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crimson_leaf_publishing/steps/cozy_chapter_pass1_draft.yml

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type: think
model: power
hint: |
PASS 1 — WRITE THE COZY MYSTERY CHAPTER DRAFT
Use the draft prompt below as your exact writing brief:
{steps[0].text}
Requirements:
- Start with the FIRST LINE you planned — make it continue naturally from the previous chapter
- If the draft prompt contains a line starting with "LOCKED PREVIOUS CHAPTER HOOK:",
your FIRST LINE MUST directly resolve that hook — the reader expects the answer immediately
- If the draft prompt contains a line starting with "AUTHOR'S INTENT:", treat it as a
binding creative directive — your draft must satisfy that intent in full
- Follow the KEY BEATS in order, but write with full scene depth — don't skip
- All character names, the town layout, and recurring elements must be consistent with the bible/outline
- Every dialogue exchange must be tight and voice-distinct
- Show, don't tell — externalize emotion through action, detail, and dialogue
- Every scene beat moves the story forward OR reveals character (no filler)
- End with the CLOSING HOOK you planned
- Match the prose style guide: {prose_style}
- Target length: {chapter_target_words} words — write the FULL chapter, not a summary
- ⚠️ DO NOT stop early. If you have not reached {chapter_target_words} words, continue
writing — add warm detail, community scenes, extended dialogue beats, and character moments
until you hit the target. Short chapters will be REJECTED in adjudication.
DRAFTING DISCIPLINE — apply these on every page:
- {prose_style} is a hard constraint, not decoration
- Not every paragraph needs a memorable or quotable line — use functional connective prose
- Let observation precede interpretation: show the moment before naming what it means
- Avoid clustering aphorisms or thesis-style sentences back to back
- Prefer scene motion over thesis delivery — action and dialogue carry meaning
- Write ONE complete draft now. Do NOT self-polish. Reviewers will give feedback downstream.
COZY MYSTERY CRAFT RULES — these apply on every page:
- THE SETTING IS A CHARACTER: The small town, the bakery, the knitting circle — these are
not backdrop, they are the emotional heart of the series. Give the setting sensory life on
every page: smells, textures, seasonal details, the rhythms of community life.
- COZY WARMTH IS NON-NEGOTIABLE: There is death, but no graphic gore. Danger is present, but
the world is ultimately safe and resolvable. Readers come here for comfort. The protagonist
is competent, good-hearted, and embedded in a community that matters to them.
- CLUE INTEGRITY: Every clue dropped must be discoverable by the reader in retrospect.
No solutions pulled from nowhere. Suspects and red herrings are played fair — they have
real motives, even if they didn't commit the crime.
- THE AMATEUR SLEUTH VOICE: Your protagonist is not a professional detective. They notice
things because they KNOW this community, these people, these routines. The edge they have
over police is intimacy, not technique. Honor that — let their community knowledge be their
superpower.
- ENSEMBLE IS EVERYTHING: Cozy mysteries live or die on the recurring cast. Every chapter
should feel the community around the protagonist: the best friend who over-shares, the
rival who isn't entirely wrong, the authority figure who is simultaneously helpful and
obstructive. These relationships are the true product.
- HUMOR AND HEART: Cozy mysteries are warm books. There must be humor — light, character-
driven, never mean-spirited. There must be heart — the protagonist cares about these people
and this place, even the irritating ones.
- PACING: Cozy chapters move through scenes naturally, never rushed. A chapter might include
an investigation beat, a community scene, and a personal moment. Balance all three.
Output ONLY the draft chapter text.
Start directly with the chapter title (e.g., "Chapter N: [Title]") and opening line.
No commentary, no plan headers, no "Pass 1" label.