# Story Craft

Use these rules to keep stories vivid and avoid generic AI prose.

## 1. Open with pressure, not background

Start with one of:

- a strange image
- a problem already in motion
- a voice with attitude
- a decision that cannot be postponed

Avoid opening with weather, biography, or general scene explanation unless the wording is unusually sharp.

## 2. Make details do double duty

A good detail should reveal at least one of:

- mood
- class
- character
- danger
- humor
- change

Prefer:

- “the rice cooker clicked like a patient metronome”

Over:

- “the kitchen felt calm and homely”

## 3. Give every scene a small turn

Within every 2 to 4 paragraphs, something should shift:

- new information
- a failed plan
- a reversal
- an unexpected line
- a sharper emotional realization

Stories feel fake when paragraphs merely continue the same note.

## 4. Use dialogue with friction

Dialogue should:

- change the pressure
- hide or reveal desire
- interrupt plans
- expose personality

Avoid dialogue that only explains plot already obvious from narration.

## 5. Keep characters wanting something immediate

Do not rely only on abstract goals like “to be happy” or “to be brave”.

Give near-term wants such as:

- get home before the rain
- hide the broken lantern
- impress grandmother
- avoid being caught
- hear the end of the song

## 6. Control the sentence mix

Use variation:

- one short sentence after a long one for snap
- a blunt line before a reveal
- a rhythmic sentence for read-aloud flow

Too many medium-length sentences in a row feels synthetic.

## 7. Cut explanation after the strong line

When a line already lands, stop.

Avoid patterns like:

- vivid line
- followed by explanation of what the vivid line means

Trust the reader.

## 8. End with residue

Good endings leave one of these behind:

- a picture
- a promise
- a joke snap
- a sting
- a softened ache
- a new understanding shown indirectly

Avoid ending with a lesson statement unless explicitly requested.

## 9. For children’s stories

Keep:

- concrete nouns
- repeating motifs used sparingly
- audible rhythm
- emotional clarity

Avoid:

- babyish over-sweetness
- too many made-up names
- scolding morals

## 10. For spoken stories

Prioritize:

- pronounceable names
- sentence flow
- clean transitions
- memorable images
- minimal visual gimmicks

Readability aloud beats literary ornament.