Story Factory: How to Write a Prompt for a Story Generator

How Story Factory Works

The interface is a web form with three text fields. In the first field, you enter an idea or a brief plot; in the second, the desired tone, style, or format; in the third, the desired length or duration. After clicking the "Generate" button, the tool produces one result in a separate panel. The finished text can be copied or downloaded as a TXT file.

The tool has no preset styles, sliders, or levels of change. You describe in words what you want to get. There is no batch processing, automatic saving, integrations, export to DOCX or PDF, or direct publishing. Vector images are available only in SVG and PNG, speech in WAV via eSpeak, and subtitles in SRT. This is important to consider when planning your work.

Field 1: "A robot makes soup for the first time and misunderstands the recipe." Field 2: "Friendly humor, light style." Field 3: "Short story, about 500 words."

What to Specify in the Input: Context, Goal, Format, Constraints

To make the story coherent, in the first field describe the context: where and when the action takes place, who the main character is, what they want, and what hinders them. For example: "The action takes place in a small bakery in a seaside town. A young baker dreams of baking bread using his grandmother's recipe, but the dough won't rise." The more specific the details, the less the tool will invent for you.

In the second field, specify the goal and format: for whom the story is, what tone is appropriate, and from what point of view the narration is told. You can write: "A story for children aged 8–10, kind, with elements of magic, in the third person." If you need dialogue or an internal monologue, say so directly. Avoid general words like "interesting" or "beautiful"—they do not provide concrete guidance.

In the third field, set length constraints. The tool understands both an approximate word count and a format: "about 300 words," "no more than 1000 characters," "a short sketch of 5 paragraphs." Remember that the maximum volume of the first field is 8000 characters, and the details field is 1000 characters. If speech is needed, its limit is 3000 characters. These constraints help avoid overloading the prompt.

Bad prompt: "Write a story about a cat." Good prompt: "Write a story about an old cat who lives in a library and one day finds a forgotten manuscript. The action takes place in our days. Tone—warm, slightly ironic. Length—about 400 words. Need a happy ending where the cat helps return the manuscript to the author."

Example of a Bad and a Good Prompt

A bad prompt often consists of one word or a short phrase: "About a dragon." The tool doesn't know what tone is needed, how many words, who the hero is, or how it all ends. The result may be either a fragment or a template text that will have to be rewritten. The less input, the more randomness.

A good prompt contains specifics: genre, place, hero, conflict, desired resolution, and constraints. For example: "A science fiction story about a robot gardener who learns to understand plants. The action is on a space station. Conflict: the robot must choose between the program and caring for a sick flower. Ending: the robot finds a non-standard solution. Tone—philosophical, but without pathos. Length—600 words." Such a prompt gives the tool a clear framework.

It is useful to indicate what you don't want: "no violence," "no romantic line," "no open ending." This helps cut off unwanted twists. But don't overload the prompt with dozens of prohibitions—it's better to focus on the main thing.

Bad: "Fairy tale." Good: "A fairy tale about a girl who can talk to the wind. She must help a lost traveler find the way home. Tone—calm, magical. Length—350 words. Ending—the traveler returns home, and the girl understands that the wind was her friend."

How to Check the Result

After generation, read the text in full. Check whether it has a setup, conflict, and resolution. If the story breaks off or the conflict is not resolved, try reformulating the prompt: add more details about the desired ending or clarify the length. Sometimes it helps to break the task into parts: first ask for an outline, then for the text based on the outline.

Pay attention to logic: do the characters' actions contradict their description, are there jumps in time? The tool can make mistakes, so factual details are best verified manually. If the story contains numbers, dates, or special terms, make sure they are appropriate. Remember that the model does not guarantee accuracy.

Check compliance with the specified constraints: tone, style, length. If the text is too long or too short, change the third field. If the style is not right, clarify the second field. Don't be afraid to experiment with wording—this is a normal part of working with a generative tool.

After generation, you see that the story ends at the moment when the hero only finds the manuscript. You add to the prompt: "Ending: the manuscript is returned to the author, and the cat receives gratitude." A repeated generation produces a completed story.

Tool Limitations

Story Factory does not generate photorealistic images, audio, or video. Vector images are compositions of shapes, not photographs. Speech is created using eSpeak and saved in WAV, but it is not a live voice. Subtitles are available in SRT. There is no export to DOCX or PDF, no batch processing, automatic saving, or publishing.

The tool is not intended for financial, medical, or legal advice. If you write a story on such topics, it must remain artistic and educational, without personalized advice. All coincidences with real people or events are accidental.

The maximum volume of the first field is 8000 characters, the details field is 1000 characters, speech is 3000 characters, images are 4 MB, audio in the browser is 20 MB or 5 minutes. Queue and availability may vary. Model responses may contain errors, so always check the result.

If you ask to generate a video, the tool will not do it. It will create only the text of the story. For an image, a separate field is needed, but it will be a vector, not a realistic picture.

Practical Tips for Composing a Prompt

Start simple: describe the hero, place, and conflict in one or two sentences. Then add details: what the hero feels, what they fear, what they want to change. The clearer the motivation, the more convincing the story will be. Don't be afraid to use concrete nouns and verbs—they create images.

If you need a specific genre, indicate it directly: "detective," "fantasy," "science fiction," "parable." You can add comparisons: "in the spirit of Chekhov" or "like in old radio plays." But avoid direct quotes and imitations of specific authors—the tool creates original text.

Experiment with length: short stories of 200–300 words are well suited for sketches, while 800–1000 words are for full-fledged stories with dialogues. Remember that with large volumes, the tool may lose the thread. If this happens, break the task into parts or reduce the volume.

Prompt for a short sketch: "Describe one day in the life of an old lighthouse. Tone—melancholic, but with a glimmer of hope. Length—250 words. Ending—the keeper lights the fire, and it brings him peace."