Creating New Characters and Setting Them Loose in Your Story

Exploring Subtxt Muse's new Players functionality

Ever had a fantastic story idea but felt stuck when it came to fleshing out the rest of your cast? You’ve got a strong Protagonist and Antagonist in mind, but what about the rest? The new version of Subtxt Muse has just the tool you need to bring those characters to life—introducing the new Players functionality. This isn’t just a simple character generator; it’s your brainstorming partner, keeping your story's deep thematic meaning intact while giving you the creative freedom to explore new narrative paths.

Part of a Larger Journey: From Idea to Story Treatment

We’re thrilled to announce that this new feature is part of a broader case study we're working on (past Case Studies available here). Our goal? To show you how to transform a simple story idea into a fully fleshed-out, detailed story treatment using Subtxt Muse. You’ve already been able to use Muse to conversationally add Storypoints and Storybeats—essential building blocks of a meaningful narrative. Now, with the Players functionality, you can take your character development to a whole new level.

Players: More Than Just Characters

In Subtxt, "Players" are more than just characters—they are integral to your Objective Story Throughline (plot). Their roles and functions within this plot dictate their behavior and performance, making them essential to how your story unfolds.

Working with Muse isn’t just about generating characters—it’s about effortlessly digging into the heart of why your characters do what they do within the Objective Story. Muse helps you explore the deeper motivations driving each character, giving you a clear and intuitive understanding of how they move through your narrative. It’s more than just clicking a button; it’s about building a meaningful connection with your story’s core, so every choice and action your characters take aligns with the larger picture you're trying to tell.

And the best part? When you’re ready to dive even deeper, the Story Development page is waiting for you. Everything you’ve started with Muse—from character motivations to unique narrative twists—is saved, ready for you to pick up right where you left off.

Muse: Your Context-Aware Story Partner

One of the most powerful aspects of Muse is how it maintains context. It understands the functions each Player needs to fulfill in your story. While it’s easy to see the roles of Protagonist and Antagonist—pursuing or preventing the Story Goal—it’s the secondary characters that often add depth and complexity to your narrative.

Muse helps you avoid redundancy, ensuring that each Player serves a unique and essential purpose. It does the heavy lifting of assigning key elements or methods of conflict, all while saving them directly into your project.

Set Your Characters Loose

But the magic doesn’t stop with character creation. Once you’ve designed your Players, Muse allows you to “set them loose” within your story.

Imagine this: your characters, imbued with the thematic elements you’ve assigned, start interacting with the world you’ve created. They confront the thematic issues in each act, sparking new scenes and situations that are not just random but deeply connected to the story's core. It’s like setting the behavior of NPCs in a game and watching them bounce off the thematic walls of your story, each interaction meaningful and aligned with your intent as the storyteller.

This approach ensures that your story doesn’t just unfold in a linear, predictable way but rather evolves naturally, driven by the characters and their inherent motivations. It’s a dynamic process, one that saves you time and ensures your story is both compelling and cohesive.

The Future of Storytelling with Muse

We’re incredibly excited to see how you’ll use this new functionality in Subtxt with Muse. It’s not just about telling stories—it’s about telling stories that matter, stories that resonate with your audience on a deeper level. With Muse as your collaborative partner, you’ll be able to create richer, more complex narratives without the headache of juggling countless characters and plot points.

So go ahead, dive in, and start setting your characters loose. We can’t wait to see the worlds you’ll build and the stories you’ll tell.

Happy storytelling! 🎬

Download Creating Characters Conversation from Muse PDF (4MB)