GriotsWell
Story structure isn't one thing
Every story structure has unique architecture. Linear, circular, web, spiral, cyclical — fundamentally different ways to build narrative.
47 structures across 9 architectural types from 10 world regions.
Each story structure has unique architecture. Here are three of nine.
Sequential Progression
Beginning, middle, end. Rising action, climax, resolution. A protagonist moves forward through conflict toward a destination.
Examples: Hero's Journey, Three-Act, Save the Cat, Seven-Point
Interconnected Patterns
Everything connects to everything. Multiple entry points, no single climax. Cleverness, hidden consequences, and community wisdom shape the narrative.
Examples: Anansi Web Pattern (Akan), Celtic Spiral (Irish/Welsh)
Return and Deepening
Time moves in spirals. Stories return to familiar themes at deeper levels. Ancestral memory and communal recognition shape the narrative.
Examples: Griot Performance Cycle (Mandé), Mayan Calendar, Songline Mapping
9 architecture types. 47 structures. See them all →
I Want to Learn
How to Choose a Structure
Not sure which architecture fits your story? Walk through our decision guide to match your narrative's needs to the right structure.
Find Your Structure →I Have a Story Idea
Idea Development Wizard
Have a story idea but not sure where to start? This free interactive tool walks you through 5 questions and suggests structures that fit.
Start Free →Two ways to build your story's blueprint
Choose the tool that fits your process. Use both for full access.
Plotting Tools
Guided, step-by-step story structure workshops. Choose a framework, answer the prompts, and build a complete structural blueprint for your story — with AI-powered suggestions at every stage.
World Wizards
Storytelling framework guides organized by world region. Each wizard teaches the tradition's history and architecture, then walks you through building a story using that structure. Works offline.
What you get: A complete structural blueprint — characters, plot points, scenes, and beats mapped to your chosen architecture. Take this into your writing tool of choice (Scrivener, Word, Google Docs) to write your manuscript. GriotsWell builds the structure. You write the story.
Web Architecture: The Anansi Web Pattern
In the Anansi tradition of the Akan peoples, stories don't follow a straight line. They weave — connecting characters, consequences, and community wisdom into an interconnected web. There is no single climax. There are revelations. The protagonist is not a hero but a trickster-survivor, and the community is the true protagonist.
This is web architecture: a fundamentally different way to structure narrative. Not better or worse than linear. Different — and available to any writer whose story needs interconnection rather than escalation.
The Library
Education, research, and reference materials — all free.
What Are Story Structures
Structure vs plot explained
Architecture Types
The 9 patterns that exist
Why This Matters
Beyond one way to tell a story
Structures by Region
All 47 frameworks organized
How to Choose
Match structure to story
Glossary
Terms and definitions
FAQ
Common questions
Help Center
Guides and support
From the Blog
Stories, insights, and explorations in narrative architecture.