The dictionary defines the word 'story' to mean the plot. In my work, I've adopted a fresher meaning. Plot is simply an account of people and objects, their interactions and motivations. Story is what makes it all glow. It's what the audience feels about the plot. It's when stories have purpose or change us.

The pull of a story is when we recognize something in the material that reflects or offends us. That's the trick it uses to grab our attention in an introspective way.

I believe role-playing is something we do quite naturally. Our ability to understand the self is rooted in our ability to imagine ourselves in imaginary situations, whether dreaming (sub-conscience), reliving memory (thought), or fantasizing (abstract thought). Else all we could ever report about ourselves would be the memories of what we have already done.

Situations (the elements of plot) are to storytelling the way scenes are to movies. They divide the plot cleanly, and when used as words and strung together, they communicate in a language heard by our emotions. When put together into a plot, a section for each situation should be filled out describing how the players should be feeling, both their moods and their emotions. Everything in the situation should be able to serve the story if the game master decides during the session that the entertainment the players are in the mood for is the one prescribed by the current situation. Else, he should move to a more appropriate situation as quickly as possible.

Each situation also has a section for plot direction. There should be a list of the prepared situations along with the generic situations: feeling, fighting, helping, talking, and solving. Under these five categories should be listed all the things that are possible if not planned for. If it's possible for players to pursue any of these, you should prepare a situation for it with a single exit possible, fail.