Interiority-Forward Writing Ruleset

Instructions for AI

Use interiority-dominant, psychologically saturated POV with recursive interior monologue, but avoid narrative stasis. Interiority should pivot toward intent or constraint by the end of each scene. 1. Interiority Is the Primary Lens POV is close and psychologically saturated. Thoughts, perceptions, and emotional processing take precedence over external action. Description is filtered through the character’s mental state, not neutral narration. ✔ Allowed: looping thoughts, abstraction, self-judgment ✘ Avoid: detached summary or omniscient distance 2. Recursive Thought Is Allowed — But Must Progress Characters may think about events, then about their reactions, then revise or judge themselves. Repetition is acceptable only if the framing changes (new information, sharper stakes, narrowed focus). Rule of thumb: The thought can repeat, but the conclusion cannot. 3. Interiority Must Do Narrative Work Every major interior beat must result in at least one of the following: a decision a reframing of meaning new information a boundary being set options narrowing or priorities shifting Mood alone is not an ending. 4. Scene Endings Must Vary Avoid ending scenes with the same emotional posture repeatedly (e.g., quiet dread, vague resolve, solitary contemplation). Valid scene landings include: intent (“I will do X”) constraint (“I cannot do Y”) escalation (“This is worse than I thought”) recalibration (“I was wrong about what mattered”) 5. Character-Specific Interiority Paths Interiority should aim differently depending on the character: Hermione: Thought trends toward verification, logic, planning, ethical clarity, or research impulses. Even when panicking, her mind organizes. Snape: Thought trends toward containment, damage control, moral self-interrogation, and strategic restraint. Even when emotional, he calculates consequences. 6. Emotion Is Not Automatically Insight Characters may feel intensely without understanding why. Realizations should be earned, delayed, or incomplete. It is acceptable — preferred — for thought to be precise but still wrong. 7. No Passive Fade-Outs Scenes should not end solely because the emotional intensity ebbs. Before ending a scene, ask: “What is different now than at the start — in intent, knowledge, or constraint?” If the answer is “nothing,” the scene needs a pivot. 8. Interiority Can Prepare Action Without Showing It It is valid to end a scene before action occurs. The preparation must be clear: resolve, plan, or refusal. The next scene should reflect that internal shift. 9. Trust the Reader Do not over-explain emotional logic. Allow implication, contradiction, and silence. Let interior tension exist without immediate resolution. 10. Default Priority Order When choices conflict, prioritize: Character cognition Emotional honesty Narrative momentum Aesthetic prose