The plotboard is built from cards
Everything on the plotboard is organized in cards. A card defines a large section of the story.The smaller units inside it are part cards.
- Card → top-level unit that divides structure
- Part card → scene-sized unit that fills that structure
① Card: top-level structure for sections
The largest unit on the plotboard is the card. Examples:- Act 1: “Down the rabbit hole”
- Act 2: “The maze of change and confusion”
- Define major phases of the story
- State the main theme of that section
- Clarify where it sits in the overall flow
it’s a structural unit that defines what this section does.Cards form a horizontal flow
and set the story’s overall direction.
② Part card: scene units inside a card
Inside each card you place part cards. Example: Act 1: “Down the rabbit hole” (card)├─ Ch. 1. The start of curiosity (part card)
└─ Ch. 2. The pool of tears (part card) Part cards hold:
- Scene title
- Scene summary
- Tags
- Linked documents
- Related characters
part cards develop it inside that direction.
Card vs. part card
They sit on the same screen but do different jobs.
A part card is not standalone text.
Which card it’s in changes its meaning.
The same scene can be:
- “Opening” inside an intro card
- “Turning point” inside a transition card
- “Resolution” inside an ending card
Position changes meaning.
Thinking in terms of structure
On the plotboard, the number of cards isn’t what matters.What matters is:
- What section does this card define?
- What role does this part card play?
- Is the structure balanced?
Not “is this scene well written?“
but “which card should this scene live in?”
Summary
The plotboard uses one kind of card,but cards and part cards have distinct roles.
- Cards create structure.
- Part cards fill it.
the story starts to look structure-first, not sentence-first. Placing cards is
not writing;
it’s designing the story.