How to Play Storymatic

The basics of The Storymatic are really easy.

Draw two gold cards and combine what they say to get a main character. For example, if you draw "boxer" and "person with a devastating secret," then your character is a boxer with a secret.

Next, draw two copper cards. Let the situations, objects, places, and complications you'll find start leading you into a story.

Suppose you draw "locked door" and "sudden return of forgotten memory." There's a story in those cards! There are, however, two rules that should always be followed: Your characters should change from the beginning of the story to the end, and Do Not Kill Your Character.

The first rule exists because in a story, the main character always changes in some way. It doesn't have to be an outward change; nor does it need to be a 180-degree shift in personality, belief system, or moral code. The change can be subtle. But it should be there. 

The second rule exists because it's tempting to kill off a character when you don't know what else to do. Keeping your character alive can sometimes be hard– but it's also what makes things interesting. The two rules help you create conflicts, invent solutions, and avoid easy endings. 

It's okay to sometimes break the rules. But only break them for the sake of the story. 

This How To video from Nicole Rivera gives a detailed description of Storymatic and Rememory. Nicole is the founder of Stop Writing Alone, which hosts regular meetings of writers and readers. Follow her for prompts and community!