Modeling Narrative Conflict to Generate Interesting Stories

Abstract

From subtle political intrigue to outright physical combat, conflict is essential to interesting stories. Narratology research emphasizes that conflict provides structure and engagement, so narrative systems stand to benefit greatly from a computational model of this phenomenon. We present such a model based on AI planing, along with formulas for measuring seven essential properties: participants, subject, duration, directness, intensity, balance, and resolution. We also sketch an algorithm which uses this model to create stories structured around a central struggle.