creative-writing-craft

# Creative Writing Craft

Transform ideas into compelling prose.

## Story Architecture

### Three-Act Structure

```
ACT I (25%)     │  ACT II (50%)              │  ACT III (25%)
Setup           │  Confrontation             │  Resolution
────────────────┼────────────────────────────┼─────────────────
Hook            │  Rising Action             │  Climax
Inciting Event  │  Midpoint Shift            │  Falling Action
First Plot Point│  Second Plot Point         │  Resolution
```

### Scene Structure

```
Goal → Conflict → Disaster → Reaction → Dilemma → Decision
```

Each scene should have:
- **POV character** with a clear goal
- **Obstacle** preventing the goal
- **Stakes** if they fail
- **Outcome** (usually not what they wanted)

### Story Beats

| Beat | Percentage | Function |
|------|------------|----------|
| Opening Image | 0-1% | Establish world/tone |
| Theme Stated | ~5% | Hint at meaning |
| Setup | 1-10% | Ordinary world |
| Catalyst | ~10% | Inciting incident |
| Debate | 10-20% | Hesitation |
| Break into Two | ~25% | Commits to journey |
| B Story | ~30% | Subplot, often thematic |
| Fun and Games | 30-50% | Promise of premise |
| Midpoint | ~50% | False victory/defeat, stakes rise |
| Bad Guys Close In | 50-75% | Increasing pressure |
| All Is Lost | ~75% | Lowest point |
| Dark Night of Soul | 75-80% | Despair |
| Break into Three | ~80% | New plan/revelation |
| Finale | 80-99% | Climax, resolution |
| Final Image | 99-100% | Echo opening, show change |

---

## Character Development

### Character Dimensions

| Layer | Question | Example |
|-------|----------|---------|
| Surface | What do they show? | Confident, funny |
| Behavior | What do they do? | Helps strangers, avoids calls |
| Motive | What do they want? | Success, approval |
| Need | What do they actually need? | Self-acceptance |
| Ghost | What wound drives them? | Abandoned as child |

### Character Arc Pattern

```
Lie they believe → Want (conscious goal) → Need (unconscious)
     ↓                    ↓                      ↓
Truth they learn ← Confrontation ← Cost of lie
```

### Voice Development

To develop distinct character voice, vary:
- Sentence length and complexity
- Vocabulary level and specificity
- Speech patterns (fragments, run-ons)
- Topics they notice/mention
- What they omit or avoid
- Metaphor domains (what do they compare things to?)

---

## Point of View

### First Person

```
I walked into the room and immediately regretted it.
```

Pros: Intimacy, voice, unreliable narrator potential
Cons: Limited perspective, "I" fatigue

### Third Person Limited

```
She walked into the room and immediately regretted it.
```

Pros: Flexibility, intimacy without "I"
Cons: Can drift into head-hopping

### Third Person Omniscient

```
Sarah walked into the room, unaware that three people 
were already watching her from the shadows.
```

Pros: God's-eye view, irony
Cons: Distance, harder to master

### Second Person

```
You walk into the room. You immediately regret it.
```

Pros: Immediacy, unusual
Cons: Can feel gimmicky, reader resistance

### POV Rules

1. **Stay in one head per scene** (for limited)
2. **Only show what POV character perceives**
3. **Filter through their psychology**
4. **Match POV to story needs**

---

## Prose Style

### Sentence Craft

**Vary length**:
```
Short sentences punch. They create urgency. Impact.

But longer sentences, with their flowing clauses and 
subordinate phrases, can lull the reader into a rhythm, 
carrying them forward on a wave of prose that builds 
and builds until—
```

**Strong verbs over adverbs**:
```
❌ She walked quickly across the room.
✅ She darted across the room.
✅ She bolted across the room.
```

**Concrete over abstract**:
```
❌ He felt sad.
✅ His chest ached. He couldn't swallow.
```

### Show vs Tell

**Telling** (has its place):
```
She was angry.
```

**Showing**:
```
Her jaw tightened. She set down her fork—carefully, 
deliberately—and folded her hands in her lap.
```

When to tell:
- Transitions
- Unimportant information
- Pacing through slow periods
- Emotional summary after intense scene

### Dialogue

**Subtext**: Characters rarely say what they mean.

```
"Nice weather," she said.      (Text)
[I don't want to talk about it] (Subtext)
```

**Attribution**:
```
✅ "I'm leaving," she said.
✅ "I'm leaving." She grabbed her coat.
⚠️ "I'm leaving," she exclaimed angrily.
```

"Said" is invisible. Use it.

**Beats over tags**:
```
"I'm leaving." She grabbed her coat. "Don't wait up."
```

---

## Description

### Sensory Writing

| Sense | Often Used | Underused |
|-------|------------|-----------|
| Sight | Very common | - |
| Sound | Common | - |
| Touch | Uncommon | Temperature, texture |
| Smell | Rare | Memory trigger |
| Taste | Rare | Atmosphere |

**Layer senses**:
```
The bar smelled like spilled beer and regret. Neon 
buzzed overhead, painting everyone the same shade of 
desperate pink. Someone fed the jukebox, and Patsy 
Cline started breaking hearts again.
```

### Meaningful Detail

Choose details that do double duty:
```
❌ The room had a desk, a chair, and a filing cabinet.
   [Inventory]

✅ Dust furred the family photos on his desk—all 
   turned to face the wall.
   [Character revelation + atmosphere]
```

---

## Revision Framework

### Levels of Revision

| Level | Focus | Questions |
|-------|-------|-----------|
| Structural | Story architecture | Does the plot work? Are scenes in right order? |
| Scene | Individual scenes | Does each scene have conflict? Purpose? |
| Paragraph | Flow and pacing | Transitions smooth? Rhythm varied? |
| Sentence | Prose quality | Verbs strong? Sentences varied? |
| Word | Precision | Right word? Unnecessary words? |

### Revision Passes

**Pass 1: Story**
- Does the beginning hook?
- Is the ending earned?
- Does the middle sag?
- Are stakes clear?

**Pass 2: Character**
- Distinct voices?
- Consistent motivation?
- Arc completed?
- Relationships clear?

**Pass 3: Scene**
- Each scene has purpose?
- Conflict present?
- Sensory grounding?
- POV consistent?

**Pass 4: Line**
- Cut filler words (just, really, very)
- Strengthen verbs
- Vary sentence structure
- Check dialogue tags

**Pass 5: Polish**
- Read aloud
- Check spelling/grammar
- Format consistency
- Final typo sweep

---

## Common Problems

### Pacing Issues

| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------|-----|
| Drags | Too much description | Cut, add conflict |
| Rushed | Not enough scene | Slow down, add beats |
| Confusing | Time jumps | Add transitions |
| Boring | No stakes | Raise consequences |

### Dialogue Issues

| Problem | Example | Fix |
|---------|---------|-----|
| On-the-nose | "I'm angry at you!" | Subtext |
| Talking heads | Dialogue without action | Add beats |
| Info dump | Explaining plot | Conflict over info |
| Same voice | All characters same | Differentiate |

### Description Issues

| Problem | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Purple prose | Simplify, cut adjectives |
| No setting | Ground in physical space |
| Floating heads | Add action, gesture |
| Info dump | Distribute, dramatize |

---

## Forms

### Short Story
- 1,000-7,500 words typical
- Single effect/impression
- Limited scope
- Often one POV

### Flash Fiction
- Under 1,000 words
- Implication over exposition
- Often twist or resonance
- Every word counts

### Novel Chapter
- 2,000-5,000 words typical
- Mini-arc or cliffhanger
- Advances plot AND character
- Varies with genre

### Personal Essay
- First person reflection
- Particular to universal
- Scene + reflection
- "So what?" answered

---

## References

- `references/story-structures.md` - Alternative structures
- `references/genre-conventions.md` - Genre expectations
- `references/revision-checklist.md` - Detailed checklist