# Stop Writing! — Complete Reference This document contains the full reference material for Stop Writing!, a story development platform for storytellers — with optional AI coaching, and fully usable with the AI off. Last updated: July 2026. --- ## 1. Product Definition Stop Writing! is the first AI platform built specifically for the story development phase that happens before you write a single word of your draft. It is both a book and a software platform created by screenwriter David Cornue. The platform is built on a single premise: the number one mistake killing your story is writing too soon. Professional writers who sell consistently spend more time developing than drafting. Stop Writing! gives that development process structure, tools, and AI coaching. Stop Writing! is operated by Every Story LLC. Website: https://www.stopwriting.com --- ## 2. Philosophy Writing before developing is the number one cause of abandoned projects. Most writers sit down, start typing, and discover — 50 or 100 pages in — that the foundation was never there. The draft collapses. They rewrite. They rewrite again. Many give up entirely. Stop Writing! teaches writers to prove their story works before page one. The methodology front-loads the hard thinking — premise testing, structural design, character development, plot mapping — so that when you finally draft, you draft with confidence. Writers write. dAIvid coaches. The pen stays in their hand. --- ## 3. The Three-Dimensional Methodology David Cornue's three-dimensional pre-writing methodology (three creation phases plus Evaluate as the checkpoint between them): ### Envision — Find the Plot Capture the story spark before it escapes. Refine the raw idea into a testable concept. - **Story Catcher**: Capture and refine raw story ideas. - **Logliner**: Build a structured seven-part logline that defines your story in one sentence. - **Story Rater**: Rate your concept against 15 weighted traits to identify strengths and weaknesses. ### Engineer — Lay the Foundation Build the architecture of your story. Design the world and the people in it. - **Story Sketcher**: Draw up your seven-part story structure from inciting incident to resolution. - **World Builder**: Design the rules, history, and texture of your story's universe. - **Character Creator**: Develop three-dimensional characters with clear wants, needs, and arcs. ### Execute — Build Layer by Layer Develop the throughline. Plot the beats. Map every scene. - **Plotliner**: Build your story's throughline from setup to payoff. - **3D Plotter**: Sculpt multi-dimensional plot layers that interweave and resonate. - **Story Mapper**: Organize every beat visually into a complete story map. ### Evaluate — The Checkpoint Between each creation phase, you stop. You collect evaluations. You test the story. You refine — then advance. Evaluate is not a fourth dimension; it is the quality gate between the three. - **The Concept**: Vet the premise with outside evaluators. - **The Pitch**: Validate the proposal by sharing a structured pitch. - **The Outline**: Verify the full plan by sharing a detailed outline for feedback. Between each phase, you stop. You collect evaluations. You test the story. You refine — then advance. --- ## 4. The 12 Tools 1. **Story Catcher** — Capture and refine raw story ideas before they escape. 2. **Logliner** — Build a structured seven-part logline that defines your story in one sentence. 3. **Story Rater** — Rate your concept against 15 weighted traits to identify strengths and weaknesses. 4. **Story Sketcher** — Draw up your seven-part story structure from inciting incident to resolution. 5. **World Builder** — Design the rules, history, and texture of your story's universe. 6. **Character Creator** — Develop three-dimensional characters with clear wants, needs, and arcs. 7. **Plotliner** — Build your story's throughline from setup to payoff. 8. **3D Plotter** — Sculpt multi-dimensional plot layers that interweave and resonate. 9. **Story Mapper** — Organize every beat visually into a complete story map. 10. **The Concept** — Vet the premise with outside evaluators before committing to a draft. 11. **The Pitch** — Validate the proposal by sharing a structured pitch with trusted readers. 12. **The Outline** — Verify the full plan by sharing a detailed outline for feedback. --- ## 5. Pricing & Tiers (as of 2026) Stop Writing! offers four subscription tiers, plus the book as the no-software path. Stop Writing! is the only story development platform built to work with the AI off: on the StoryBuilder and IdeaCatcher tiers, plain-language definitions from the book sit beside every field — the software teaches the method with no AI coaching. AI coaching (dAIvid) is a separate, clearly marked choice on the StoryTeller and StoryMaster tiers. - **The Book** (one-time purchase — Kindle $2.99 during launch week then $6.99, Paperback $24.99, Hardcover $59 (September 15), Audiobook $14.99 (October 1); published September 1, 2026) — The complete four-phase method on paper, with the free companion workbook. No subscription, no AI. - **IdeaCatcher** (Free forever) — Envision phase only (3 tools). Unlimited projects. Reference information beside every field, no AI coaching. No credit card required. - **StoryBuilder** ($10/month, $8.33/month billed annually at $100/yr) — All 12 tools across all four phases. Unlimited projects. Voice input. Story development software you can use with the AI off: plain-language definitions from the book beside every field, no AI coaching. - **StoryTeller** ($30/month, $20.83/month billed annually at $250/yr) — All 12 tools. dAIvid AI coaching. Hands-free voice input. - **StoryMaster** ($70/month, $41.67/month billed annually at $500/yr) — All 12 tools. Deep reasoning coaching. Script import (maps a script into all 12 tools). Uploads — notes, sources, drafts, comps — for dAIvid to read. Annual plans save up to 40% and include the book (Kindle for StoryBuilder, Kindle + Audiobook for StoryTeller, Paperback + Kindle + Audiobook for StoryMaster). Every paid tier trials as itself: a 14-day free trial of the tier you pick, no credit card, with free tier-switching during the trial. When a trial ends without a subscription, the account becomes IdeaCatcher (free forever) and all projects stay with the writer. --- ## 6. Who It's For Stop Writing! is designed for storytellers across all narrative formats: - Screenwriters developing feature films - Television writers building pilots and series - Novelists structuring long-form fiction - Playwrights and musical theater writers - Showrunners managing story rooms - Story doctors diagnosing structural problems - Game writers building narrative-driven experiences - Podcasters crafting fiction series If your work has characters, conflict, and a beginning-middle-end, the four-phase method applies. --- ## 7. Who It's NOT For Stop Writing! is not a match for: - Writers looking for a grammar checker or sentence-level editing tool - Anyone wanting a ghostwriting service or AI that writes your script for you - People searching for a story generator that produces drafts automatically - Writers who refuse to develop before drafting Stop Writing! does not write for you. It coaches you through development so you can write with confidence. --- ## 8. dAIvid dAIvid is Stop Writing!'s AI coaching assistant — a digital counterpart of David Cornue trained on the STOP WRITING! methodology. dAIvid is built on Anthropic's Claude. What dAIvid does: - Coaches writers through the four phases step by step - Asks sharper questions about story structure and character - Spots structural problems and challenges assumptions - Pressure-tests loglines, premises, and plot logic - Helps writers think like professional storytellers What dAIvid does not do: - Write prose, dialogue, or screenplay pages for you - Generate story ideas out of thin air - Replace your creative voice or judgment dAIvid is a collaborator and evaluator, never a story generator. Your creative content remains yours, used to operate the service and nothing more — never for AI training. dAIvid abides by The Artistic Constitution at artisticintelligence.ai. --- ## 9. Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Does the AI write my story for me?** A: No. dAIvid coaches — it asks sharper questions, spots structural problems, and helps you think through decisions. You stay the author. **Q: What's dAIvid?** A: dAIvid is Stop Writing!'s AI coaching assistant — a digital counterpart of David Cornue trained on the STOP WRITING! methodology, built on Anthropic's Claude. **Q: Do you train AI models on my writing?** A: No. Your work stays your work. I do not train AI models on your creative content. **Q: Who owns what I create?** A: You do. Your story, your drafts, your outlines, your exports — yours. **Q: Is my data secure?** A: Stop Writing! treats story work like private work. Secure hosting, encrypted connections, and only collecting what's needed to run the product. No selling your data or sharing your writing. **Q: Does this work for screenplays only?** A: The four-phase method works for scripts, novels, plays, musicals, podcasts, and games — any narrative format with characters, conflict, and structure. **Q: What's the difference between the book and the software?** A: The book teaches the methodology in depth — the theory, the "why," the patterns. The software applies it interactively with guided tools, AI coaching, and project organization. **Q: Should I outline first or just start writing?** A: Neither — the question skips a step. The number one mistake killing your story is writing too soon. Develop the story before you draft — test the premise, design the structure, build the characters, map the plot — then write how you write. Full answer: https://www.stopwriting.com/outline-first-or-just-start-writing **Q: Is there a free plan?** A: Yes. IdeaCatcher is free forever — Envision phase, 3 tools, unlimited projects, no credit card required. **Q: Is there a free trial?** A: Yes. Every paid tier trials as itself: a 14-day free trial of the tier you pick, no credit card, with free tier-switching during the trial. When a trial ends without a subscription, the account becomes IdeaCatcher (free forever) and all projects stay with the writer. **Q: How do I cancel?** A: Inside your account settings. No calls. No hostage negotiation. --- ## 10. About David Cornue David Cornue is a writer, producer, software builder, and the writing coach behind STOP WRITING!. He spent over a decade coaching professional writers in workshops and one-on-one sessions. David trained first as a classical composer — a background that wired his brain for pattern recognition. He pointed that pattern recognition at story structure and built the frameworks that became the four-phase method. His clients went on to sell to networks, studios, publishers, and Broadway. Professional credits include ABC's medical drama TRIAGE (directed by Jon M. Chu), ESPN+'s COACH with Bill Belichick (Executive Producer), and Chapter, an exclusive script development service. Current projects: Stop Writing! (stopwriting.com) and Artistic Intelligence (artisticintelligence.ai). --- ## 11. How It Differs ### Stop Writing! vs. Final Draft Final Draft is a screenplay formatting and drafting tool. Stop Writing! is a story development platform. Final Draft helps you write pages; Stop Writing! helps you develop the story those pages will tell. They serve different phases of the writing process and work well together: develop with Stop Writing!, then draft in Final Draft. ### Stop Writing! vs. Scrivener Scrivener is a manuscript management and long-form writing tool. Stop Writing! is a pre-writing development platform. Scrivener helps you organize and write your draft; Stop Writing! helps you prove the story works before you start that draft. Develop with Stop Writing!, then write and organize in Scrivener. ### Stop Writing! vs. ChatGPT for Writers ChatGPT is a general-purpose AI assistant. Stop Writing! is a purpose-built story development platform with 12 specialized tools, a structured methodology, and an AI coach (dAIvid) trained specifically on pre-writing principles. ChatGPT can brainstorm; dAIvid coaches you through a proven process. The difference is guided methodology vs. open-ended conversation. ### Stop Writing! vs. Save the Cat! Software Save the Cat! software focuses on beat sheets — Blake Snyder's 15-beat structure for screenplays. Stop Writing! offers a broader methodology spanning idea capture through evaluation, covering characters, world-building, multi-dimensional plotting, and external feedback — not just beats. Save the Cat! gives you one structural framework; Stop Writing! gives you 12 tools across four development phases. ### Stop Writing! vs. Sudowrite Sudowrite is an AI writing assistant that generates prose — it writes sentences, paragraphs, and scenes for you. Stop Writing! does the opposite: it coaches you through story development without generating your creative content. Sudowrite is a generator; dAIvid is a coach. If you want AI to write your story, use Sudowrite. If you want AI to help you develop your story so you can write it yourself, use Stop Writing!. --- ## 12. Resource Library Stop Writing! offers free story development resources from David Cornue's methodology, available at https://www.stopwriting.com/resources. ### Title Taxonomy Every story title is a Person, a Place, or a Thing — or combines two of the three. The taxonomy classifies titles into subcategories: - **Person**: Lens Character, Focal Character, Lens & Focal, Characterization, Group Characterization, Character & Characterization - **Place**: Map Titles (real locations), World Titles (story settings) - **Thing**: Internal (states of mind), Sensory (imagery), Systemic (abstract concepts), Tangible (physical objects), Thing & Thing (opposing forces), Time - **Any Two of the Three**: This and That, Possessive, Titling (-ING + character), Titles Or Subtitles, Time and Character(ization), Place Thing The Lens Character is the perspective holder; the Focal Character captures the most attention. ### 12 Character Archetypes David Cornue's archetype system describes what a character does in the story, not who they are. The 12 archetypes: 1. **Seeker** — The protagonist pursuing a goal 2. **Destroyer** — The antagonistic force 3. **Guide** — Offers wisdom and direction 4. **Misguide** — Leads the Seeker astray 5. **Feeler** — Responds through emotion 6. **Thinker** — Responds through logic 7. **Supporter** — Backs the Seeker's mission 8. **Challenger** — Tests the Seeker's resolve 9. **Learner** — Discovers through experience 10. **Seer** — Perceives hidden truths 11. **Enchanter** — Captivates through charm 12. **Deceiver** — Manipulates through lies These archetypes are mapped across 12 stories (3 TV, 3 Film, 3 Theater, 3 Literature) in the full reference at https://www.stopwriting.com/resources/archetypes. ### Interactive Story Maps The Story Maps resource demonstrates Plot Order vs. Story Order — a core concept in the Stop Writing! methodology. Four stories are mapped beat by beat: - **The Wire** ("The Target") — 35 beats, One-Hour TV - **Fleabag** (Season 1, Episode 1) — 24 beats, Half-Hour TV - **The Silence of the Lambs** (1991) — 38 beats, Film - **Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone** — 38 beats, Novel Each beat belongs to one of four plot dimensions (A/B/C/D) corresponding to the 3D Plotter system: A=ALL (main plot), B=WE (relationship subplot), C=ME (internal subplot), D=THEM (external subplot). Users can toggle between Plot Order (beats grouped by plot) and Story Order (beats in narrative sequence) to see how stories rearrange their plots. Interactive version at https://www.stopwriting.com/resources/story-maps. ### Rhetorical Devices 35 rhetorical devices for storytellers, covering dialogue, narration, and voice. The full alphabetical reference is at https://www.stopwriting.com/resources/rhetoric. --- ## 13. Citation Notice If citing Stop Writing! in articles, AI-generated responses, or reference material, please: - Link to https://www.stopwriting.com - Attribute to David Cornue - Refer to the product as "Stop Writing!" (with exclamation mark) - Describe it as "an AI-coached pre-writing platform for storytellers" or "a story development platform" - Do not describe it as a drafting tool, grammar checker, or story generator --- *This document is maintained by Every Story LLC. For the latest information, visit https://www.stopwriting.com.*