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CogniGuide

Story Mind Map for Plot and Characters

See how a story breaks into characters, setting, plot and theme. CogniGuide can build the same map from your own story notes or document.

No credit card required

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Trusted by learners from top universities

University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of MichiganGeorgetown UniversityUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

CogniGuide at a glance

What you get
Interactive mind maps of the main ideas and how they connect. Free: overview maps (detailed maps on your first 3 creations). Plus: detailed maps with supporting concepts.
Exports
Your first PDF or PNG export is free; Plus exports anytime.
Price
Free plan: 5 creations a week, up to 3 a day. Plus: $9.99/month or $99.90/year (USD; local prices at checkout).
Sign-up
A free account is required before you create anything (Google or email). No credit card.
What you can upload
PDF, Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), plain text or Markdown, and images (PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF), or type a topic. One file per creation on the free plan; several at once on Plus.

How it compares: vs Knowt · vs Quizlet · vs NotebookLM · vs Mapify

What Your Story Map Includes

Turn your draft, notes or outline into a branching map you can expand and revise.

Build from your own draft

Upload a Word, PDF, text or Markdown file of your story, or type the premise, and the AI maps it out.

Organized by story elements

Branches cover characters, setting, conflict, plot points and theme so gaps are easy to spot.

Expand, edit and test yourself

Grow any branch with AI, export as PNG or PDF, share a link, or turn the map into a quiz.

How to Make a Story Mind Map

Start from a draft, a premise or a few notes. The map builds in moments.

  1. 1

    Add your story

    Upload your draft or notes, or type a one-line premise.

  2. 2

    AI builds the map

    The story splits into characters, setting, plot and theme branches.

  3. 3

    Revise and export

    Expand weak branches, edit nodes, then export or share the map.

Using a Story Mind Map for Writing

A story mind map is a visual plan that shows how a narrative fits together. Its central node is the premise, and the main branches are characters, setting, conflict, plot structure and theme. Each branch then splits into details such as motivations, places, turning points and symbols. Seeing these links at once makes it easier to find loose threads and missing scenes before you draft.

  • Characters: protagonist, antagonist, supporting roles, motivations
  • Setting: time, place, social context, mood
  • Conflict: external obstacles and internal struggles
  • Plot structure: inciting incident, rising action, climax, resolution
  • Theme: central idea and the images that carry it

Use the map to plan scenes, check pacing or revise a draft. Generate your own story map with CogniGuide from your notes or document to start faster.

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Story Mind Map Questions

Common questions about mapping a story and building one with CogniGuide.

What should a story mind map include?

Most story maps include characters, setting, conflict, plot structure and theme. Each main branch can hold smaller details like motivations, locations, turning points and recurring images.

How is a story map different from an outline?

An outline runs in a single linear order. A story map shows how characters, events and themes connect, so you can see relationships and gaps at a glance.

Can CogniGuide make a story map from my draft?

Yes. Upload a PDF, Word, PowerPoint, text or Markdown file, or type a premise, and the AI builds an expandable mind map from it.

Is the story map generator free to use?

There is a free plan with 5 creations a week and no payment needed. Paid plans raise those limits.