wmiles81/narrative-dimensions-analysis
Overview
This skill is a physics-inspired story analysis system that models narratives as trajectories through multidimensional phase space. It tracks dimensions like intimacy, power differential, information asymmetry, vulnerability, desire, stakes, and trust to calculate tension, validate pacing, and diagnose structural problems. Genre-aware formulas adjust weights and constraints for romance, thriller, mystery, fantasy, and hybrids.
How this skill works
The system maps a story state vector s(t) = [intimacy, power_diff, info_asym, alignment, proximity, vulnerability, desire, stakes, trust] and computes emergent properties such as tension, conflict, chemistry, and pacing (||ds/dt||). Genre-specific weightings and secondary dimensions (danger, mystery, world_complexity, social_pressure, moral_ambiguity) modify calculations. Outputs include scene-, chapter-, and book-level diagnostics, velocity-based pacing reports, and concrete suggestions for adjusting dimensions to hit target emotional beats.
When to use it
- Analyzing structure or diagnosing why a scene feels flat or chaotic
- Engineering tension for a chapter or sequence
- Validating that character arcs change gradually and are properly earned
- Diagnosing pacing problems (stuck, rushed, optimal) across chapters
- Generating dimensional targets for scenes or beats in genre-specific projects
Best practices
- Specify content level (concept, outline, chapter, book, series) and genre up front for correct weightings
- Measure dimensions on consistent scales and log states to compute velocity and trends
- Treat large jumps (>2 points) as requiring explicit catalyst events
- Use velocity (||ds/dt||) to tune pacing: aim for steady movement, not teleportation
- Combine numeric diagnostics with human judgment—formulas are prescriptive tools, not creative rules
Example use cases
- Run a chapter-level report to find why a romance midpoint feels unemotional and get intimacy/trust targets
- Engineer a high-tension thriller scene by increasing stakes, information asymmetry, and vulnerability while forcing proximity
- Diagnose a book-level arc to ensure the black moment meets stakes=max, trust=min, and alignment shattered
- Plan an enemies-to-lovers trajectory by slowing goal alignment and tracking power_diff oscillation
- Generate scene targets (stakes, trust, desire, proximity) to guide revisions or beat sheets
FAQ
Pacing is calculated as the magnitude of the state-vector velocity v(t)=ds/dt; low velocity indicates stuck scenes, high velocity indicates rushed transitions, and optimal velocity moves 2–3 dimensions per unit interval.
When is a dimensional jump 'unearned'?
A jump greater than ~2 points without an explicit catalyst event flags as unearned; the system recommends inserting scenes or events that justify the change.
