diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.pm
index b1de4e8f3..914ba7d22 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.pm
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ use WebGUI::Utility;
 use WebGUI::Asset::Story;
 use base 'WebGUI::Asset::Wobject';
 
+use constant DATE_FORMAT => '%c_%D_%y';
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 =head2 definition ( )
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ sub prepareView {
 
 =head2 view ( )
 
-method called by the www_view method.  Returns a processed template
+Method called by the www_view method.  Returns a processed template
 to be displayed within the page style.  
 
 =cut
@@ -104,14 +106,57 @@ sub view {
     my $session = $self->session;    
 
     #This automatically creates template variables for all of your wobject's properties.
-    my $var = $self->get;
-    
-    #This is an example of debugging code to help you diagnose problems.
-    #WebGUI::ErrorHandler::warn($self->get("templateId")); 
-    
+    my $var = $self->viewTemplateVariables;
+
     return $self->processTemplate($var, undef, $self->{_viewTemplate});
 }
 
+sub www_view {
+    my $self = shift;
+    $self->{_standAlone} = 1;
+    return $self->SUPER::www_view;
+}
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+=head2 viewTemplateVars ( )
+
+Make template variables for the view template.
+
+=cut
+
+sub viewTemplateVariables {
+    my ($self)          = @_;
+    my $session         = $self->session;    
+    my $numberOfStories = $self->{_standAlone}
+                        ? $self->get('storiesPer')
+                        : $self->get('storiesShort');
+    my $var = $self->get();
+    my $wordList = WebGUI::Keyword::string2list($self->get('keywords'));
+    my $key      = WebGUI::Keyword->new($session);
+    my $p        = $key->getMatchingAssets({
+        keywords     => $wordList,
+        isa          => 'WebGUI::Asset::Story',
+        usePaginator => 1,
+        rowsPerPage  => $numberOfStories,
+    });
+    my $storyIds = $p->getPageData();
+    $var->{story_loop} = [];
+    ##Only build objects for the assets that we need
+    STORY: foreach my $storyId (@{ $storyIds }) {
+        my $story = WebGUI::Asset->new($session, $storyId->{assetId}, $storyId->{className}, $storyId->{revisionDate});
+        next STORY unless $story;
+        my $creationDate = $story->get('creationDate');
+        push @{$var->{story_loop}}, {
+            url           => $session->url->append($self->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyId->{assetId}),
+            title         => $story->getTitle,
+            creationDate  => $creationDate,
+        }
+    }
+
+    return $var;
+}
+
 
 1;
 #vim:ft=perl
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Asset_Story.pm b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Asset_Story.pm
index eb61b3e0e..6c5afd1ee 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Asset_Story.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/i18n/English/Asset_Story.pm
@@ -281,6 +281,12 @@ our $I18N = {
         lastUpdated => 0,
     },
 
+    'story asset template variables title' => {
+        message => q|Story Asset Template Variables.|,
+        context => q|Title of a help page for asset level template variables.|,
+        lastUpdated => 0,
+    },
+
 };
 
 1;
diff --git a/t/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.t b/t/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.t
index 887f066bb..e0b8eac22 100644
--- a/t/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.t
+++ b/t/Asset/Wobject/StoryTopic.t
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ my $session         = WebGUI::Test->session;
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Tests
 
-my $tests = 0;
+my $tests = 4;
 plan tests => 1 + $tests;
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -40,15 +40,139 @@ plan tests => 1 + $tests;
 my $class  = 'WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::StoryTopic';
 my $loaded = use_ok($class);
 
-my $storage;
+my $versionTag = WebGUI::VersionTag->getWorking($session);
+
+my $archive    = WebGUI::Asset->getDefault($session)->addChild({className => 'WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::StoryArchive', title => 'My Stories', url => '/home/mystories'});
+
+my $now = time();
+my $nowFolder = $archive->getFolder($now);
+
+my $yesterday = $now-24*3600;
+my $newFolder = $archive->getFolder($yesterday);
+
+my $creationDateSth = $session->db->prepare('update asset set creationDate=? where assetId=?');
+
+my $pastStory = $newFolder->addChild({ className => 'WebGUI::Asset::Story', title => "Yesterday is history", keywords => 'andy norton'});
+$creationDateSth->execute([$yesterday, $pastStory->getId]);
+
+my @staff       = qw/norton hadley mert trout/;
+my @inmates     = qw/bogs red brooks andy heywood tommy jake skeet/;
+my @characters  = (@staff, @inmates, );
+my $storiesToMake = 16;
+
+my @stories = ();
+my $storyHandler = {};
+
+STORY: foreach my $name (@characters) {
+    my $namedStory = $nowFolder->addChild({ className => 'WebGUI::Asset::Story', title => $name, keywords => $name, } );
+    $storyHandler->{$name} = $namedStory;
+    $creationDateSth->execute([$now, $namedStory->getId]);
+}
+
+my $topic;
 
 SKIP: {
 
     skip "Unable to load module $class", $tests unless $loaded;
 
+$topic = WebGUI::Asset->getDefault($session)->addChild({ className => 'WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::StoryTopic', title => 'Popular inmates in Shawshank Prison', keywords => join(' ', @inmates)});
+
+isa_ok($topic, 'WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::StoryTopic', 'made a Story Topic');
+$topic->update({
+    storiesPer   => 6,
+    storiesShort => 3,
+});
+
+################################################################
+#
+#  viewTemplateVariables
+#
+################################################################
+
+my $templateVars;
+$templateVars = $topic->viewTemplateVariables();
+cmp_deeply(
+    $templateVars->{story_loop},
+    [
+        {
+            title        => 'bogs',
+            url          => $session->url->append($topic->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyHandler->{'bogs'}->getId),
+            creationDate => $now,
+        },
+        {
+            title        => 'red',
+            url          => $session->url->append($topic->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyHandler->{'red'}->getId),
+            creationDate => $now,
+        },
+        {
+            title        => 'brooks',
+            url          => $session->url->append($topic->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyHandler->{'brooks'}->getId),
+            creationDate => $now,
+        },
+    ],
+    'viewTemplateVars has right number and contents in the story_loop'
+);
+
+$topic->{_standAlone} = 1;
+$templateVars = $topic->viewTemplateVariables();
+cmp_deeply(
+    $templateVars->{story_loop},
+    [
+        {
+            title        => 'bogs',
+            url          => $session->url->append($topic->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyHandler->{'bogs'}->getId),
+            creationDate => $now,
+        },
+        {
+            title        => 'red',
+            url          => $session->url->append($topic->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyHandler->{'red'}->getId),
+            creationDate => $now,
+        },
+        {
+            title        => 'brooks',
+            url          => $session->url->append($topic->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyHandler->{'brooks'}->getId),
+            creationDate => $now,
+        },
+        {
+            title        => 'andy',
+            url          => $session->url->append($topic->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyHandler->{'andy'}->getId),
+            creationDate => $now,
+        },
+        {
+            title        => 'heywood',
+            url          => $session->url->append($topic->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyHandler->{'heywood'}->getId),
+            creationDate => $now,
+        },
+        {
+            title        => 'tommy',
+            url          => $session->url->append($topic->getUrl, 'func=viewStory;assetId='.$storyHandler->{'tommy'}->getId),
+            creationDate => $now,
+        },
+    ],
+    'viewTemplateVars has right number and contents in the story_loop in standalone mode'
+);
+
+$topic->update({
+    storiesPer   => 16,
+    storiesShort => 3,
+});
+
+$templateVars = $topic->viewTemplateVariables;
+my @topicInmates = map { $_->{title} } @{ $templateVars->{story_loop} };
+cmp_deeply(
+    \@topicInmates,
+    [@inmates, 'Yesterday is history'], #extra for pastStory
+    'viewTemplateVariables: is only finding things with its keywords'
+);
+
 }
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Cleanup
 END {
+    $archive->purge if $archive;
+    $topic->purge   if $topic;
+    if ($versionTag) {
+        $versionTag->rollback;
+    }
 }