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Dictionary by pitch.dog
Seriality, engines & repeatability · Core

Narrative engine

Also called: story engine

ELI5

The process or pressure that drives story movement over time.

Used in conversation

“Can we make the narrative engine clearer in the next draft?”

Pitch context

You may encounter this in a series pitch, pilot process, writers' room or commissioning conversation.

Why it matters: Helps describe how a story works on the page and how its dramatic parts fit together.

Connected terms

  • Episode engineThe search label “Story engine” can route to both entries.
  • Story engineThe search label “Story engine” can route to both entries.
  • Series engineThe search label “Story engine” can route to both entries.
When the words have to travel

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Sources & evidence · 10

Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.