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Writing a Novel in NovelCrafter

Part 5: I Needed a Way to Define Factions for My Stories, So Here's What I Did

So far, I've planned how to define each element in my NovelCrafter worldbuilding so that the entries will be complete and consistent, and so they will work well with each other. I began with frameworks for the broader elements like locations, and then defined the important smaller elements, all the way down to creating frameworks for individual characters, but after reviewing the templates that represent those frameworks, I recognized one element I missed. It is an element that is important to many stories: factions.

Addressing this missing element requires designing a template and framework that can handle everything from complex political alliances of city-states all the way down to tiny groups like business partnerships. Unlike some of the other world elements I've looked at, a person or group of people can be associated simultaneously with more than one faction and those associations may vary in strength from story to story, chapter to chapter, and even from scene to scene.

What Do Factions Mean to a Story, and Why Are They Important?

From a story crafting perspective, factions offer plenty of opportunities for conflict, as characters have their loyalties for one faction challenged by the motivations of other factions. From the perspective of NovelCrafter and AI assistants in general, I needed a way to consistently define and describe those associations important to each character, as well as a way to give some kind of guidance to the AI about the relative strengths of the character's loyalty to each faction.

People seldom pause to think rationally about all of their own alliances at every scale, so neither should fictional characters, but the character description in the Codex needs some way to mention this and to keep track of it. Unlike some other character features, loyalties for factions can form or dissolve or fluctuate in an instant.

Special Schema for Factions

What I use presently to record faction association is different from what I started with.

I began by adding a note in the character Codex entry of any factions that a character associates with or belongs to, along with a number that represents the character's current strength of loyalty to that faction.

To use this structure, I had to include a new entry in the character frameworks, simply called Factions. The Factions entry was meant to contain the names of any relevant factions (ideally, one that exists as a Codex entry), followed by a number from -10 to 10. Part of this method meant explaining this system to the AI assistants via the NovelCrafter framework entries.

So the full setup included:

A faction framework Codex entry that details how to generate and to record a faction in its own Codex entry,
A series of Codex entries to record and track each faction,
An entry in each character Codex entry (as well as in the Character framework Codex entries),
A post-scene prompt to have an AI assistant recommend updates to all possible character Codex entries that may have changed due to the events of each completed scene.

An Issue and an Answer

One potential problem with this faction-tracking method was that the Codex began to resemble character tracking in a video game, or in a LitRPG genre story, but more importantly, the LLMs picked up on this as if it was intentional. Depending on the prompt and the situation and the particular LLM, it might interpret the faction association for a character and the faction strength number associated with it as a suggestion to directly tell the reader that, "Fred decided to go along with the change in plans because of his faction score of 7 with the alliance."

The solution for this, which we'll see in more detail later in conversations with the Developmental Editor AI, is to record the faction strength number for our own notes, but to hide that from the LLM used for plotting and prose generation. Instead, that number and the context of the story events for that character must include a narrative-style depiction of the character's association with any factions.

I'm taking care to generate the character Codex entry descriptions in a human-readable style, even if the AI assistant that helps generate and update such character descriptions is actually privy to the numbers. This tends to reduce that feeling of using a game stat-card.

Additionally, part of the task for the AI assistant, or for me, is not just to record the faction and number, but to describe creatively what that indicates. It does no good to just replace the same words or phrase for a faction of +2 every time.

Ultimately, factions may not play enough of a part in a given story to merit this level of attention, but I like to use factions as conflict-levers, so this should fit my style, but let me still communicate to the AI assistant.

Note: Before using the Faction upgrades like the framework and prompts to build factions you plan to tell stories about, it's a good idea to review the state of the Codex. The LLMs can just imagine factions into existence, whether you have built lots of worldbuilding information in the Codex, or not. These may be highly useful, but to me, creating factions makes the most sense after providing lots of context in the Codex. I made sure to flesh out the descriptions of the various fantasy races, lots of locations, the magic system and some other large-scale features in their own Codex entries before doing serious faction-building. Arguably, some character entries would be useful also, but I like the flow better of creating characters after some factions exist already. Also, it makes sense to take opportunities later on to create and add new factions during the character creation and plotting processes.

Let's Build!

The first thing I wanted to design was the faction framework, and what has worked for other frameworks is to ask an AI a few questions. Here's how I began a conversation with the Custom Genre Developmental Editor AI using GPT4o. This type of conversational method should work with less context in the prompt, but it's good to add whatever relevant context is available.

Note that this development of the faction framework and workflow with the AI shows the issue and solution I mentioned above. I think it's important to show how I arrived at the final setup.

Here's what I said to the Dev Editor AI, followed by the AI's response. To toggle the AI's response open or closed, just click the heading bar below.:

In the context of the stories I want to tell about people on and around The Island, what frameworks will be useful in helping Large Language Model worldbuilding assistants to create, describe, and understand various factions sufficiently to create a sense of verisimilitude in plotting and prose?

I want a workflow that makes it efficient to generate and then consistently describe any faction as small as a two-person partnership, or as large as a complex alliance of city-states, and anything in between.

I also need to be able to cite the faction descriptions generated according to the framework in my descriptions of characters in order to show what strength of relationship, or degree of loyalty (or hostility), a given character has at the moment for a given faction. My idea for this is to use a framework you help me develop to describe any faction and then to add an entry in every character description that mentions the name of any faction that character is associated with, accompanied by a number from -10 to 10 to show the strength of relationship with that faction, and whether it is a positive relationship (numbers from 1-10), a neutral relationship (0), or a negative relationship (-10--1).

What do you recommend?

The Dev Editor's First Suggestion For a Faction Framework & Workflow (click to toggle open/closed)

Creating a robust framework for factions within the world of The Island is essential for maintaining consistency and depth in your storytelling. Here’s a structured workflow that should help accomplish this:

Faction Framework

Faction Name and Basic Description:
- Name: [Faction Name]
- Type: (City-state, Guild, Alliance, Tribe, etc.)
- Size: (Small, Medium, Large)
- Base of Operations: (Location)
- Primary Race: (Humans, Elves, Dwarves, etc.)
- Secondary Races: (If any)
Leadership and Hierarchy:
- Leader(s): (Names and titles)
- Hierarchy Structure: (How leadership is organized; e.g., Monarchical, Democratic, Military Junta, etc.)
Goals and Objectives:
- Short-term Goals: (Immediate aims; e.g., securing a trade route, defeating an enemy, etc.)
- Long-term Goals: (Broad vision; e.g., territorial expansion, establishing a cultural hegemony, etc.)
- Motivations: (Ideological, economic, religious, etc.)
Relationships with Other Factions:
- Allies: (Names and descriptions)
- Enemies: (Names and descriptions)
- Neutral Parties: (Names and descriptions)
Cultural Traits and Values:
- Core Values: (Honor, wealth, secrecy, etc.)
- Traditions and Customs: (Unique cultural practices)
- Common Attitudes: (How they view themselves and others)
Military Capability:
- Strength: (Number of troops, types of units)
- Specialty: (Naval power, siege warfare, guerrilla tactics, etc.)
- Key Assets: (Fleets, castles, magical items, etc.)
Economic Profile:
- Primary Industries: (Agriculture, mining, trade, etc.)
- Wealth: (Rich, moderate, poor)
- Key Resources: (Metals, gems, magical items, etc.)
History and Major Events:
- Founding: (Origin story)
- Major Events: (Wars, alliances, disasters, etc.)
Unique Features:
- Special Technologies or Magic: (Essentia-based items, innovative tools, etc.)
- Notable Members: (Heroes, notorious figures, etc.)

Character-Faction Relationship Framework

For each character, include an entry detailing their relationship with various factions:

Character Name: [Character Name]

Faction Relationship - Faction Name:
- Strength: [-10 to 10]
- Nature of Relationship: (Loyalty, animosity, neutrality)

For example:

Character Name: Tiberius

Faction Relationship - The Ironclad Brotherhood:
- Strength: 8
- Nature of Relationship: Loyal veteran member.

Workflow Integration

Generate Faction Description:Use the Faction Framework to thoroughly describe each faction. This includes creating entries for each section from the framework. For instance, you would have an entry in a document or database like:

Faction: The Ironclad Brotherhood

Type: Mercenary Guild Size: Medium Base of Operations: Rockfort Keep Primary Race: Humans Secondary Races: None

Leadership and Hierarchy

Leader: Commander Brutus Ironhand Hierarchy Structure: Military Junta

Associate Characters with Factions:For each character, specify their relationships with relevant factions as per the Character-Faction Relationship Framework. For example:

Character: Tiberius

Faction Relationship - The Ironclad Brotherhood:

Strength: 8

Nature of Relationship: Loyal veteran member.

Faction Relationship - The Scarlet Syndicate:

Strength: -5

Nature of Relationship: Animosity due to past betrayal.

Consistent Updates and Cross-references:Maintain and update faction entries and character-faction relationships as the story progresses. This will help ensure consistency.
Use the Framework in Plotting and Prose:When drafting plots or scenes, refer to the Faction Framework to ensure the portrayal of factions aligns with their established description. When writing character interactions, refer to their faction relationship scores to guide their behavior and dialogue.

Example Application

If you are writing a scene where Tiberius encounters a member of the Scarlet Syndicate, you could reference their faction relationship score to frame the nature of the encounter:

Tiberius' loyalty to the Ironclad Brotherhood ran deep, bolstered by his camaraderie with Commander Brutus Ironhand. However, the sight of the scarlet insignia on the approaching figure boiled his blood. A score of -5 with the Scarlet Syndicate meant he would rather see them obliterated than parley with their kind, especially after the betrayal that cost him so much.

This approach should ensure verisimilitude and internal consistency across your narrative, while making your worldbuilding process more efficient and structured.

This response from the AI highlights the potential problem of the framework and system provoking video game-like output from AI writing assistants. It is worth noting the otherwise high-quality logical solutions for faction generation and description, however.

I explained the issue to the AI and asked for a solution:

This sounds close to what I need, however, it is vital that the LLM not disclose any faction strength number or any other such information directly. Faction relationships are only an internal administrative tool to help understand and track these features. What changes can we make, or what can I do to improve the workflow so that the LLM never thinks it is permissible to overtly describe faction-relationships in these terms?

Dev Editor Suggests a Solution (click to toggle open/closed)

To ensure that the LLM never explicitly discloses the faction relationship scores, you'll need to establish a workflow that firmly separates internal administrative information from the narrative content. Here are the key changes and strategies to implement:

Workflow Changes

Internal Documentation:
- Create separate internal documents or databases to log detailed faction descriptions and character-faction relationships, including the numerical scores.
- Ensure that this internal documentation is easily accessible to you but never included in the actual narrative text you input into or ask the LLM to generate.
Narrative Prompts:
- When you prompt the LLM to generate text, focus on descriptive and situational prompts. Avoid direct reference to internal metrics like faction scores.
- Use the relationship scores internally to guide your prompts, framing them based on the character's established loyalties and attitudes without ever mentioning the scores directly.

Example Workflow

Internal Documentation Example:

Faction: The Ironclad Brotherhood

Type: Mercenary Guild Size: Medium Base of Operations: Rockfort Keep Primary Race: Humans Secondary Races: None Leadership:

Leader: Commander Brutus Ironhand

Hierarchy Structure: Military Junta Goals and Objectives:

Short-term: Secure new contracts to bolster wealth.

Long-term: Establish Ironclad dominance in mercenary works on The Island.Relationships:

Allies: The Hammer Guild

Enemies: The Scarlet Syndicate

Neutrals: The Wandering MinstrelsCultural Traits and Values:

Core Values: Loyalty, Honor in Combat, Brotherhood.

Traditions: Ritualistic oath ceremonies for new members.

Attitudes: Proud and resilient, skeptical of outsiders.

Character-Faction Relationships:

Character: Tiberius

Faction Relationships:

The Ironclad Brotherhood: 8 (Loyal veteran member)

The Scarlet Syndicate: -5 (Animosity due to past betrayal)

Prompting the LLM:Based on the internal information, craft your prompts carefully:

Prompt Example: Tiberius encounters a member of the Scarlet Syndicate, whom he deeply distrusts due to a past betrayal. Describe his initial reaction and interaction.

When the LLM generates responses based on this prompt, it will avoid numerical references while reflecting the character's loyalty and hostility.

Using Descriptions Instead of Scores:Internally, you know that Tiberius has a +8 loyalty to The Ironclad Brotherhood and a -5 animosity towards The Scarlet Syndicate. In your prompts and final prose, translate these scores into descriptive terms:
- High Positive Scores (7-10): Use words like "fiercely loyal," "deep trust," "unwavering devotion."
- Moderate Positive Scores (3-6): Use words like "firm ally," "reliable," "generally supportive."
- Neutral (0): Use words like "neutral," "indifferent," "no strong feelings."
- Moderate Negative Scores (-3 to -6): Use words like "wary," "distrustful," "strained relations."
- High Negative Scores (-7 to -10): Use words like "bitter animosity," "hostile," "enemy."

Example Implementation

Internal Relationship Score:

Tiberius and The Ironclad Brotherhood: 8
Tiberius and The Scarlet Syndicate: -5

Informing the Narrative:

Prompt:

Tiberius, a fiercely loyal member of The Ironclad Brotherhood, encounters a known member of The Scarlet Syndicate in a crowded tavern. He cannot suppress his deep-seated distrust and resentment as he recalls their past betrayal. Describe his initial reaction and the tension in their interaction.

Generated Text:

Tiberius' eyes narrowed the moment he spotted the Scarlet Syndicate's insignia gleaming on the man's cloak. Memories of betrayal and bloodshed surged through his mind, and his grip tightened instinctively around the hilt of his sword. He stood rigid, every muscle tensing as if ready to strike. The room seemed to shrink, the clamor of the tavern fading into a dull roar as his focus zeroed in on his enemy. The man looked up, meeting Tiberius' glare, and the air between them crackled with unspoken animosity.

By keeping numerical scores confined to internal notes and translating those into descriptive language, you can manage character-faction relationships effectively without risking overt disclosure in your prose. This approach ensures your story maintains its immersive and nuanced quality while preserving consistency and depth.

The Dev Editor grasped the problem and suggested a good solution, but without knowing about NovelCrafter or how it looks and works, the AI suggestions require some interpretation to implement.

There are many ways I can potentially record faction strength numbers, but the three most practical are:

Record the faction strength value in the character Codex entry, but wrap it in warnings for the LLM to never directly quote it.
Record the value in the Notes tab of the codex entry (I chose this option).
Create yet another separate Codex entry for every character specifically to record faction strength numbers, but don't connect it to anything.

The development of the framework and the workflow went pretty smoothly, but before calling it a complete success, I spotted one possible improvement, so I engaged with the Dev Editor AI once more:

Great! It is also important that the main purpose of the faction framework and workflow remain central. That main purpose is to enrich the character-driven stories and create opportunities for conflict, tension, and resolution, when the story needs it.

Do you have any tips to help with this, in context of the updated framework and workflow?

The Dev Editor's Solution to Help Factions Enrich Stories (click to toggle open/closed)

Absolutely! To ensure that the faction framework and workflow effectively enrich character-driven stories and create compelling opportunities for conflict, tension, and resolution, here are some strategic tips:

Tips for Enriching Character-Driven Stories

Example Integration

Internal Documentation Example:

Faction: The Scarlet Syndicate

Type: Criminal Organization
Size: Small
Base of Operations: Underworld of Wyvern Ridge
Primary Race: Mixed
Leadership:
- Leader: Vesper the Vile
- Hierarchy Structure: Autocratic
Goals and Objectives:
- Short-term Goals: Expand control over black market trades.
- Long-term Goals: Overthrow the ruling council of Wyvern Ridge.
- Motivations: Power, Wealth
Relationships:
- Allies: The Shadow Cartel
- Enemies: The Ironclad Brotherhood, The Wyvern Ridge Council

Character-Faction Relationships:

Tiberius

The Ironclad Brotherhood: 8 (Fiercely loyal veteran)
The Scarlet Syndicate: -5 (Deep-seated animosity)

Vesper the Vile

The Scarlet Syndicate: 10 (Absolute ruler)
The Ironclad Brotherhood: -7 (Aggressive enemy)

Narrative Construction Example:

Prompt:

Tiberius, loyal to The Ironclad Brotherhood and harboring a deep-seated animosity for The Scarlet Syndicate, is tasked with thwarting a rumored Syndicate plot to assassinate a Wyvern Ridge Council member. He must infiltrate a Syndicate-controlled area to gather intelligence. Describe the obstacles he encounters and his internal struggle with anger and distrust.

Generated Text:

The shadows in the back alleys of Wyvern Ridge seemed thicker, more oppressive, as Tiberius made his way through the Syndicate's stronghold. His grip tightened on his concealed dagger, each step a struggle to suppress the burning desire for vengeance that churned within him. The Scarlet Syndicate's symbol, a blood-red serpent, marked the walls and doorways, a constant reminder of every betrayal he'd suffered at their hands.

As he slipped into a crowded tavern, the hub of illicit activity, he scanned the room cautiously. Syndicate enforcers lounged around, their eyes sharp and suspicious. Tiberius knew he had to keep his anger in check; one wrong move, one aggressive glance, and his mission would turn into a bloodbath. Yet, every fiber of his being screamed to lash out, to settle old scores.

His heart pounded as he approached the bar, his voice steady as he inquired about a meeting with Vesper the Vile. The bartender's scrutinizing gaze lingered on him, and for a moment, he wondered if his cover had been blown. But then, a nod from an unseen figure in the shadows granted him passage.

Navigating the underworld corridors, Tiberius could feel the weight of his task pressing down on him. The tension gnawed at his resolve, his loyalty to The Ironclad Brotherhood fueling his determination, even as the memories of past betrayals by the Syndicate fanned the flames of his hatred.

Key Points for Effective Use:

Humanize Conflicts: Always frame conflicts in terms of their impact on the characters. Describe how faction loyalties and rivalries affect the characters' thoughts, choices, and emotions.
Evolving Relationships: Show growth or decay in relationships through the story's events. For instance, a character might start with a neutral relationship with a faction, but events cause it to become highly antagonistic or loyal.
Conflict Variety: Use a variety of conflicts, from overt battles to subtle manipulations, to keep the narrative engaging and demonstrate the complexity of faction interactions.

By focusing on these elements, you can ensure that your faction framework not only tracks relationships effectively but also enhances the richness and dynamism of your character-driven stories.

My final workflow for this project for detailing factions goes like this:

Define a faction entry in the Codex using the framework (shown below, after the basic prompt).
For each character with a relevant relationship to the faction, add a note with the faction name and strength number that makes sense for the character; use the note tab to record the faction name and numeric component.
In prose form enter the character's faction relationship in the main character description where the LLMs can see it. It's easy to get the Dev Editor AI to help with this.
For any completed prose scene where a character or faction, or both change, consider whether the faction relationship for each such character would change, and how. Then make the relevant changes on the Codex entries for the character on both the main description and Notes tab.

Remember that each Codex entry has an Appearances tab, so to see which character Codex entries include mentions of a faction, check the Appearances tab of the Faction Codex entry.

Basic Prompt to Generate a Faction

Here is a basic prompt to use if you've been following along and want to generate factions of your own for your projects. Modify this to guide what specific type of faction you need and make sure to give the AI appropriate context from your Codex.

Note that this requires a codex entry called "Faction Framework" that contains the framework:

Generate a new faction based on the Faction Framework. Ensure the faction has a unique and cohesive identity, and that all areas of the framework are completed.

Faction Framework

Here is the faction framework I'm using now. I just placed it in a Codex entry since I'll refer to it often in prompts:

Faction Framework (click to toggle open/closed)

Faction Name: [Faction Name]
Type: (City-state, Guild, Alliance, Tribe, etc.)
Size: (Small, Medium, Large)
Base of Operations: (Location)
Primary Race: (Humans, Elves, Dwarves, etc.)
Secondary Races: (If any)

Leadership and Hierarchy:

Leader(s): (Names and titles)
Hierarchy Structure: (How leadership is organized; e.g., Monarchical, Democratic, Military Junta, etc.)

Goals and Objectives:

Short-term Goals: (Immediate aims; e.g., securing a trade route, defeating an enemy, etc.)
Long-term Goals: (Broad vision; e.g., territorial expansion, establishing a cultural hegemony, etc.)
Motivations: (Ideological, economic, religious, etc.)

Relationships with Other Factions:

Allies: (Names and descriptions)
Enemies: (Names and descriptions)
Neutral Parties: (Names and descriptions)

Cultural Traits and Values:

Core Values: (Honor, wealth, secrecy, etc.)
Traditions and Customs: (Unique cultural practices)
Common Attitudes: (How they view themselves and others)

Military Capability:

Strength: (Number of troops, types of units)
Specialty: (Naval power, siege warfare, guerrilla tactics, etc.)
Key Assets: (Fleets, castles, magical items, etc.)

Economic Profile:

Primary Industries: (Agriculture, mining, trade, etc.)
Wealth: (Rich, moderate, poor)
Key Resources: (Metals, gems, magical items, etc.)

History and Major Events:

Founding: (Origin story)
Major Events: (Wars, alliances, disasters, etc.)

Unique Features:

Special Technologies or Magic: (Essentia-based items, innovative tools, etc.)
Notable Members: (Heroes, notorious figures, etc.)

Example Faction:

Faction Name: The Verdant Wilds Society

Type: Eco-Guild

Size: Medium

Base of Operations: Deep within the Viridian Forest

Primary Race: Elves

Secondary Races: None

Leadership and Hierarchy:

Leader: High Druid Laurelin
Hierarchy Structure: Council of Elders

Goals and Objectives:

Short-term Goals: Fund and conduct expeditions to restore deforested areas.
Long-term Goals: Achieve complete ecological harmony across The Island.
Motivations: Environmental preservation, balance with nature.

Relationships with Other Factions:

Allies: Southern alliance (shared environmental interests)
Enemies: The Ironclad Brotherhood (due to industrial expansion)
Neutral Parties: Wyvern Ridge Council

Cultural Traits and Values:

Core Values: Nature preservation, balance, sustainability.
Traditions and Customs: Seasonal festivals honoring nature spirits.
Common Attitudes: Protective of nature, suspicious of industrialization.

Military Capability:

Strength: Moderately sized, highly skilled ranger units.
Specialty: Guerrilla tactics, nature-based defenses.
Key Assets: Enchanted forest groves, guardian trees.

Economic Profile:

Primary Industries: Herbalism, eco-tourism, artisanal crafting.
Wealth: Moderate
Key Resources: Rare herbs, enchanted woods.

History and Major Events:

Founding: Established by Elenion the Wise, originally as a druidic order.
Major Events: The Forest Renewal Project, conflict with dwarven miners.

Unique Features:

Special Technologies or Magic: Essentia-infused growth accelerators for plants.
Notable Members: Faelar the Silent, a mythical hero famed for his animal communication abilities.

Prompt to Update a Character Codex Entry

I use this basic prompt to ask an LLM to update a character description so that the faction strength can be understood clearly, but without providing the "score" kept hidden from the LLM on the Notes tab.

For (Character Sheet) I enter the exact name of the Character's Codex entry for the LLM to review the current character description.

For {Faction Name} I enter the exact name of the Faction's Codex entry.

For {Faction Description} I just enter the Faction Codex entry's name again so the LLM knows to look there for the description.

For {Relationship Strength Value} I just enter the number stored on the character's Notes tab, or create a number to express the relative strength value, if this relationship is new.

The prompt will lead the LLM to output the entire new modified version of the character description, but I usually only need the factions section to copy over and make the update.

I like to use Claude Sonnet for this task since it handles expressing the relationship indicated by the numeric value pretty well, but most LLMs can handle this unless the faction entry or the character entry are very large.

Update a Character Description With Faction Info (click to toggle open/closed)

Using the following data, generate short, descriptive prose that updates a character sheet with the character's relationship to a given faction. Do not disclose the numerical relationship "strength" value directly. Instead, use it to inform the tone and nature of the character's relationship with the faction.

Character Sheet:

{Character Sheet}

Faction Name: {Faction Name}

Faction Description: {Faction Description}

Relationship Strength Value: {Relationship Strength Value}

Instructions:

1. Relationship Strength Guide:
  - Use positive descriptors for relationship strength values from 1 to 10.
  - Use neutral or indifferent descriptors for a value of 0.
  - Use negative descriptors for values from -1 to -10.
2. Prose Examples Based on Relationship Strength:
  - Positive (1-10): Loyal ally, strong supporter, deeply trusted member, etc.
  - Neutral (0): Neutral, no strong feelings, indifferent, etc.
  - Negative (-1 to -10): Distrustful, strong animosity, bitter enemy, etc.

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Part 4

Part 6