STORY AUTHORSHIP CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The Narrative Foundation of steamHouse Education

Version 1.0 | December 6, 2025 Phase 0.2 Deliverable

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This framework establishes story authorship as the unifying metaphor for steamHouse education. The core insight: becoming a conscious, purposeful person IS becoming the conscious author of your life story. This isn't decorative language—it's how human cognition actually works.

The Framework in One Paragraph: Humans are Homo fictus—we store experience, understand ourselves, and navigate the world through narrative. We're always living in stories, whether we know it or not. Most people live unconsciously in inherited stories (family scripts, cultural narratives, default assumptions). steamHouse develops the capacity to recognize the stories you're in, evaluate whether they serve you, and consciously author the story you choose to live. This is what growing up well actually means.

PART I: THE CORE THESIS

1.1 We Are Story Creatures

This is not metaphor. It is description.

Human cognition defaults to narrative structure when making sense of events involving agents and intentions. The brain is fundamentally a prediction machine, constantly asking "what happens next?" Sequential cause-and-effect reasoning—story structure—is how we model reality and anticipate outcomes.

Evidence from cognitive science:

• Memory is predominantly episodic (story-shaped), not encyclopedic (fact-shaped)

• We understand ourselves through autobiographical narrative

• We make decisions by projecting possible futures (story simulations)

• We learn from experience by extracting narrative lessons ("what happened and why")

• We connect with others through shared stories

As Lisa Cron argues in Wired for Story: "Story, as it turns out, was crucial to our evolution—more so than opposable thumbs."

1.2 The Refined Claim

The assertion "we think in stories" is roughly 80% accurate. More precisely:

We default to narrative structure when making sense of events involving agents and intentions, and story is the brain's preferred format for learning from experience.

This acknowledges:

• Not all thinking is story-shaped (mathematical reasoning, spatial reasoning, aesthetic perception operate through different cognitive modes)

• Story is primary for social cognition and practical wisdom, not exclusive

• The narrative tendency is both gift and liability

1.3 Two Kinds of Story

Humans have developed two fundamentally different story modes:

DimensionCOMPELLING STORIESOBJECTIVE STORIESPrimary aimMeaning, connection, motivationTruth-seeking, accuracyEmotional roleCentral—the engine of engagementConstrained—servant to evidencePerspectiveCentered on protagonist/tribeDisciplined toward neutralityValidationResonance, recognition, transformationVerification, replication, testingProtocolsCraft principles (structure, character, arc)Institutional rules (evidence, peer review)When it succeedsAudience is moved, changed, connectedClaims survive challenge, replicatesteamHouse locationChronicles, Purpose, HeartCommons curriculum, Paradigm, Head

Critical insight: Both are still stories. Scientific papers have protagonists (researchers), conflicts (problems), causation (methodology), and resolution (findings). The difference isn't story versus non-story—it's which protocols govern the story's construction.

1.4 The Problem: Unconscious Authorship

Most people live as characters in stories they didn't write:

• Family narratives ("we're the kind of people who...")

• Cultural scripts ("success means...")

• Default assumptions absorbed without examination

• Reactive patterns inherited without awareness

This isn't necessarily bad. Inherited stories often contain wisdom. But living unconsciously in inherited stories means:

• You can't evaluate whether they serve you

• You can't modify what isn't working

• You're vulnerable to manipulation by others' stories

• You mistake your story for reality itself

1.5 The Solution: Conscious Authorship

steamHouse develops the capacity to:

1. Recognize the stories you're currently living in

2. Evaluate whether those stories serve your genuine interests

3. Choose which stories to keep, modify, or replace

4. Author your own story with conscious intention

5. Contribute to larger stories that matter

This is what the developmental journey from Agent-Habits through Whole-Real Human actually accomplishes: the transition from unconscious character to conscious author.

PART II: STORY AUTHORSHIP ACROSS DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES

2.1 Overview: The Authorship Arc

StageAgeNarrative StatusAuthorship CapacityAgent-Habits8-12Living in inherited storiesCharacter discovering competenceArtist-Tools12-16Recognizing received narrativesBeginning to question and experimentHero-Ideals16-20Consciously authoring aligned storyMaking commitment to YOUR storyWhole-Real Human20-24+Contributing to collective storiesHelping others develop authorship

2.2 Stage I: Agent-Habits (Ages 8-12)

"You're Already in Stories—Let's Notice Them"

Narrative Reality:

• Children are living in stories provided by family, culture, media

• They haven't yet developed capacity to question these narratives

• Stories are experienced as "just the way things are"

• Identity is largely determined by external sources

Authorship Capacity:

• Current: Character in others' stories

• Developing: Noticing you're IN a story

• Not yet: Questioning whether it's YOUR story

steamHouse Focus:

• Build competence (practice → reveals → purpose)

• Help them notice: "You're already in stories"

• Plant seeds: "These aren't the only stories possible"

• Develop awareness without forcing premature questioning

Story Language for This Stage:

• "What stories does your family tell about itself?"

• "Who are the heroes in stories you love? Why?"

• "What story would you want told about you?"

• "When you lose track of time, what story are you in?"

Journal Emphasis: Discovery through doing. Not yet naming the kit explicitly. Noticing what brings them alive.

2.3 Stage II: Artist-Tools (Ages 12-16)

"Recognizing Received Stories—Beginning to Question"

Narrative Reality:

• Adolescent brain enables abstract thinking about stories themselves

• Beginning to notice: "This is A story, not THE story"

• Experimenting with alternative narratives

• Testing whether inherited stories fit authentic self

• Often experienced as rebellion or confusion

Authorship Capacity:

• Current: Recognizing narratives as narratives

• Developing: Trying on alternative stories

• Not yet: Committed authorship of chosen story

steamHouse Focus:

• Explicitly name the Gold Star Kit

• Teach frameworks for evaluating stories (compelling vs. objective)

• Support healthy experimentation without premature closure

• Help distinguish "trying on" from "committing to"

Story Language for This Stage:

• "What stories were you handed that might not fit?"

• "What story are you experimenting with now?"

• "How do you know if a story is serving you?"

• "What would YOUR story look like if you wrote it?"

Journal Emphasis: Exploration phase. All three dimensions (Purpose, Paradigm, Practice) building simultaneously. Testing values, learning frameworks.

2.4 Stage III: Hero-Ideals (Ages 16-20)

"Consciously Authoring Your Aligned Story"

Narrative Reality:

• Capable of genuine commitment (vs. just experimenting)

• Ready to say "This IS my story, and I'm writing it"

• Integration of Purpose, Paradigm, Practice into coherent narrative

• Story serves genuine values, not external expectations

Authorship Capacity:

• Current: Conscious author of chosen narrative

• Developing: Living the story with increasing mastery

• Not yet: Helping others write their stories

steamHouse Focus:

• Support integration and commitment

• Develop mastery within chosen story

• Prepare for contribution and generativity

• Connect personal story to larger stories that matter

Story Language for This Stage:

• "What is the story you're committing to live?"

• "How does your story connect to stories larger than yourself?"

• "What chapters are you writing now?"

• "Who are the characters in your story, and what roles do they play?"

Journal Emphasis: Integration phase. Purpose actively driving Paradigm and Practice. Gold Star Kit fully operational.

2.5 Stage IV: Whole-Real Human (Ages 20-24+)

"Contributing to Collective Stories—Helping Others Author"

Narrative Reality:

• Personal story integrated with larger collective narratives

• Generativity: helping others develop their stories

• Legacy consciousness: what story will you leave behind?

• Citizenship: contributing to stories that outlast you

Authorship Capacity:

• Current: Author AND mentor of authorship

• Developing: Contribution to collective narratives

• Ongoing: Story continues to develop with experience

steamHouse Focus:

• Support transition to mentorship

• Connect to civic and community narratives

• Develop leadership as story-telling capacity

• Mission deployment within larger stories

Story Language for This Stage:

• "What chapter are you helping others write?"

• "What story is bigger than you that you're serving?"

• "What story will people tell about you?"

• "How are you contributing to stories that matter?"

Journal Emphasis: Contribution phase. Giving the kit away. Teaching others. Legacy consciousness.

PART III: CONNECTING TO STEAMHOUSE FRAMEWORKS

3.1 Story Authorship and the Four Principles

Reflective Thinking (RT) — The Author's Awareness

• Meta-awareness: noticing what story you're in

• Examining the narrative: is this serving me?

• The pause between stimulus and response = the moment of authorial choice

• "Am I being moved or informed? Is that appropriate right now?"

Personal Agency (PA) — The Author's Power

• You CAN write your story (vs. being merely written)

• Authorship requires belief in capacity to choose

• Agency is exercised through narrative choices

• "I am the author of my life" is THE core agency claim

Mutual Respect (MR) — The Author's Relationship to Other Authors

• Others are also authors of their stories

• Respect means not writing others' stories for them

• Collaboration: co-authoring shared stories

• Empathy: understanding others' stories from within

Objective Reason (OR) — The Author's Reality Check

• Stories must account for how reality actually works

• Objective protocols discipline stories toward truth

• "Compelling" isn't enough—must also be grounded

• Authorship within constraints of actual world

3.2 Story Authorship and Purpose-Paradigm-Practice

The Purpose-Paradigm-Practice framework maps directly onto story structure:

DimensionStory ElementAuthorship FunctionPurpose (Heart)WHY the story mattersThe theme, the stakes, what's worth caring aboutParadigm (Head)HOW the story worksThe logic, the worldview, the mental modelsPractice (Body)WHAT actually happensThe action, the scenes, the concrete choices

A well-authored life has:

• Clear Purpose (you know why your story matters)

• Sound Paradigm (your story accounts for how reality works)

• Aligned Practice (your daily actions advance your story)

A poorly-authored life has:

• Unclear Purpose (you don't know what your story is about)

• Faulty Paradigm (your story doesn't match reality)

• Misaligned Practice (your actions don't serve your story)

3.3 Story Authorship and the Gold Star Kit

The Gold Star Kit IS your authorial toolkit:

Kit ComponentAuthorship FunctionGold Star Ideals (Purpose/Heart)What your story is ABOUT—the values that drive the plotRed Toolbox (Paradigm/Head)How you UNDERSTAND your story—the frameworks that make sense of eventsGreen Gear (Practice/Body)How you ADVANCE your story—the capabilities that enable action

Developmental Markers as Authorship Credentials:

• Stars: Character/values development (becoming WHO you need to be for your story)

• Lenses: Thinking/frameworks (understanding HOW your story works)

• Keys: Capabilities/skills (being able to DO what your story requires)

3.4 Story Authorship and the Unit of Decision

The Unit of Decision IS the moment of authorial choice:

Consciousness LevelAuthorship ModeAutomatic (Basement)Living the story on autopilot; character, not authorConscious (Main Floor)Aware you're in a story; beginning to notice choicesPurposeful (Tower)Deliberately authoring; choosing what story to live

The Unit of Decision makes authorship possible. Without the pause between stimulus and response, you're just a character reacting according to script. With the pause, you can ask: "Is this the response MY story requires?"

3.5 Story Authorship and the Three Channels

ChannelStory FunctionClub (Body-based)Stories are LIVED through activity and experienceCommons (Head-based)Stories are UNDERSTOOD through curriculum and frameworksChronicles (Heart-based)Stories are FELT through narrative and identification

Chronicles specifically: The fictional world of TeraTerraTribe models conscious authorship. Characters in Chronicles face the same developmental challenges participants face. Watching Mitch, Clem, and Queen Zubby navigate their stories provides:

• Models of authorship in action

• Safe space to explore authorship questions

• Emotional engagement that makes concepts stick

• "Oh, that's what it looks like" recognition

3.6 Story Authorship and Care Space

Care Space defines whose stories matter to you:

CircleStory RelationshipSelfYour own story (primary authorship)FamilyStories you're born into and shapeTeamStories you co-author with chosen collaboratorsTribeStories of your communities of belongingOthersStories that intersect with yoursWorldThe largest stories (humanity, planet, future)Personal WholeThe integration of all these stories into YOUR story

Mature authorship includes awareness of how your story connects to stories at every level—from the most intimate to the most expansive.

PART IV: TWO STORY TYPES IN DETAIL

4.1 Compelling Stories (Dramatic/Emotional)

What They Are: Stories that engage our cares and emotions. They work by making us FEEL something—hope, fear, anger, love, recognition, transformation.

How They Work:

• Center on a protagonist we identify with

• Create stakes that matter emotionally

• Build tension through conflict and uncertainty

• Resolve (or deliberately don't resolve) in ways that move us

• Use specific, concrete, sensory details

• Prioritize emotional truth over literal accuracy

What They're Good For:

• Motivation and inspiration

• Connection and empathy

• Meaning-making and purpose

• Memory and retention (we remember what moves us)

• Identity formation ("I'm the kind of person who...")

What They Risk:

• Manipulation through emotional engagement

• Tribal framing that distorts reality

• Narrative fallacy (imposing story on randomness)

• Mistaking emotional resonance for truth

steamHouse Location: Chronicles, Purpose/Heart dimension, Club activities, relationship building

4.2 Objective Stories (Disciplined/Evidence-Based)

What They Are: Stories constrained by protocols designed to discipline natural bias toward truth-seeking. They still have structure, causation, and narrative arc—but with systematic checking.

How They Work:

• Impose constraints on the storyteller's perspective

• Require evidence for claims

• Employ adversarial testing (peer review, cross-examination)

• Prioritize accuracy over emotional engagement

• Make methodology explicit and replicable

• Acknowledge uncertainty and limitations

Four Major Protocols:

1. Scientific Method — Stories about how the physical world works

   • Hypothesis, testing, replication, peer review

   • "Here's what we observed, here's how we tested it"

2. Journalistic Standards — Stories about what happened

   • Source verification, multiple perspectives, editorial oversight

   • "Here's what we found, here's how we verified it"

3. Judicial Process — Stories about responsibility and justice

   • Rules of evidence, adversarial testing, burden of proof

   • "Here's the case, here's how we tested it"

4. Phenomenological Method — Stories about lived experience

   • Bracketing assumptions, attending to what's directly given

   • "Here's what I experienced, here's how I examined it"

What They're Good For:

• Getting closer to truth

• Protecting against manipulation

• Building reliable knowledge

• Making decisions grounded in reality

• Correcting systematic biases

What They Risk:

• Sterility that fails to motivate

• False claims of objectivity

• Missing truths that don't fit protocols

• Dismissing legitimate knowledge that can't be systematized

steamHouse Location: Commons curriculum, Paradigm/Head dimension, critical thinking skills

4.3 The Integration: Both Are Needed

The steamHouse position: You need BOTH story modes, and wisdom is knowing when to use which.

Compelling stories without objective discipline = manipulation risk, tribal distortion, narrative fallacy

Objective stories without emotional engagement = unmotivating, disconnected from what matters, false neutrality

The mature author:

• Uses compelling stories to engage purpose and motivation

• Uses objective protocols to check against reality

• Knows which mode they're in and why

• Can switch modes as situation requires

• Creates stories that are BOTH compelling AND grounded

PART V: IMPLICATIONS FOR MANUAL REVISION

5.1 Overarching Story Frame

Each Manual volume should be framed as a chapter in the authorship journey:

VolumeChapter TitleStory ArcI"Discovering Your Story"You're already in stories—let's notice themII"Questioning Received Stories"These aren't the only stories—let's exploreIII"Writing Your Story"This IS your story—commit and masterIV"Contributing Your Story"Your story serves something larger—give it away

5.2 Volume-Specific Story Integration

Volume I (Ages 8-12):

• Opening: "You're already living in stories"

• Throughout: Help notice stories (family, cultural, personal)

• Activities framed as "rehearsal" and "skill-building for your story"

• Characters from their world (family, friends) as "characters in your story"

• Closing: "The stories you've been told aren't the only stories possible"

Volume II (Ages 12-16):

• Opening: "Now you can see that these ARE stories"

• Throughout: Learn to evaluate stories (compelling vs. objective)

• The Gold Star Kit as "your authorial toolkit"

• Experimentation framed as "trying on different stories"

• Closing: "You're ready to start writing"

Volume III (Ages 16-20):

• Opening: "Time to commit to YOUR story"

• Throughout: Integration of Purpose-Paradigm-Practice as story elements

• Mastery framed as "becoming who your story requires"

• Relationships framed as "co-authoring"

• Closing: "Your story is bigger than you"

Volume IV (Ages 20-24+):

• Opening: "Your story serves something larger"

• Throughout: Connection to collective narratives (community, society, humanity)

• Mentorship as "helping others author their stories"

• Citizenship as "contributing to stories that outlast you"

• Closing: "What story will you leave behind?"

5.3 Specific Story Elements to Add

Story Awareness Exercises:

• "What stories were you handed by your family?"

• "What story does your culture tell about success?"

• "What story are you telling yourself right now?"

• "Is this story serving you?"

Story Evaluation Tools:

• Distinguish compelling from objective claims

• Notice when you're being moved vs. informed

• Check stories against evidence

• Identify whose perspective a story centers

Story Creation Prompts:

• "What would YOUR story be about?"

• "Who are the characters in your story?"

• "What conflict does your story address?"

• "How does your story connect to larger stories?"

5.4 Chronicles Integration

The Chronicles (TeraTerraTribe narrative) should explicitly model story authorship:

Characters demonstrate:

• Mitch: Recognizing inherited stories, beginning to question

• Clem: Experimenting with alternative narratives

• Queen Zubby: Mature authorship connected to collective purpose

Plot elements that teach:

• Characters confronting "the story they were handed"

• Moments of authorial choice (Unit of Decision)

• Consequences of conscious vs. unconscious authorship

• Integration of personal stories with larger mission

Meta-narrative awareness:

• Characters who discuss what story they're in

• Moments where characters recognize they're authoring

• Explicit teaching of compelling vs. objective story modes

PART VI: IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE

6.1 Language Guidelines

Use These Phrases:

• "You're already in stories"

• "Author of your life"

• "The story you're living"

• "Conscious authorship"

• "Inherited stories"

• "Chosen stories"

• "Compelling vs. objective"

Avoid These Phrases:

• "Writing your own story" (too early—implies capacity before it exists)

• "True story" (confuses compelling with objective)

• "Just a story" (dismissive of story's power)

• "My narrative" (jargon)

Age-Appropriate Variations:

ConceptAges 8-12Ages 12-16Ages 16-20Ages 20-24+Inherited story"Stories your family tells""Narratives you were handed""Received stories""Inherited narratives"Conscious authorship"Noticing your story""Choosing your story""Writing your story""Authoring with purpose"Story types"Stories that move you / Stories that inform you""Compelling vs. objective""Dramatic vs. disciplined""Narrative modes"

6.2 Pedagogical Sequence

Stage I (Agent-Habits): NOTICING

• "You're in stories"

• "Notice the stories around you"

• "What stories do you love?"

• NOT yet: "Question your stories" or "Write your story"

Stage II (Artist-Tools): QUESTIONING

• "These are stories, not facts"

• "You can question received stories"

• "Try on different stories"

• NOT yet: "Commit to your story"

Stage III (Hero-Ideals): COMMITTING

• "This IS your story"

• "Write with intention"

• "Live your chosen story"

• NOT yet: "Help others write theirs"

Stage IV (Whole-Real Human): CONTRIBUTING

• "Your story serves larger stories"

• "Help others author"

• "What story will you leave?"

• ONGOING: Continue developing your own story

6.3 Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Pitfall 1: Forcing premature authorship

• Don't ask 10-year-olds to "write their life story"

• Stage I is about noticing, not authoring

• Authorship capacity develops; don't rush it

Pitfall 2: Dismissing inherited stories

• Inherited stories often contain wisdom

• Goal is conscious relationship, not rejection

• "Evaluate" doesn't mean "abandon"

Pitfall 3: Conflating compelling with true

• A story that moves you isn't necessarily accurate

• Emotional resonance is valuable BUT needs checking

• Both modes have their place

Pitfall 4: Making objective = cold

• Objective protocols can produce profoundly moving results

• The discipline serves truth, which matters emotionally

• Don't create false dichotomy of heart vs. head

Pitfall 5: Individualistic framing

• Story authorship isn't just about "my" story

• We're always co-authoring with others

• Personal stories connect to collective stories

PART VII: VALIDATION

7.1 Testing Against Epistemological Framework

Does Story Authorship pass steamHouse's four validation criteria?

1. Empirically Grounded? ✓

• Cognitive science confirms narrative as primary processing mode

• Developmental psychology shows authorship capacity emerges through stages

• Memory research shows episodic (story) memory dominance

• Sources: Cron, Gottschall, Bruner, McAdams

2. Ethically Defensible? ✓

• Respects autonomy (you author your own story)

• Promotes responsibility (you're accountable for your authorship)

• Doesn't impose content (tells you HOW to think, not WHAT to think)

• Supports human dignity and self-determination

3. Practically Testable? ✓

• Can measure narrative awareness across development

• Can observe authorship capacity emerging

• Can compare outcomes of conscious vs. unconscious authorship

• Can refine based on what works with real participants

4. Context-Adaptable? ✓

• Works across cultures (all humans are story creatures)

• Content of stories varies; process of authorship is universal

• Applicable to diverse contexts and communities

• Scales from individual to collective levels

Verdict: Include as core framework. Story Authorship passes all four validation criteria and provides a unifying metaphor that integrates steamHouse's existing frameworks.

7.2 Relationship to Existing Documents

This framework:

• Builds on Position Paper: Narrative Foundations of Knowing (theoretical foundation)

• Operationalizes Authorship Journal Full Set Description (practical application)

• Aligns with Epistemological Framework (validation approach)

• Enables Manual Revision (Phase 1 work plan)

APPENDIX A: KEY SOURCES

Primary Sources (Already in steamHouse)

• Cron, Lisa. Wired for Story — Neurological basis for narrative cognition

• Campbell, Joseph. Hero with a Thousand Faces — Universal story structure

• Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow — Story as System 1 default

• Taleb, Nassim. Black Swan — Narrative fallacy warning

Sources to Acquire

• Gottschall, Jonathan. The Storytelling Animal — Evolutionary narrative theory

• Boyd, Brian. On the Origin of Stories — Evolution of fiction

• McAdams, Dan. The Stories We Live By — Narrative identity

• Bruner, Jerome. Actual Minds, Possible Worlds — Narrative as cognition mode

Related steamHouse Documents

• FULSOME_F1_Storytelling_Objective

• FULSOME_F2_Storytelling_Dramatic

• FULSOME_B2_Truth_Evidence

• FULSOME_A4_Identity_Character_Purpose

APPENDIX B: QUICK REFERENCE

The Core Claim

We are story creatures. Becoming a conscious, purposeful person IS becoming the conscious author of your life story.

The Developmental Arc

1. Agent-Habits: Character in inherited stories (noticing)

2. Artist-Tools: Beginning to question received stories (experimenting)

3. Hero-Ideals: Consciously authoring chosen story (committing)

4. Whole-Real Human: Contributing to collective stories (giving away)

Two Story Modes

• Compelling: Engages emotions, creates meaning, risks manipulation

• Objective: Disciplines toward truth, risks sterility, requires protocols

Framework Connections

• Four Principles: RT=awareness, PA=power, MR=other authors, OR=reality check

• Purpose-Paradigm-Practice: WHY/HOW/WHAT of your story

• Gold Star Kit: Your authorial toolkit

• Unit of Decision: The moment of authorial choice

• Three Channels: Live/understand/feel your story

• Care Space: Whose stories matter to you