Planning story using layers, compartmentalization and time
Plot, environment, characters, each one is a layer in a story. Each layer is also a compartment for further layers that are internally affected by external changes in their own, unique way, and each will be affected differently by the same stimuli over the development of the story.
What systems exists to keep track of story development on such minute level? Or at least any that would be closest fit to what I'm describing? I'm looking for one where even if the first draft was lost it could easily be recreated from the planned structure.
I have arrived at a final iteration of my story concept, now I want to set up the framework to build it upon, like a mason building a house, I want to build a world.
Edit: Trying to clarify, sorry I'm bad at wording my thoughts and I'm struggling to wrap my head around what I'm trying to plan/ask/do.
* A story can be broken into common, independent collections of elements, like plots, characters, environments.
* These collections is what I refer to as layers. They share similar attributes and behavior, but apply them differently.
* Within the layer, each element has its own common attributes and characteristics that directly affect only itself, e.g. a character can have fears, strengths, weaknesses, but a plot would not and vice-versa, but it would not directly affect another elements's attributes.
* Each element is the default characteristics + culmination of interactions with other elements, resulting in development/changes of said element's attributes.
* In a single world, most if not all elements will be interconnected directly or indirectly, therefore any single event would have rippling effects on every aspect of the story.
+ E.g. 183
an earthquake could cause a landslide that destroys MC's village, which forces them to adventure, which is attributed to goddess Tera, at the same time it changes the environment causing <PERSON> army to lose their advantage and rebellion to prevail in their clutch battle. MC curses <PERSON> while the Rebellion reveres, MC proceeds to kill <PERSON> and sides with Rebellion because DL is BBEG, Rebellion swears to avenge <PERSON>, creating a conflict when MC and Rebellion cross paths to defeat <PERSON> after finding out <PERSON> was <PERSON>'s murderer all along or something like that.
System I'm thinking of would keep help keep track of each compartment, relationship to other elements, history between it and other elements, direct and indirect effects of other elements on it, how it affects and its changes affect other elements, how these relationships change over time, how element can be expected to respond to change/interaction etc. The more I think about it the more it seems that to pull it off on this level I would need to write a program for this task.
tl;dr I'm extremely meticulous and I'm planning a complex story which I will struggle keeping track of without efficient planning and tracking system in place.
Edit 2: Leaving lunch atm but I'm seeing some promising responses. Thanks for your time, I will come back to the thread later in the evening. 950