# Revise Workflow

Iterate on existing story content — tighten prose, deepen layers, enhance memorable moments, fix structural issues.

## Purpose

Take existing written chapters and improve them. This could mean fixing a single paragraph or restructuring an entire act. The revision process uses the Story Bible as the source of truth for what each section should accomplish.

## Procedure

### Step 1: Understand the Revision Request

Determine what kind of revision is needed:

| Type | Description | Approach |
|------|------------|----------|
| **Polish** | Line-level prose improvement | Focus on Prose layer only |
| **Deepen** | Add missing layer content | Identify gaps, weave in |
| **Restructure** | Reorder or reimagine scenes | Revisit beat map, reorganize |
| **Voice** | Fix character dialogue consistency | Read character profiles, rewrite dialogue |
| **Anti-cliché** | Remove generic/tired language | Run full AntiCliche.md sweep |
| **Figure** | Add rhetorical power to key moments | Identify moments, deploy figures |

### Step 2: Read the Current Content

Read the existing chapter/scene/passage in full. Note:
- What works well (don't break what's working)
- What feels flat, generic, or unclear
- Which layers are being served vs. neglected
- Where the pacing drags or rushes
- Dialogue voice consistency

### Step 3: Compare Against Story Bible

Read the relevant Story Bible beats and check:
- Is the chapter accomplishing what the beat map says it should?
- Are all seven layers represented?
- Is the sacred flaw visible/pressured as planned?
- Are mystery elements properly planted/developed?
- Does the prose match the Aesthetic Profile?

### Step 4: Execute Revision

**For Polish revisions:**
1. Go paragraph by paragraph
2. Replace weak verbs with strong verbs
3. Cut redundant words and sentences
4. Sharpen descriptions (one perfect detail > three adequate)
5. Ensure sentence length varies
6. Run Anti-Cliché sweep

**For Deepen revisions:**
1. Identify which layers are underserved
2. For each underserved layer, find natural insertion points
3. Add layer content through action and behavior, NOT exposition
4. Example: To deepen Character layer, add a moment where the sacred flaw affects a decision
5. Example: To deepen Mystery, plant a detail that will matter three chapters later

**For Restructure revisions:**
1. List all scenes in current order
2. For each scene, identify its primary purpose (which beat it serves)
3. Reorder scenes to improve:
   - Causal chain clarity
   - Pacing rhythm (fast/slow alternation)
   - Mystery information flow
   - Emotional escalation
4. Remove scenes that serve no beat
5. Add scenes for beats that are missing

**For Voice revisions:**
1. Read character profiles from Story Bible
2. For each character's dialogue, check:
   - Could you identify the speaker without attribution?
   - Does vocabulary match their education/background?
   - Does sentence structure match their personality?
   - Is subtext present in emotionally charged moments?
3. Rewrite dialogue that fails these checks

**For Anti-cliché revisions:**
1. Run FULL sweep from `AntiCliche.md`
2. Flag every instance from every Banned list
3. Apply the Freshness Rules:
   - Specificity Test
   - Sensory Replacement
   - Action Test
   - Comparison Kill
   - Verb Test
   - Dialogue Voice Test
4. Replace each flagged instance with fresh alternative

**For Figure revisions:**
1. Identify the 3-5 most important moments in the chapter
2. Read `RhetoricalFigures.md` Figure Deployment table
3. For each key moment, select appropriate figure(s)
4. Rewrite the key line(s) using the selected figure(s)
5. Ensure figures feel natural, not forced
6. Verify the figure matches the character's voice

### Step 5: Consistency Check

After revision, verify:
- [ ] Changes don't contradict earlier/later chapters
- [ ] Character voice remains consistent
- [ ] Mystery information state is still correct
- [ ] Causal chain is still intact
- [ ] Aesthetic Profile is maintained
- [ ] No new clichés were introduced

### Step 6: Update Story Bible

If the revision changed anything structural:
1. Update the relevant beat map entries
2. Update character profiles if behavior changed
3. Update mystery architecture if information flow changed
4. Update ISC criteria to reflect the revision
5. Note the revision in the PRD LOG

### Step 7: Output

Present the revised content with:
1. The revised prose (with changes highlighted if helpful)
2. Brief summary of what changed and why
3. Any Story Bible updates made
4. Recommendation for next revision pass (if needed)
