Velith / rules

---
description: Velith genre-specific writing conventions for each supported genre
globs:
  - "**/drafts/**"
  - "**/outline.md"
  - "**/PRD.md"
alwaysApply: false
---

# Velith — Genre Conventions

## Fiction
- Plot structure: Save the Cat! 15-beat or Snowflake Method
- Character bible with GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict) per character
- Scene beats with RDD (Reaction, Dilemma, Decision) pacing
- POV consistency (no 1st/3rd mixing within chapters)
- Dialogue rules: subtext over exposition, distinctive voice per character

## Non-Fiction
- Problem-solution structure per chapter
- Learner persona–driven progression (what does the reader already know?)
- Evidence hierarchy: primary research > expert interviews > case studies > anecdotes
- Chapter hooks: open with a question or counterintuitive fact
- Summary + action items at chapter end

## Technical
- Concept progression gradient: novice → intermediate → expert
- Code examples: compilable, commented, with expected output
- Diagrams for architecture, data flow, or process steps
- API docs: endpoint, parameters, response schema, error codes
- Labs/exercises at end of each chapter

## Screenplay
- 3-act structure + 8-sequence method
- Dialogue: subtext, distinct voice, no on-the-nose exposition
- A/B story interweaving (main plot + subplot)
- Action lines: present tense, visual, concise
- Page budget: ~1 page = ~1 minute of screen time

## Poetry
- Form types: sonnet, haiku, free verse, villanelle, prose poem, etc.
- Meter/rhythm awareness (iambic, trochaic, anapestic, dactylic)
- Imagery systems: visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory
- Collection arc: ordering poems for emotional/thematic progression
- Line break intentionality: enjambment vs end-stopped

## Game Scenario
- Quest/event tree structure with branching conditions
- Dialogue branching with player agency flags
- Lore bible: world rules, factions, technology/magic systems
- Flag system: track player choices across chapters/scenes
- Multiple endings: foreshadowing and divergence points

## Academic
- IMRAD structure (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion)
- Literature review: thematic organization, not chronological
- Argument chains: claim → evidence → warrant → backing → rebuttal
- Citation practices: consistent style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
- Abstract and keywords before main body

## Custom Genres
- Compose patterns from any supported genre via genre-creator
- Define custom quality gates and chapter templates
- Can inherit from multiple parent genres

## Visuals by genre

Every genre skill carries a Visuals section. Fiction: optional, character sheets locked before scene art, headers as motifs. Non-fiction: figures are part of the argument, charts from data files, photos licensed. Technical: diagrams as code with one theme, real screenshots, ≤3 figures per chapter. Screenplay: pitch packages only. Poetry: restraint, one medium, spot art at section openings. Game: maps, branching flowcharts from quest data, locked character and location sheets. Academic: data figures from `sources/`, discipline conventions. All through `/book-visuals`; the art bible is the single source of look.