Writing and Organizing Scenes

The Scenes screen in the Mythic Apps is the hub of your adventure. It gives each chunk of play a clear container so you can track each phase of your adventure clearly.

Developing your scenes in the app

Scenes are the basic units of in‑game time that bring form and order to your story. Creating a Scene in the app locks in the context, sets the mechanical tempo (Chaos Factor), and gives you a focused place to write what happens.

1) Start the scene: expectations and Chaos

• First Scene: Your adventure starts with an opening scene that “gets the story rolling.” Play generally proceeds based on “Current Context”, a concept thoroughly explored in the book.
  • Inspired idea: Use your concept for the opener.
  • Random inspiration: There are many ways to start your first scene. Use Meaning Tables to generate an opening prompt (Action/Subject) or roll a full Random Event (Event Focus + Meaning) to spark your start.

Back in the Fate Chart

• After the first, every new scene begins as Expected — how you think things will play out. You can test that expectation with a Scene Check as desired.
• Tap the scene check button to roll a scene check automaticlaly. Expected means the scene goes forward as expected.
• If the scene is Altered — tweak location, activity, or an NPC; go with the next most expected outcome.
• If the scene is an Interrupt — your expectation is ignored and a twist occurs. Generate a Random Event. Use the Random Event button for this which will roll on your selected Event Focus table (change your Event Focus table in settings). Then roll on the meaning table of your choice from the slide out panel.

Tip

You can switch your home view between Fate Chart and Fate Check in Settings. Either way, scenes log the outcome (Expected/Altered/Interrupt) in your notes.

2) Define the scene: name and description

• Name: Give the scene a short title so you can find it later.

• Chaos Factor: Set CF on the scene to the current value when the scene begins (you’ll adjust it after the scene ends).

• Description (supports Markdown): Use headings, bullets, and bold to keep your notes structured and scannable.

  Tip

  You can pin and reorganize scenes in your scenes list. This is useful if you want to use scenes for metadata, character sheets, or keep certain key elements at the top of your scene list.

3) End the scene: resolution and bookkeeping

Scenes end when the main action resolves, or when the story’s structure naturally shifts (time, location, tone, or focus).

• When to transition:

  • Interest: the key point of interest is concluded
  • Time/Location: you jump time or move to a new place
  • Narrative shift: a dramatic reveal changes the focus
  • Mood: current events feel stale — energize with a fresh scene
  • Automatic Interrupt: stuck? Make the next one an Interrupt to force a Random Event

• End‑of‑scene bookkeeping:

  • Adjust CF: Were you mostly in control (progress) or out of control (setbacks)?
    • In control → CF − 1 (min 1)
    • Out of control → CF + 1 (max 9)
  • Update Lists (Characters/Threads/Features):
    • Add new important entries that emerged
    • Promote relevant items by adding an extra entry (up to three times total)
    • Remove items that are no longer relevant

App workflow tips

• Keep Scenes short and focused — it makes Fate results easier to interpret and logs easier to review
• Use Meaning Tables right from scene notes when your intuition stalls
• Adjust CF between scenes, not during; snapshot CF at the start of each scene
• Pair a portable notetaking pattern (bullets + sub‑bullets) with inline Fate outcomes for quick skim later

Many Pathways

Mythic is very flexible. There’s not a “wrong way” to play and many of the variations explored in the Magazines, Variations, the comumunity, and Tana’s blog clearly embody the spirit of play which is flexible and caters to your style. As you play, you will discover what works for you and what doesn’t.