# WriteChapter Workflow

Transform Story Bible beats into actual prose — chapters, scenes, dialogue. This is where all seven layers converge into the written story. Every word must serve at least one layer. Memorable lines are engineered using rhetorical figures. Anti-cliche filters ensure freshness. Multi-pass critics tighten the final draft.

## Prerequisites

- Story Bible PRD exists (from BuildBible workflow)
- Read `RhetoricalFigures.md` — the toolbelt for this workflow
- Read `AntiCliche.md` — mandatory freshness enforcement
- Read `AestheticProfiles.md` — the configured style guide
- Read `Critics.md` — multi-pass review profiles
- Know which beat(s) this chapter covers

## Procedure

### Step 1: Load the Beat Context

Read the Story Bible and extract for the target beat(s):

For each beat in this chapter:
- **MEANING:** What thematic element is present?
- **CHARACTER:** Where is the sacred flaw? What pressure?
- **PLOT:** What event happens? What causes it? What does it cause?
- **MYSTERY:** What questions open? Close? Redirect?
- **WORLD:** What setting details matter?
- **RELATIONSHIP:** Which bonds are tested/deepened?
- **PROSE:** What rhetorical emphasis? What register?

### Step 2: Scene Planning + Figure Strategy

Break the beat(s) into scenes. Each scene must have:

1. **POV character** (whose perception filters the scene)
2. **Scene goal** (what the POV character wants in this scene)
3. **Scene conflict** (what opposes the goal)
4. **Scene turn** (what unexpected thing changes the situation)
5. **Scene outcome** (how does it end — usually: goal NOT achieved, but something learned/changed)

Apply Story Grid's Five Commandments per scene:
- Inciting Incident
- Progressive Complications
- Crisis (best bad choice or irreconcilable goods)
- Climax (the decision/action)
- Resolution

#### Rhetorical Figure Strategy

After scene planning, identify the moments where rhetorical figures will land hardest. Figures are deployed across ALL prose — dialogue, description, narration, action beats, transitions — not just in dialogue.

For each scene:

1. Identify 1-3 **highest-impact moments** (a key description, a revelation, an emotional peak, a turning point, a memorable line of dialogue)
2. Consult the **Figure Deployment by Story Moment** table in `RhetoricalFigures.md`
3. Select candidate figures matched to each moment's type and the Aesthetic Profile
4. Record the plan:

```
FIGURE PLAN:
Scene 1: [moment description] → [figure names] → [target: dialogue/prose/description]
Scene 2: [moment description] → [figure names] → [target: dialogue/prose/description]
...
```

**Rules:**
- Minimum 2-3 figure deployments per scene across dialogue AND prose combined
- At least 1 deployment must be in narrative prose (not dialogue)
- Combine 2-3 figures for maximum impact on the most important lines
- If a planned figure feels forced during composition, replace it with another from the same Story Moment category — do not simply drop it
- NOT every sentence needs a figure — save them for moments that matter

### Step 3: Layer Articulation Map

Before writing begins, explicitly commit to what each of the seven layers is doing in each scene. This is the composition contract — every layer must be addressed during writing, not verified afterward.

For each scene, write:

```
SCENE [N] LAYER MAP:
MEANING:      [What thematic work this scene does]
CHARACTER:    [How the sacred flaw is pressured or visible]
PLOT:         [What event occurs, what causes it, what it causes next]
MYSTERY:      [What questions open, close, or redirect; reader knowledge state]
WORLD:        [What setting detail serves the story — not decoration]
RELATIONSHIP: [Which bond is tested, deepened, or broken]
PROSE:        [Register and pacing for this scene; planned figure deployments from Step 2]
```

**Why before, not after:** If you only check layers after writing, you find gaps that require clumsy insertion. If you map layers before writing, the prose can organically serve all layers from the start.

### Step 4: Dialogue Engineering

For scenes with dialogue:

1. **Voice differentiation:** Each character speaks differently. Check:
   - Vocabulary range (educated vs. street vs. formal vs. casual)
   - Sentence length patterns (short punchy vs. long flowing)
   - Verbal tics or patterns (if any — use sparingly)
   - What they WON'T say (subtext, avoidance patterns)

2. **Subtext management:** The most powerful dialogue is when characters talk about one thing but mean another. For emotionally charged scenes:
   - What do they actually want to say?
   - What do they actually say instead?
   - What does the gap reveal about their sacred flaw?

3. **Rhetorical figure execution in dialogue:** Execute the figure plan from Step 2 for dialogue moments.
   - Match figure to character voice — a soldier uses different figures than a poet
   - Combine 2-3 figures for the most important lines
   - Key dialogue lines (the ones that should be memorable) get the most attention
   - NOT every line needs a figure — save them for moments that matter

4. **Attribution and action beats:**
   - Prefer action beats over "said + adverb"
   - Use "said" for most attribution (invisible verb)
   - Action beats reveal character and advance layers simultaneously

### Step 5: Prose Composition with Imagery Craft

Write the actual prose following the Aesthetic Profile. This step integrates rhetorical figure execution, imagery techniques, and layer awareness into a single composition pass.

#### Sentence-Level Craft
- Vary sentence length deliberately (3-word sentence after a 25-word sentence = impact)
- Open paragraphs with strong hooks (not throat-clearing)
- End paragraphs with hooks or thematic resonance
- Use active voice as default; passive voice only for strategic effect

#### Imagery and Showing Craft (The Five Techniques)

These five named techniques are the core of vivid, non-generic prose. Apply them continuously during composition.

**1. Sensory Filtering through POV**
All description passes through the POV character's specific perception. What they notice, what they ignore, and what they misinterpret reveals character. A soldier notices exits and sight lines. A painter notices how light falls on surfaces. A thief notices locks and window latches. Never describe what the POV character would not register.

**2. Transferred Epithets (Hypallage)**
Merge the character's internal state with the external environment. "The anxious corridor" when the character is anxious. "The indifferent rain." "The reluctant door." This creates atmospheric fusion between character and setting without stating emotion directly. (See figure #20 in `RhetoricalFigures.md`.)

**3. Behavioral Emotion (The Action Test)**
Emotion is shown exclusively through what characters DO, not what they feel. Never write "she was angry" — write "she folded the letter into smaller and smaller squares until it would not fold again." The reader reconstructs the emotion from the physical evidence. If you catch yourself naming an emotion, delete the sentence and replace it with an action, a gesture, or a silence. (See `AntiCliche.md` Freshness Rule 3.)

**4. The One-Perfect-Detail Rule**
One precise, unexpected detail communicates more than three adequate ones. Instead of describing an entire room, describe the single detail that reveals something about the scene's meaning or the POV character. The detail must do double duty: establish setting AND serve at least one other layer (character, theme, mystery). If a detail only serves setting, it is decoration — cut it or find one that works harder.

**5. Concrete Specificity over Abstraction**
Replace every abstract noun with a concrete image. "Wealth" becomes "the ivory buttons on his cuffs." "Poverty" becomes "the water stain on the ceiling shaped like a running dog." "Fear" becomes "the taste of copper in his mouth." "Loneliness" becomes "the second chair at the table, pushed in too perfectly." The specific is always more powerful than the general.

#### Pacing Craft
- Short sentences = fast pace (action, tension, shock)
- Longer sentences = slower pace (contemplation, beauty, emotional depth)
- White space (paragraph breaks, section breaks) controls rhythm
- Scene length correlates with importance — the most important scenes get the most space

#### Rhetorical Figure Execution in Prose

Execute the figure plan from Step 2 for all non-dialogue moments:

- Figures are deployed in descriptions, action beats, narration, and transitions
- Reference the Figure Plan table from Step 2
- After writing each scene, verify at least 2 figure deployments appeared (with at least 1 in prose, not just dialogue)
- If a planned figure feels forced, replace it with a different one from the same Story Moment category in `RhetoricalFigures.md`

#### Layer Awareness During Composition

While writing each scene, keep the Layer Articulation Map from Step 3 visible. After completing each scene's prose, do a quick inline check:

```
SCENE [N] LAYER CHECK (inline):
MEANING: [landed? Y/N]  CHARACTER: [Y/N]  PLOT: [Y/N]  MYSTERY: [Y/N]
WORLD: [Y/N]  RELATIONSHIP: [Y/N]  PROSE: [Y/N]
Any N → weave it in now, before moving to the next scene.
```

Do not defer layer gaps to later — fix them while the scene's voice is fresh.

### Step 6: Mystery Layer Integration

During writing, maintain information management:

1. **What does the reader know right now?** (track the accumulated knowledge)
2. **What question drives this scene?** (scene-level mystery)
3. **Plant something.** Every chapter should plant at least one detail that will matter later
4. **End with a question.** Chapter endings should leave at least one thing unresolved

### Step 7: Anti-Cliche Sweep

Before the critic passes, run the Anti-Cliche checklist from `AntiCliche.md`:

- [ ] No phrases from any Banned list
- [ ] Emotions shown through action, not stated
- [ ] Descriptions use character-filtered specifics
- [ ] Metaphors are original to this world/character
- [ ] Dialogue is voice-distinct per character
- [ ] No AI-specific patterns
- [ ] Strong verbs throughout
- [ ] Each paragraph has at least one unexpected detail
- [ ] Opening doesn't use opening cliches

### Step 8: Multi-Pass Critic System

After composition and the anti-cliche sweep, the draft goes through multiple critic passes. Each critic reads the prose from a single focused angle and produces specific, actionable suggestions. Read `Critics.md` for full critic profiles.

#### Procedure

1. Run **4 mandatory passes** on every chapter
2. For high-stakes chapters (opening, midpoint, climax, finale), run all **8 passes**
3. Each critic produces:
   - 2-5 specific, line-level or paragraph-level suggestions
   - A confidence rating (1-5) for their dimension
   - No rewriting — suggestions only
4. After all passes complete, apply suggestions that improve the prose without losing existing strengths
5. If any critic gives a 1-2 confidence rating, that dimension needs targeted revision of the weak section

#### The 4 Mandatory Critics

| # | Critic | Focus |
|---|--------|-------|
| 1 | **The Layer Auditor** | Seven-layer completeness, interactions, and balance against Story Bible |
| 2 | **The Rhetoric Examiner** | Figure deployment density, variety, memorability, and prose rhythm |
| 3 | **The Freshness Inspector** | Deep cliche hunt, concrete specificity, POV filtering, AI pattern detection |
| 4 | **The Reader Surrogate** | Engagement, clarity, emotional impact, information flow, forward momentum |

#### The 4 Optional Critics (high-stakes chapters)

| # | Critic | Focus |
|---|--------|-------|
| 5 | **The Subtext Analyst** | Unsaid meaning, dramatic irony, behavioral vs. stated emotion |
| 6 | **The Continuity Editor** | Timeline, character knowledge, world rules, Story Bible compliance |
| 7 | **The Pacing Surgeon** | Sentence rhythm, scene proportionality, bloat and rush detection |
| 8 | **The Voice Enforcer** | Character voice distinctiveness, narrator consistency, register breaks |

#### Pass Ordering

Run in this order — structural issues before polish, craft before gut-check:
1. Layer Auditor (structural)
2. Rhetoric Examiner (craft)
3. Freshness Inspector (catches what the first two introduced)
4. Reader Surrogate (final gut-check)
5-8. Optional critics in any order

### Step 9: Multi-Agent Chapter Production (for scale)

For large-scale writing (novel/series), deploy multiple agents:

**Sequential approach (maintains consistency):**
1. Write chapter outline with all 7 layers mapped
2. Write scene-by-scene, each building on the previous
3. Single agent maintains voice consistency

**Parallel approach (for speed, with merge step):**
1. Agent 1: Writes dialogue for all scenes (voice specialist)
2. Agent 2: Writes action/description for all scenes (prose specialist)
3. Agent 3: Manages mystery plants and information state
4. Lead agent: Merges outputs, ensures consistency, applies anti-cliche filter

**Quality control for parallel production:**
- All agents receive the same Aesthetic Profile
- All agents receive the Anti-Cliche guide
- All agents receive the character voice profiles
- Lead agent does a final consistency pass
- **Critic passes (Step 8) run on the merged output, not individual agent outputs**

### Step 10: Output

Present the written chapter with:
1. The prose itself
2. A brief note on which layers were advanced and how
3. **Critic pass summary** — confidence ratings from each critic and a 1-sentence summary of changes applied
4. Any Story Bible updates needed (if writing revealed new connections)
5. Recommendation for what to write next
6. Updated ISC criteria (mark completed beats)

### Chapter Length Guidelines

| Format | Target Chapter Length | Scene Count |
|--------|---------------------|-------------|
| Short story | N/A (continuous) | 1-5 scenes total |
| Novella | 3,000-5,000 words | 2-4 scenes |
| Novel | 3,000-6,000 words | 2-5 scenes |
| Epic novel | 4,000-8,000 words | 3-6 scenes |

These are guidelines, not rules. Chapter length should serve pacing.
