Skill: openlark/novel-writing-techniques (version 1.0.0)

--- name: novel-writing-techniques description: Covers six core writing techniques — dual narrative/mirroring, character biography method, foreshadowing (Cao Xueqin's "gray thread" technique), poetic language style, morally gray character development, and hardcore intellectual duel design. Helps writers enhance the depth, logic, and literary quality of their novels. --- # Professional Novel Writing Techniques Refines six core professional novel writing techniques, covering the complete creative workflow from character construction to narrative structure, from linguistic style to intellectual duel design. ## Applicable Scenarios - Web novel creation (outline design, character development, chapter optimization) - Traditional novel writing (literary enhancement, narrative structure design) - Writing technique improvement (foreshadowing training, duel design, language refinement) - Literary creation research (technique analysis, work deconstruction) Use when users mention novel writing, writing techniques, character development, foreshadowing design, narrative structure, literary language, intellectual duels/battles, or character design. ## Quick Navigation for Writing Techniques This package covers six professional novel writing techniques. Select the corresponding reference file based on your current need: | Need | Reference File | |------|----------------| | Design dual-timeline / dual-perspective narrative structure | [references/dual-narrative.md](references/dual-narrative.md) | | Build three-dimensional characters, write character profiles | [references/character-building.md](references/character-building.md) | | Plant and recover foreshadowing, design suspense | [references/foreshadowing.md](references/foreshadowing.md) | | Enhance linguistic aesthetics and rhythm | [references/poetic-language.md](references/poetic-language.md) | | Develop morally gray characters | [references/gray-characters.md](references/gray-characters.md) | | Design logical duels and intellectual battle scenes | [references/intellectual-duel.md](references/intellectual-duel.md) | ## Usage Workflow ### Single Technique Application When the user only asks about one technique, directly load the corresponding reference file: - "Help me design a dual narrative for this character" → [dual-narrative.md](references/dual-narrative.md) - "Help me write a character biography" → [character-building.md](references/character-building.md) - "Help me plant some foreshadowing in this passage" → [foreshadowing.md](references/foreshadowing.md) - "This text isn't beautiful enough" → [poetic-language.md](references/poetic-language.md) - "This character is too stereotypical" → [gray-characters.md](references/gray-characters.md) - "The intellectual duel is too poorly written" → [intellectual-duel.md](references/intellectual-duel.md) ### Multi-Technique Synergy (Project-Level Consultation) When the user needs comprehensive guidance for a full work, follow this priority order: 1. **First load [character-building.md](references/character-building.md)** — Characters are the foundation of everything. Without three-dimensional characters, narrative techniques are just castles in the air. 2. **Then load [gray-characters.md](references/gray-characters.md)** — As an advanced supplement to character building, ensuring characters are not flat. 3. **Select structural techniques based on narrative needs**: - Multi-line narrative → [dual-narrative.md](references/dual-narrative.md) - Suspense/mystery → [foreshadowing.md](references/foreshadowing.md) - Intellectual duels → [intellectual-duel.md](references/intellectual-duel.md) 4. **Finally load [poetic-language.md](references/poetic-language.md)** — Language is the final layer of skin, which should be applied on top of solid character and structural foundations. ## Technique Depth Selection Each technique has different levels of depth. Choose the appropriate depth based on the user's writing stage: ### Beginner Stage (Novice Writers) - Character biography: Only the first layer (basic info + linguistic fingerprint + behavioral habits) - Foreshadowing: Only micro and meso levels - Poetic language: Start with the principle of concreteness - Intellectual duels: Start with the principle of information fairness ### Intermediate Stage (Experienced Writers) - Character biography: Add second layer (trauma/secrets + desires and fears) - Foreshadowing: Add macro-level planning - Poetic language: Introduce a core imagery system - Intellectual duels: Introduce a three-layer prediction chain ### Professional Stage (Mature Writers) - Character biography: Complete three layers + relationship matrix - Foreshadowing: Establish a management and tracking table - Poetic language: Achieve full-work rhythm planning - Intellectual duels: Achieve complete "unexpected yet within reason" design ## Output Format When answering writing technique questions, use this structure: 1. **Diagnosis**: Identify the root cause of the current problem at the technique level in one sentence. 2. **Solution**: Provide 1-3 specific, actionable improvement plans. 3. **Example**: Provide a before-and-after comparison example (choose the most critical one). 4. **Extension**: Suggest further related techniques that may be relevant (if needed). For project-level consultations, first provide an overall diagnosis (which technique dimension is weakest), then provide improvement plans one by one in priority order. Avoid giving too many suggestions at once — focus on 1-2 core improvement points each time. ## Cross-Technique Synergy Notes The six techniques do not operate in isolation; they intertwine throughout a work: - **Character Biography → Foreshadowing**: A character's secrets/traumas are naturally the seeds of macro-level foreshadowing. - **Gray Characters → Intellectual Duels**: A character's value priorities determine their dueling strategy. - **Dual Narrative → Foreshadowing**: Foreshadowing planted in each timeline mutually reinforces at their convergence point. - **Poetic Language → Gray Characters**: Use the beauty of language to contrast the darkness of human nature, creating tension. - **Gray Characters → Dual Narrative**: The same character shows different facets of grayness under different perspectives. When handling multi-technique questions, be sure to highlight these synergistic relationships.

path: references/character-building.md
content: ## Character Biography Method

The character biography method involves writing a detailed character profile for each major character before starting the main text. It is not a simple character introduction, but rather an engineering approach to character construction that delves into the very core of the character's soul.

### The Three-Layer Structure of a Character Biography

#### Layer One: Surface (Externally Observable)

- **Basic Information**: Name, age, physical characteristics (3 distinctive details are sufficient; no lengthy descriptions needed), place of origin, social class.
- **Linguistic Fingerprint**: Catchphrases, speech rhythm (short/long sentences), vocabulary preferences, dialect or professional jargon.
- **Behavioral Habits**: At least 2 signature actions or habits (e.g., pushing up glasses, biting a pen cap), used for silent expression within scenes.
- **Social Relationships**: List 5 or more characters emotionally connected to this one, along with the nature of the relationship.

#### Layer Two: Mid-Layer (Internal Logic)

- **Core Values**: List the 3 things the character values most, and their priority order — when these conflict, the character's choice defines their personality.
- **Trauma/Secret**: Every major character should have at least one secret or traumatic experience they wouldn't easily share — this is the core engine driving the character's arc.
- **Desire and Fear**: Surface desire (what the character thinks they want) vs. deep desire (what the character truly needs); fear is the other side of desire.
- **Cognitive Blind Spot**: The character's mistaken belief about themselves or the world — to be challenged and broken as the story progresses.

#### Layer Three: Deep Layer (Narrative Function)

- **Character Function/Role**: Protagonist / Antagonist / Ally / Mentor / Catalyst / Mirror / Shadow — clarify each character's structural function within the story.
- **Arc Trajectory**: From starting point (state of deficiency) → turning point (forced to change) → ending point (transformation complete/incomplete). Map the character's curve of change.
- **Thematic Embodiment**: Which aspect of the story's theme does this character represent? Every important character should be a facet of the theme.
- **Key Lines**: Pre-establish 3-5 signature lines that run throughout the book for the character — these lines reappear in different contexts, their meaning building layer by layer.

### The Order of Writing Character Biographies

1.  Start with the protagonist's biography — the protagonist is the story's anchor; other characters' functions are defined around the protagonist.
2.  Then write the antagonist's/villain's biography — the antagonist is the protagonist's other half; the two biographies should mirror each other.
3.  Next, write allies and mentors — they compensate for the protagonist's skill gaps or cognitive blind spots.
4.  Finally, write supporting characters — ensure each supporting character has an independent function and avoid overlapping functions.

### Character Relationship Matrix

Place the main characters into a relationship matrix, noting for each pair:

- Nature of the relationship (blood/interest/emotion/ideology)
- Dynamic changes of the relationship (initial meeting → conflict → reconciliation/rupture)
- Secrets or misunderstandings between them
- Key nodes of mutual influence

### From Character Biography to Plot

The core formula for character-driven plot: **Desire + Obstacle + Choice = Action**.

The character's deep desire drives action; action encounters obstacles; obstacles force the character to make choices; choices define the character. Plot is not "what happens *to* the character," but rather "what the character *creates* because of their own desires and flaws."

### Updating the Biography

A character biography is not a static document. During the writing process, when a character makes an unexpected choice, update the biography — this indicates the character has "come to life," surpassing the initial design.

path: references/dual-narrative.md
content: ## Dual Narrative / Mirror Narrative

Dual mirror narrative refers to an advanced narrative structure where two storylines advance in parallel, reflecting each other. The two lines are separated in time, space, or perspective, but form a precise contrast in theme, plot, or emotion.

### Five Classic Dual Narrative Modes

#### 1. Temporal Mirror (Past ⇄ Present)
One line is in the past, the other in the present. The past line explains the origin of the present line's situation; the present line reveals the consequences of the past.

**Key Operational Points:**
- Open the past line with a specific tense marker (e.g., past perfect), then gradually slide into the simple past to create immersion.
- A chapter ratio of 6:4 or 5:5 between the two lines is recommended, with the emotionally stronger line taking slightly more space.
- Place transition points at moments of suspense: Line A reaches a minor climax → cut to Line B → leave suspense in Line B → cut back to Line A.

#### 2. Perspective Mirror (Character A ⇄ Character B)
Two major characters alternately narrate the same event or parallel events.

**Key Operational Points:**
- The cognitive discrepancy between the two characters is the core source of tension — the same event can look completely different to different people.
- Use contrasting details to hint at the truth: Red scarf seen by A → B's perspective reveals it's actually blood.
- The amount of information each perspective receives should have a rhythmic imbalance: Chapter 1 gives more to A, less to B; by Chapter 3, reverse.

#### 3. Causal Mirror (Top-Down Decisions ⇄ Bottom-Up Execution)
One line focuses on macro-level planning/decisions; the other focuses on micro-level actions/consequences.

**Key Operational Points:**
- The top-down line shows only the tip of the iceberg; the bottom-up line gradually reveals the massive hidden part.
- The convergence point of the two lines is usually in the middle-to-late section (60%-75% mark); convergence equals climax.

#### 4. Reality/Fiction Mirror (Reality ⇄ Symbolism)
One narrative line is objective reality, the other is a conscious plane like dreams/hallucinations/manuscripts/memories.

**Key Operational Points:**
- The fictional line must have its own internal logic; it cannot jump randomly.
- Use sensory confusion at the transition points between reality and fiction: "He didn't know if it was a dream or reality."

#### 5. Oppositional Mirror (Hero ⇄ Villain)
The protagonist's line and the antagonist's line advance in parallel, mirroring each other.

**Key Operational Points:**
- The villain's decision-making logic should be as clear as the protagonist's — the villain is the hero of their own story.
- At key nodes, have both lines make different choices in the same situation to highlight character definition.

### Chapter Arrangement Techniques

| Technique | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| Conjunction/Repetition | A key word or image from the end of the previous chapter reappears at the beginning of the next for a smooth transition. |
| The Cut on Suspense | Write the A line up to "The door opened — " and immediately cut to the B line, using suspense to drive page-turning. |
| Rhythmic Symmetry | Do not synchronize the climax points of the two lines. Let A line climax while B line builds, alternating release points. |
| Information Asymmetry | Information the reader already knows from line B remains unknown to characters in line A, creating dramatic irony. |

### Designing the Convergence Points

The convergence of the two lines is a carefully designed process: The **first convergence point** (approximately 30% into the story) is a surface-level intersection (a missed encounter, attending the same event). The **second convergence point** (approximately 60% into the story) is an overlap of information (truths from one line begin appearing in the other). The **final convergence point** (the climax) is the merging of fates.

### Pitfall Prevention Guide

- Ensure the style and density of both lines are consistent; avoid creating a situation where readers "like line A but skip line B."
- In the initial stage, each line should continue for at least two consecutive chapters before switching, allowing readers to establish emotional anchors.
- An asymmetric dual narrative (one line clearly stronger) is a common problem. The fix is to add independent suspense hooks to the weaker line.

path: references/foreshadowing.md
content: ## Foreshadowing: The Gray Thread Technique

The term "gray thread" originates from classical Chinese literary theory. It suggests that a trail should be as faint as a snake moving through grass — sometimes visible, sometimes hidden; like ashes slipping through fingers — intermittent yet continuous. In novel writing, this means foreshadowing should be planted like a snake passing over grass tips — leaving no obvious indentations, yet upon careful retrospection, every trace is discernible.

### The Three Levels of Foreshadowing

#### Micro Level: Word/Sentence-Level Foreshadowing (Span: Same chapter to a few chapters)
- Deliberate repetition or variation of a specific word
- A seemingly casual line of dialogue from a character
- A close-up description of an object/action
- **Scale**: Payoff interval within 5,000 words.

#### Meso Level: Scene-Level Foreshadowing (Span: Several chapters to half the book)
- A prop/character/piece of information appearing in a scene
- A seemingly incidental environmental description
- An unexplained strange reaction or emotional fluctuation
- **Scale**: Payoff interval spanning tens of thousands of words, across multiple chapters.

#### Macro Level: Structural-Level Foreshadowing (Span: Entire book)
- The core mystery planted at the very beginning
- A character's background/core secret
- A reversal of the world's foundational rules
- **Scale**: Payoff interval spanning hundreds of thousands of words, across the entire book.

### Four Methods for Planting Foreshadowing

#### 1. The Incidental Detail Method
Hide key information within seemingly irrelevant details. Mix foreshadowing into descriptions of weather, background conversations between passersby, or environmental details. Readers think they are reading scenery, but they are actually receiving clues.

**Operation**: Include at least one "extra detail" per chapter — write one more sentence, and hide something needed later within that sentence.

#### 2. The Misdirection Method
Let both the reader and the characters notice a piece of information, but their understanding of its meaning is wrong. When the truth is revealed, readers have an "aha!" moment: they realize they saw it all along, they just understood it incorrectly.

**Operation**: When providing key information, simultaneously provide a seemingly reasonable (but actually false) interpretive framework to mislead the reader.

#### 3. The Multiple Meanings Method
The same line of dialogue or the same image has one meaning on a first reading, and a different meaning on a reread. The surface meaning serves the current scene; the deeper meaning is the clue to the foreshadowing.

**Operation**: When writing dialogue or description, ask yourself: "Could this also mean something else?" If yes, keep it.

#### 4. The Gradual Revelation Method
Reveal a single piece of foreshadowing in 3-5 steps, each time showing the reader just the tip of the iceberg. First appearance plants a question; second appearance provides a partial answer but leaves new questions; third appearance approaches the truth but leaves room for a reversal; finally, the complete reveal.

**Operation**: Plan a complete "unveiling sequence" for each major piece of foreshadowing — in which chapters, by what method, and how much information is shown at each step.

### Foreshadowing Management Tool

It is recommended to maintain a foreshadowing tracking table:

| Foreshadowing ID | Planted Chapter | Method of Planting | Planned Payoff Chapter | Actual Payoff Chapter | Status |
|----------------|----------------|--------------------|------------------------|----------------------|--------|
| F001 | Ch3 | Character Dialogue | Ch15 | - | Unpaid |

Tag each piece of foreshadowing as "Unpaid" after planting. After payoff, mark as "Paid" and record the actual payoff location. Ensure no unpaid foreshadowing remains upon completion of the entire work (unless intentionally left open).

### Foreshadowing Density Control

- **Web novels (daily updates)**: 1-2 micro level per chapter, 1 meso level every 10 chapters, 1-2 macro level per volume.
- **Traditional novels**: 2-3 micro level per 10,000 words, 1 meso level per 50,000 words, 3-5 macro level for the entire book.
- **Pacing**: The first 1/3 of the story focuses on planting; the middle 1/3 balances planting and payoff; the final 1/3 focuses on payoff.

### Pitfall Prevention Guide

- **Foreshadowing planted too subtly** → Readers don't notice it at all → Feels abrupt when revealed.
- **Foreshadowing planted too obviously** → Readers guess it in advance → No surprise when revealed.
- **Correction**: Readers should at least have a vague sense that "something feels off here," but should not be "certain this is foreshadowing."

path: references/gray-characters.md
content: ## Developing Morally Gray Characters

Morally gray characters are those that do not adhere to a simple good/evil binary label. Instead, they exist along the middle of the moral spectrum, where their rightness or wrongness depends on their perspective, the situation, and their choices. A morally gray character is not simply "a good person doing bad things" or "a bad person with a tragic backstory." Rather, it is allowing "good" and "evil" to become equally internalized, natural components of the character.

### Five Dimensions of Gray Characters

#### 1. Gray Motivation
The character's motivations are not purely altruistic or purely selfish; they are mixed. They want to save someone, but they also want to profit from the situation. The two are not a "surface/truth" relationship, but a dual truth.

**Design Formula**: Every major action should be driven by at least two motivations simultaneously — one that is public and one that is unspoken. The proportions can be 70/30, but not 90/10.

#### 2. Gray Means
The character's goal may be benevolent, but the methods they employ cross moral boundaries. "Doing the wrong thing for the right reason" — but the author does not defend the character, only presents them.

**Design Formula**: Give the character an uncompromisable goal + an untouchable bottom line. Grayness emerges when they are forced to cross one of them.

#### 3. Gray Perception
There is a discrepancy between how the character perceives their own actions and how others perceive them. The character genuinely believes they are right, but the reader can see their blind spots and self-deception.

**Design Formula**: Give the character a self-consistent but not entirely correct worldview. Do not expose it; let the reader discover the cracks themselves.

#### 4. Gray Position
In a multi-sided conflict, each position has its own justification. There is no absolute side of justice. Readers find themselves sympathizing with the side "supposed" to be the villain, or questioning the side "supposed" to be righteous.

**Design Formula**: Each faction should have at least one core demand that the reader can identify with. The essence of the conflict is not good vs. evil, but irreconcilable differences between legitimate demands.

#### 5. Gray Development/Growth
The character's moral trajectory is not linear progress toward good, but fluctuating. Improvement → setback → regression → starting anew. Sometimes they get worse; sometimes they stagnate.

**Design Formula**: Design at least one regression for the character — they make a worse choice than before, not because of external pressure, but because they actively walked into the darkness.

### Identifying Signs of a Gray Character

- Readers can feel both "I understand them" and "I can't forgive them" simultaneously toward the same character.
- The character's choices can be judged as "right" or "wrong," but there should not be only one answer.
- The character themselves is uncertain whether they are right or wrong — this sense of uncertainty is the core essence of grayness.

### Distribution Within a Work

- **Protagonist's grayness**: Suggested 30%-50% — too much gray makes it difficult for readers to form an emotional connection.
- **Supporting characters' grayness**: Can be higher (50%-80%), as the reading distance is greater.
- **Anchoring characters**: At least one character in the book should have an consistently clear moral stance — serving as a reference point to reflect the grayness of others.

### Pitfall Prevention Guide

- "Grayness" is not an excuse for despicable behavior — a character's bad choices should bear real costs.
- Grayness ≠ indecisiveness/wishy-washy — the character should have a clear (even if sometimes wrong) belief system.
- If all characters are gray → the world becomes chaotic and unclear → retain a few characters with clear-cut stances as anchors.

path: references/intellectual-duel.md
content: ## Hardcore Intellectual Duel Design

Hardcore intellectual duels refer to conflicts driven purely by a character's wisdom, strategy, and psychological maneuvering, without relying on systems, superpowers, or cheat abilities. Their core appeal lies in the "fairness" of each step of reasoning shown to the reader — all information has been provided, and the outcome depends solely on the characters' ways of thinking.

### Core Principles of Intellectual Duels

#### The Information Fairness Principle
Readers and characters should share the same informational foundation. When Character A deduces a piece of information unknown to the reader, that information must have appeared at least once before (even if in an extremely subtle way).

**Operation**: Establish an "information trace" for each key deduction — on which previously shown clues is this conclusion based?

#### The Logical Chain Transparency Principle
The logical chain of a character's reasoning must be reconstructible by the reader. It does not need to be fully explained at the moment of deduction, but after the reveal, the reader should be able to look back and confirm that it was, indeed, logically sound.

**Operation**: For each deduction node, mark the three links: basis for deduction → conclusion → resulting action, ensuring logical coherence.

### Three Forms of Intellectual Duels

#### 1. Information Asymmetry Game
The two parties possess different amounts of information. The party with more information must conceal their advantage; the party with less must deduce what the opponent knows.

**Classic Tactics**:
- **Counter-exploitation**: I know that you know, but I pretend not to know that you know, leading you to make a wrong judgment.
- **Bluffing**: I actually know nothing, but I act as if I know everything, causing you to expose yourself.
- **Reverse fishing**: Intentionally leak "important information" and observe the opponent's reaction to confirm a hypothesis.

#### 2. Resource-Constrained Game
Both parties engage in strategic competition under limited resources (time, manpower, information channels, physical means).

**Design Formula**: First, define the resource pools and constraints for both sides. Then enter a cycle of "you make a move → I counter → I counterattack → you respond." Each round of the game must consume resources, gradually clarifying the outcome.

#### 3. Cognitive Framework Game
This is not a contest of information or resources, but of cognitive frameworks. One party defines the framework of the problem; the other attempts to think outside that framework.

**Classic Tactics**:
- **Framework Subversion**: All your reasoning is based on the premise that "A is true" — but that premise is false.
- **Dimensionality Reduction Strike**: Your tactics at your level are exquisite, but I simply change the rules of the game.
- **Prediction Chain**: I predict your prediction → you predict that I predict your prediction → I anticipate this level and therefore do the opposite.

### Design Formula for Intellectual Duel Scenes

1.  **Goal**: What does A want? What does B want? (Goals should conflict but may not be completely opposed.)
2.  **Constraints**: What are the limitations for each side? (Information blind spots, time pressure, action restrictions.)
3.  **Resources**: What cards does each side have to play?
4.  **Strategy**: Which path does A choose? Which path does B choose?
5.  **Collision**: What happens when the two strategic lines intersect?
6.  **Adjustment**: After the first collision, how does each side adjust their strategy?
7.  **Resolution**: Who ultimately wins, and by what method? What price does the winner pay?

### Pacing Control for Intellectual Duels

- **Setup Phase** (first 1/3): Showcase the capabilities of both sides, plant key information, establish the game framework.
- **Exchange Phase** (middle 1/3): Both sides begin making moves, with an informational breakthrough occurring every 2-3 rounds.
- **Climax Phase** (final 1/3): The game reaches its most intense stage; both sides reveal their final cards and decisive moves.

Arrange at least one point of contrast per phase where "the reader understands, but the character does not" — this is the strongest source of gratification in intellectual duels.

### "Unexpected Yet Within Reason" in Intellectual Duels

This is the highest achievement of hardcore intellectual duels: an ending that makes the reader feel — completely unable to guess it before knowing the answer, yet finding it utterly logical and inevitable after knowing the answer.

**Implementation Method**: The final, decisive strategy is based on a constraint, piece of information, or logical relationship that both the reader and the opponent overlooked — a condition that did indeed appear previously, but was cleverly obscured by the narrative.

### Pitfall Prevention Guide

- **Idiot Ball (Lowered Opponent IQ)**: Deliberately lowering the opponent's intelligence to let the protagonist win. **Correction**: The opponent's moves should also be optimal moves under their constraints.
- **Deus Ex Machina**: New means or resources suddenly appearing from nowhere at a critical moment. **Correction**: All crucial means must have been shown earlier.
- **Reasoning Jumps**: Going directly from A to D, leaving B and C for the reader to fill in. **Correction**: The key steps of reasoning must be explicitly stated.

path: references/poetic-language.md
content: ## Poetic Language Style

Poetic language does not mean turning the novel into poetry. Rather, it means injecting the rhythmic quality, density of imagery, and linguistic tension of poetry into prose narrative, giving the writing aesthetic value that transcends mere information delivery.

### Rhythm Control

#### Sentence Length Regulation
- **Short sentences (3-8 characters/words)**: Create tension, impact, a sense of fragmentation. Use for action scenes, emotional outbursts, chapter endings.
- **Medium sentences (10-20 characters/words)**: The rhythm of everyday narration. Use for dialogue, description, transitional paragraphs.
- **Long sentences (20+ characters/words)**: Create a sense of extension, immersion, and sustained thought. Use for internal monologues, lyrical passages, environmental exposition.

**Core Principle**: Sentence length should serve the emotion. Urgent emotion → short sentences; lingering emotion → long sentences; calm emotion → medium sentences. However, do not use a single sentence pattern for an entire paragraph — variation itself is rhythm.

#### Paragraph Breathing
- Paragraph length represents the reader's "breathing rate."
- Long paragraphs make readers hold their breath (immersion); short paragraphs let readers exhale (acceleration).
- Key information should be placed in short paragraphs to make it surface.

### Imagery System

#### Core Imagery Method
Establish 3-5 recurring core images for the entire book (e.g., rain, bridge, mirror, staircase, door). They appear in different forms across different chapters, each bearing a specific symbolic function.

**Operation**:
- Assign each core image an emotional/thematic correspondence (e.g., "rain = internal chaos").
- As the character's emotions change, the description of that image changes accordingly (e.g., "drizzle" → "downpour" → "rain stopping").
- The evolution trajectory of the image should remain synchronized with the character's arc.

#### Synesthesia Technique
Describe one sensory experience using the language of another sense:

- Vision → Hearing: "Her laughter was loud" (a striking sound)
- Hearing → Touch: "The sound was like velvet brushing the eardrum"
- Smell → Taste: "The air was filled with cloyingly sweet decay"

**Guiding Principle**: Synesthesia should serve the immediate emotional need precisely. Avoid using it indiscriminately just for showmanship.

### Aesthetics of Leaving Blank (Negative Space)

- Do not write everything fully: The strongest emotions often do not need language to carry them.
- Skip the climax: At the most emotionally intense moment, you can bypass direct description, substituting it with blankness/silence/indirect action depiction.
- Lingering lines (aftertaste sentences): Ideally, each chapter should contain at least one line that "lodges in the reader's throat" — it does not advance the plot, but makes the reader pause and reflect.

### The Principle of Concreteness

Abstraction is the enemy of poetic language. Do not write "He was very sad." Write "He read that letter seven times, realigning the crease perfectly each time."

**Three dimensions to enhance concreteness**:
1.  **Action**: Describe physical reactions rather than stating psychological states.
2.  **Space**: Attach emotions to specific objects or the environment.
3.  **Time**: Use the duration/frequency of an action to express emotional intensity.

### Paragraph → Overall Style Control

- In a 3000-character/word chapter, it is recommended that poetic paragraphs account for 15%-25% of the text.
- Poetic paragraphs should be concentrated at emotional high points, not distributed evenly.
- After an extended poetic description, use a single line of plain, unadorned description to bring things back down to earth — "Then he went to the bathroom."

### Pitfall Prevention Guide

- **Over-modification** → Sentences become bloated → Delete any adjective where the meaning of the sentence remains unchanged without it.
- **Too many images** → Readers get lost → Introduce at most one new image per chapter.
- **Style over substance** → Insufficient expository/plot-progressing text → Ensure every poetic passage is followed by a clear narrative advancement.

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