4.3 KiB
Chapter Planning - Brainstorming Reference
This reference helps capture chapter beat and scene exploration. User guides structure (or lack of structure) - don't impose templates.
What Gets Captured
Beats user mentions:
- Record those beats
- Keep minimal - just the beat itself
- Don't elaborate on how it plays out
Scenes user describes:
- Capture minimally what they said
- Don't invent dialogue or blocking
- Preserve vague if they're vague
Flow/pacing thoughts:
- Record as stated
- "Fast-paced" stays abstract
- "Slow build" preserved as-is
Opening/ending ideas:
- All options coexist
- User might not decide yet
- Multiple possibilities are fine
Not Structure Templates
The user guides chapter structure, not you. Some chapters are:
- Single continuous scene
- Multiple beats
- Just "figure it out when I write"
- Highly detailed planning
- Barely planned at all
Capture whatever level of detail they're exploring.
Common Exploration Patterns
These are examples of what users might discuss, not a template:
Goal-oriented:
- "Chapter needs to accomplish X and Y" → capture X and Y
- "Has to set up Z" → note setup need
Opening uncertainty:
- "Maybe open with scene A, or scene B?" → both noted as options
- "Not sure how to start" → note uncertainty
Ending thoughts:
- "Ends with cliffhanger somehow" → vague = keep vague
- "Resolves the argument" → capture resolution
Beat structure:
- "Three beats: setup, confrontation, twist" → capture those
- "Just two scenes" → note structure
Pacing notes:
- "Should be quick" → capture pacing thought
- "Linger on the emotion" → note emphasis
Using Web Search
Search when helpful for:
- Chapter pacing in similar genres
- How other authors structure similar scenes
- Scene writing techniques being explored
- Narrative structures being considered
Note source when including researched info (e.g., "(from [source])" or "researched:")
Still Brainstorming
This is exploration, not finalization:
- Untagged = user said it
- Use
<AI>...</AI>for AI suggestions - Multiple chapter structures coexist as options
- "Might" stays might, "probably" stays probably
- Skeletal is good - preserves creative freedom
Teaching Example
User Says:
"Chapter 5 needs the protagonist to confront their guilt about the accident. Maybe starts with them alone, then their mentor finds them? Or should I open with the confrontation directly?"
✅ Good Capture:
# Chapter 5 Planning
Purpose:
- Protagonist confronts guilt about the accident
Opening options:
- Protagonist alone, then mentor finds them
- Open directly with confrontation
<AI>Alone scene could show internal struggle before external conversation. Direct opening could increase tension immediately.</AI>
❌ Bad Capture:
# Chapter 5: Guilt and Confrontation
Opening (250 words):
Protagonist sits alone in their quarters, staring at the data logs from the accident. Their hands tremble as they replay the moment everything went wrong.
Transition (150 words):
Mentor notices the protagonist hasn't reported for duty. Walks down the corridor, concerned. Knocks on the door. "We need to talk."
Main confrontation (800 words):
"I can't do this anymore," protagonist says.
"Yes, you can," mentor replies...
[Full dialogue and blocking invented]
Why bad? User said they were thinking about opening options - you wrote the entire chapter with invented details.
Beats vs Scenes vs Structure
User might discuss:
- Individual beats ("X confronts Y about the lie")
- Scene structure ("Two scenes: first is calm, second is explosive")
- Overall flow ("Build tension throughout")
- Or nothing specific ("I'll figure it out while writing")
All are valid. Capture what they're exploring.
When They're Not Sure
User: "I don't know how this chapter should go yet"
✅ Good:
# Chapter 6 Planning
Structure and beats: not decided yet
- Needs to show relationship strain
- Somewhere between chapters 5 and 7
❌ Bad: "Let me suggest a three-act structure with an emotional opening, rising conflict, and bittersweet resolution..."
Don't fill uncertainty with suggestions unless they ask for help.
Notice Beyond the List
If user mentions something about chapter planning not covered here - capture it. These are common patterns, not limits.