What Is Narrative Archeology? The STRATUM AI Character Coaching Method
Section 1: The Core Philosophy
Stop Writing From the Surface. Start Excavating the Core.
Narrative Archeology is the systematic process of uncovering the hidden psychological structures that drive every great story. Unlike traditional "content generation," this method uses AI as a Socratic partner to help you discover what your characters are hiding—even from you.
Section 2: The Methodology
From Surface Patterns to Architectural Wounds
Most writing advice focuses on "Surface Patterns"—the tropes, the dialogue tags, and the plot beats. Narrative Archeology goes deeper.
Surface Patterns: The observable behavior and choices your character makes in a scene.
Emotional Logic: The internal justification for those behaviors based on past experience.
The Architectural Wound: The formative event that shaped your character's worldview and creates inevitable conflict.
Section 3: The Role of the AI Coach
Your Socratic Partner in Discovery
In Narrative Archeology, the AI does not write for you; it questions you. This ensures that your work remains ethically sourced and authentically yours.
Specific Inquiry: AI identifies where a character's voice feels thin and asks you what they are afraid of at that moment.
Psychological Scaffolding: It helps you build a framework of "inevitable choices" so your plot arises naturally from character psychology.
Genre Mastery: It compares your excavated scenes against the highest standards of prestige storytelling, such as "Peak TV" or commercial thriller masters.
Section 4: The Result
A Story That Rivals Premium Streaming
Readers today are conditioned by high-end streaming content like Breaking Bad or Succession . They crave characters who are morally ambiguous and psychologically real. Narrative Archeology provides the tools to close the gap between standard fiction and "prestige" storytelling.