> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pensiv.so/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 3.4.4 Visualizing relationships and extending thought

> Testing and rearranging relationships, character–event–theme links, checking flow

The canvas is not for writing down the answer.\
It’s not for storing a finished structure.

The canvas is

> where you **test** relationships,\
> remove them,\
> and place them again to judge.

Here you don’t lock things in;\
you **shake the structure** and see what holds.

***

## When to use it

Use the canvas when:

* The story’s center feels blurry
* You have scenes but no clear direction
* There are many relationships but the core is hard to see

That’s when you need to check structure\
before writing more.

***

## What you can do

### Character ↔ event relationships

Place characters and events as cards\
and use lines to show influence.\
Who moves what,\
which event is central\
— you see it at a glance.

***

### Theme and scene links

Connect scene cards and theme cards\
to check the story’s direction.\
See whether every scene\
ties to a theme.\
Scenes that don’t connect\
may need another look.

***

### Extending plot context

You can bring flow from the plotboard\
onto the canvas and extend it.

* Context before and after a scene
* Change in emotion
* How setting influences things

You’re re-reading **flow** as **relationship**.

***

## Basic checking flow

1. Place the main cards first.
2. Add supporting cards and connect them.
3. Remove connections that don’t help.

Structure gets clearer\
when you **simplify**, not when you add more.

***

## Tips

* Too many lines can look messy. Keep only the ones that help.
* If the central card isn’t clear, it may be too early to expand into a document.

The canvas is\
not for proving a finished structure;\
it’s for **checking** it.

***

If the plotboard **orders** the story’s progress,\
the canvas **checks** the relationships that support that progress.