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Exercises/Relationship Mapping/Story Spine
Collaborative Story Building ยท Relationship Mapping

Story Spine

Story Spine is a collaborative story building exercise for relationship mapping: it helps participants build useful connections and understand how people, roles, or ideas relate.

5 to 15 minutesTIME
Medium group (9-25), Small group (4-8)GROUP SIZE
ActiveENERGY
In person, RemoteSETTING
High cognitive loadCOGNITIVE LOAD
Strengthens Network Design This relationship mapping exercise strengthens Network Design, one of the eight Gathering Effectiveness pillars.

How to run it

  1. All methods All authors IAF Library Library Story Spine 50 20 Once upon a time...
  2. Duration: Any Participants: Any by Erica Marx for Erica Marx Coaching Use Method Goal present a logical, well-constructed st
  3. CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.
Live facilitator

Run this exercise live

The facilitator console stays in this browser. Its QR handoff is a short-lived participant snapshot containing only public exercise instructions, phase, prompt, and timer state.

Prompts to use +

Duration: Any Participants: Any by Erica Marx for Erica Marx Coaching Use Method Goal present a logical, well-constructed st

CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.

Run this with your AI assistant +

Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Story Spine. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Duration: Any Participants: Any by Erica Marx for Erica Marx Coaching Use Method Goal present a logical, well-constructed st; CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.

Origin unverified

  • Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Improv Encyclopedia; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (2 sources observed, including Improv Encyclopedia, SessionLab.)
  • What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
  • No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
  • Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.

Pairs well with