Phase 1 — The Baseline
The Baseline — The Negative Levels
Before the story moves forward, the protagonist is already off balance.
They’re not at zero.
They’re operating at a negative emotional level — surviving, coping, avoiding.
The Baseline isn’t neutral.
It’s unstable.
We map this instability using three negative levels that quietly set up the entire story.
What the Negative Levels Are
These levels describe the protagonist before change is forced.
They move downward, not upward:
Level -3 → Emotional illusion
Level -2 → Flawed action
Level -1 → Theme whispered
Each level uses the Core Story Engine, but in a muted, pre-story form.
Nothing explodes yet — but everything is already wrong.
LEVEL -3 — The Opening Image
(Emotional Illusion)
[Baseline → Crisis & Contemplation (quiet version)]
What This Is
This is the first contact between the audience and the protagonist.
Not who they truly are —
but who they believe themselves to be.
This moment establishes the emotional illusion they are clinging to.
What the Opening Image Does
Introduces the protagonist before the story begins
Shows a version of stability that is quietly false
Hints at an unresolved inner conflict
This image should feel calm, but slightly wrong.
Questions the Author Must Answer
What emotional lie is the protagonist still clinging to?
What decision are they avoiding?
Does this opening moment quietly connect to the inner conflict they haven’t faced yet?
👉 The audience doesn’t need answers yet.
They just need to feel the tension..
LEVEL -2 — Flawed Action
(False Solution)
[Baseline → Release (misguided version)]
What This Is
This is how the protagonist keeps their life running.
They are active — but in the wrong direction.
This is “what they think will fix things.”
Where We See It
You can reveal flawed action through:
At Home
How they connect—or fail to—with people closest to them
At Work
How they navigate ambition, hierarchy, or self-worth
In Their Free Time
How they escape, perform, zone out, or pretend everything is fine
Each space reveals a different version of the same flaw.
Status Quo Characters
These characters support the illusion:
Family
Friends
Colleagues
Rivals
Bosses
They don’t cause the problem — they normalize it.
Character Types
A-Story Characters
Connected to the external plot
B-Story Characters
Connected to the emotional journey
(Often introduced later, but their absence matters here)
Questions the Author Must Answer
Given the dilemma implied earlier, what choice is the protagonist making now?
Is that choice driven by fear, pride, denial, or another flaw?
What do they think this choice will solve?
How does this behavior show they haven’t understood the real problem yet?
Through home, work, or escape — how do we see that this life can’t keep running this way?
👉 The story hasn’t started — but the damage has.
LEVEL -1 — The Theme, Whispered
(Truth at the Wrong Time)
[Baseline → Aftermath (premature version)]
What This Is
The story’s truth appears early —
but too softly, and too soon.
It’s not announced.
It’s whispered.
How the Theme Appears
A side character delivers the theme indirectly:
A casual observation
A joke
A question
An offhand comment
It’s the right thing, said at the wrong time.
What Happens Next
The protagonist:
Hears it
Dismisses it
Or doesn’t fully register it
They are not ready.
They won’t change because of wisdom.
They’ll change later because of disruption, failure, and pain.
Questions the Author Must Answer
What consequences are already forming from the flawed choice?
How do those consequences begin to chip away at the protagonist’s reality?
Who delivers the theme — and why this character?
Why does the protagonist ignore it?
Is the message subtle enough to feel natural, but clear enough to echo later?
👉 When the theme returns later, it should hurt.
Why This Makes The Baseline Powerful
Most stories rush to the inciting incident.
This system ensures:
The disruption hits precisely where it hurts
The internal conflict is already loaded
The audience understands why change is painful
By the time The Disruption arrives, the protagonist:
Has been warned
Has avoided change
Has chosen comfort over truth
Now the story has teeth