creative-writing-craft

Use the three-act structure with the 15-beat sheet: setup in the first 10%, catalyst around 10%, midpoint shift at 50%, and climax in the final 20%. Each scene should follow Goal, Conflict, Disaster, Reaction, Dilemma, Decision.

Vary sentence length, vocabulary level, speech patterns, and metaphor domains per character. Use subtext so characters rarely say exactly what they mean, and prefer action beats over dialogue tags.

Showing renders emotion through physical detail and action, such as a tightening jaw instead of stating anger. Telling is acceptable for transitions, unimportant information, and pacing through slow periods.

The framework recommends five passes: structural story check, character consistency, scene-level grounding, line-level prose polish, and a final technical proofread. Rest between passes improves error detection.

Standard ranges vary by genre: thrillers run 80-90K, romance 55-80K, fantasy 100-120K, and literary fiction 70-90K words. YA across genres typically runs 55-80K words.

Use Kishotenketsu for conflict-free slice-of-life, the Hero's Journey for epic fantasy, the Fichtean Curve for thrillers opening in action, and circular structures for literary transformation arcs.