initial Reaction: [Do they resist/accept?]
Point of No Return: [Why can't they go back?]
ACT 2A - RISING ACTION (1250-1500 words)
Scene 4 - First Attempt/New World (400-500 words)
Protagonist's Plan: [Their first approach to the problem]
Early Success or Failure: [What happens?]
Introduction of B-Plot/Subplot: [Secondary storyline]
Scene 5 - Complication/Raised Stakes (400-500 words)
New Obstacle: [What makes original problem worse?]
Ally or Enemy Revealed: [Who helps/hinders?]
Protagonist Adapts: [How do they change tactics?]
Scene 6 - Midpoint Twist (400-500 words)
Major Revelation: [What truth is revealed?]
Stakes Escalation: [How does danger increase?]
Protagonist's Choice: [What do they decide?]
ACT 2B - ESCALATION (1250-1500 words)
Scene 7 - Consequences/Darkening (400-500 words)
Result of Midpoint Choice: [What goes wrong?]
Internal Conflict Peak: [Protagonist doubts self]
Relationship Strain: [How are connections tested?]
Scene 8 - False Victory/Defeat (400-500 words)
Moment of Hope/Despair: [What seems to be ending?]
Hidden Danger: [What's actually happening?]
Setup for Climax: [What pieces are in place?]
Scene 9 - Dark Night of Soul (400-500 words)
Lowest Point: [What is lost?]
Internal Realization: [What truth emerges?]
Decision Point: [What must protagonist choose?]
ACT 3 - RESOLUTION (1000-1250 words)
Scene 10 - Climax Preparation (300-400 words)
Gathering Resources: [What/who do they need?]
Plan Formation: [Final approach to problem]
Point of No Return #2: [Last chance to quit]
Scene 11 - Climax (400-500 words)
Final Confrontation: [External conflict peak]
Choice Under Pressure: [Demonstrate character growth]
Thematic Statement: [How is theme proven/disproven?]
Scene 12 - Resolution/New Normal (300-400 words)
Immediate Aftermath: [What's the result?]
Character Transformation: [How have they changed?]
Closing Image: [Mirror/contrast with opening]
UNIQUE ELEMENTS
Recurring Motifs/Symbols
[Object/image that appears throughout - what it represents]
[Secondary motif if applicable]
World-Building Details
Unique Setting Elements: [What makes your world special?]
Cultural/Social Rules: [What unique constraints exist?]
Sensory Signature: [Dominant sensory detail for atmosphere]
Plot Devices/Techniques
[e.g., "Unreliable narrator," "Non-linear timeline," "Frame story," "Multiple POVs"]
Specific Details to Include
Unique Props: [3-5 specific objects with history/meaning]
Location Details: [Specific, memorable setting features]
Character-Specific Details: [Unique attributes/possessions]
SCENE-BY-SCENE EMOTIONAL ARC
Scene 1: [Protagonist's emotional state] Scene 2: [How it shifts] [Continue for all scenes]
KEY DIALOGUE MOMENTS
[List 3-5 crucial conversations and their purpose]
Scene X: [Characters] discuss [topic] revealing [what]
[Continue...]
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Target Word Count: 5000 words Scene Word Counts: [Listed above - total should equal 5000] Pacing Notes: [Where to speed up/slow down]
FIRST LINE OPTIONS
[Provide 3 possible opening lines that set tone/hook] 1. 2. 3.
LAST LINE OPTIONS
[Provide 3 possible closing lines that resonate with theme] 1. 2. 3.
SPECIFIC AI INSTRUCTIONS
"Write [Scene X] of this story. This scene must:
Be exactly [XXX] words
Be written in [POV/tense]
Include [specific motif/symbol]
Show protagonist's [emotional state/realization]
Plant/payoff [specific detail]
Include dialogue that [reveals/conceals specific information]
End with [specific type of hook/transition]
Focus on [sensory details/dialogue/action/introspection] in this scene. The prose style should be [style notes]."
NOTES FOR USING THIS TEMPLATE
Fill out EVERY section before generating - gaps lead to generic content
Be SPECIFIC - "angry" vs. "clenching jaw so hard his molars ached"
Include CONTRADICTIONS in characters - makes them human
Give each character a UNIQUE speaking style
Make stakes PERSONAL not just physical
Choose details that do DOUBLE DUTY (reveal character AND advance plot)
End each scene with either a question, revelation, or decision
So that’s what I did. I followed the template and basically defined the style and genre upfront, detailed the key characters, and then plotted out the story scene-by-scene within the template generated. I could have used different templates — epistolary, unreliable narrator, non-sequential — but the process would stay the same. I then had the AI generate the story one scene at a time, feeding the template into it for each prompt, with specific details for the scene I was working on.
Some things to note:
The process took a long time. Shorter than writing the story myself, but still a lot of time.
The results are… fine. It’s not great but it’s not terrible. It’s a serviceable pastiche.
The story has what many AI generated stories lack: narrative arc. There is an underlying structure that drives the plot and keeps things moving forward. Setups end in payoffs. It’s very different from the auto-written games I’ve mentioned earlier.
This, to me, closes the book on whether AI can write reasonable stories. It can, and in the same way it can write reasonable code. If you can setup the right structure, it can fill in the gaps, and the clearer you are in your structure the better a job the AI can do.