| name | 90day-scene-refinement |
| description | Diagnoses and surgically trims bloated 90 Day Fiancé scenes using the signal-to-noise reduction workflow. Identifies bloat type, tests scene function, performs three-level surgical cuts, and delivers a tighter version. Use when scenes run over 800 words, feel repetitive or sluggish, have too much process detail, or need trimming before EP review. Triggers on "scene refinement", "trim this", "too long", "bloated", "cut the undergrowth", "signal to noise", "tighten this up", "needs trimming", "over word count", or when any scene exceeds the 600-800 word target. |
90 Day Scene Refinement
Surgical approach to trimming scenes that have grown past their purpose. This skill turns overgrown scenes into clear trails — same destination, less undergrowth.
The target for a Diaries scene is 600-800 words. When scenes hit 1,000-1,400 words, the story is still in there — it's just buried under process details, choreography, repetition, and double processing. This skill finds the story and clears everything around it.
When to Use This Skill
- Scene exceeds 800 words
- Scene "feels slow" or EP notes say "too much detail"
- Multiple paragraphs express the same emotional truth
- Heavy travel/logistics sections that don't serve story
- Verite and INTV are saying the same thing (double processing)
- After story-development Phase 4 expansion produces first drafts
The Refinement Process
STEP 1: Word Count Diagnosis
Count approximate words and establish the cut ratio.
| Current Words | Cut Needed | Approach |
|---|
| 800-900 | 5-10% | Trim — line-item cuts only |
| 900-1100 | 15-25% | Moderate — consolidation + line cuts |
| 1100-1400 | 30-40% | Heavy — structural surgery needed |
| 1400+ | 40%+ | Likely needs restructuring, not just trimming |
The ratio tells you whether this is a pruning job or a chainsaw job. Different problems, different tools.
STEP 2: Identify the Bloat Type
Every bloated scene suffers from one or more of these five patterns. Diagnose which ones are present before cutting anything — the diagnosis drives the fix.
Process Documentation
Writing every step of an activity when only the outcome matters.
- Symptom: Detailed description of routine tasks (cooking steps, driving directions, shopping sequences, packing items)
- Pattern: "Character does X, then Y, then Z, then returns to A..."
- Fix: "Character does X" → jump to what matters
- Nature analogy: Like describing every branch on a tree when you just need to say "oak tree"
Choreography/Blocking
Directing people through physical space instead of focusing on emotional movement.
- Symptom: Room-by-room tracking, who stands where, bag handling, door opening sequences
- Pattern: "They enter room, put bags down, person A goes here, person B goes there..."
- Fix: "They arrive at location" → jump to emotional beat
- Nature analogy: Mapping every footprint on a trail vs. just saying "they reached the summit"
Repetition from Different Angles
Saying the same emotional truth multiple times with slight variations.
- Symptom: Character feels X, then later reflects on feeling X, then INTV explains feeling X
- Pattern: Three separate paragraphs expressing same internal state
- Fix: Pick the sharpest articulation, cut the others
- Nature analogy: Three echoes of the same thunder — one crack is enough
Double Processing
Character processes the same feeling in verite AND in INTV.
- Symptom: Verite shows reaction → INTV explains exact same reaction
- Pattern: Selfie mode reflection followed by INTV saying identical thing
- Fix: Choose one layer (usually INTV for depth), cut the other
- Nature analogy: Rain and a weather report both telling you it's wet — pick one
Travel Logistics
Documenting every step of getting from Point A to Point B.
- Symptom: Airport sequences, car rides, transitions between locations
- Pattern: "They drive to airport, check bags, go through security, board plane..."
- Fix: Cut beginning and end, imply the middle
- Nature analogy: A river doesn't narrate every turn — it just arrives at the ocean
STEP 3: The Scene Job Test
Ask: What must this scene accomplish for the story?
Every scene has exactly one core function:
- Revelation — secret exposed, truth admitted
- Relationship Shift — connection or disconnection becomes visible
- Decision Point — character commits to action
- Pressure Escalation — stakes increase, tension builds
Identify the function. Then identify everything NOT directly serving that function. Those are your cut candidates.
Rule: If you can remove a beat and the scene still accomplishes its job, remove it.
STEP 4: Structure Diagnosis
Use these metaphors to explain what's structurally wrong — both for your own thinking and when presenting the diagnosis:
Dominoes vs. Spiral
- Dominoes falling = each beat tips directly into next, forward momentum
- Spiral staircase = circling same emotional territory from different angles
- If you're spiraling: make each beat advance to new territory
Fuse vs. Travel Log
- Fuse burning = pressure building to single explosion point
- Travel log = documenting every step chronologically
- If you're logging: show only the pressure points
Arrow vs. Circle
- Straight arrow = each beat advances to next level
- Circle = returning to same emotional territory repeatedly
- If you're circling: never retreat to re-explain what's established
STEP 5: Three-Level Surgical Cuts
Work from most specific to broadest. Don't restructure when trimming will do.
Level 1: Line-Item Cuts (easiest, most common)
- Entire paragraphs that add nothing: logistical transitions, routine descriptions, repeated information
- Action: "Cut this paragraph about [X] — it doesn't serve the scene's job"
Level 2: Consolidation (compression)
- Multiple beats expressing same emotional truth → compress to one sharp statement
- Three mentions of same dynamic → single strong moment
- Action: "These 3 paragraphs say the same thing — keep the sharpest, cut the rest"
Level 3: Structural Surgery (hardest but most impactful)
- Remove entire sequences not serving scene function: transition sequences, callbacks, alternate versions of same beat
- Action: "This entire sequence doesn't serve the scene's job of [X]"
STEP 6: Apply Rewrite Principles
When rewriting trimmed sections, follow these rules:
One Beat Per Moment
Instead of: Setup action → describe action → react to action → explain action
Write: Action + immediate consequence
Show Once, Reflect Once
Verite shows it happening → INTV explains what it meant
NOT: Verite → verite explanation → selfie processing → INTV saying same thing
Imply the Middle
Show: Point A → Point B
Cut: The entire journey between (audience infers travel happened)
Trust the Audience
One line can imply what three sentences stated explicitly. Physical actions communicate without verbal explanation. Emotional states show through behavior, not description.
Establish Once, Then Trust
Camera positions: state at scene start, then trust it's understood.
Relationship dynamics: show the pattern once, don't re-explain.
Location details: establish setting, then just write the action.
STEP 7: Quality Check
Before delivering the refined version, verify:
Output Format
SCENE REFINEMENT — [Scene Title]
DIAGNOSIS:
- Word count: [current] → target [600-800]
- Cut ratio needed: [X]%
- Bloat types found: [list]
- Scene's job: [core function]
CUTS MADE:
Level 1 (Line Items): [count]
- [specific cut and why]
Level 2 (Consolidation): [count]
- [what was compressed and why]
Level 3 (Structural): [count]
- [what was removed and why]
REFINED VERSION:
[Full refined scene text]
METRICS:
- Before: [X] words
- After: [X] words
- Reduction: [X]%
- Scene job: [INTACT / MODIFIED — explain if modified]
Integration with Pipeline
- Input from
90day-story-development: Phase 4 expanded scenes often need trimming
- Output to
90day-voice-gate: Refined scenes go through voice check before EP submission
- Feedback from
90day-production-readiness: Low rubric scores on "Strategic Structure" often indicate refinement needed
- Can be called standalone: For individual scene polishing outside the full pipeline
The Core Principle
Signal = The emotional truth advancing the story
Noise = The logistical steps between signal moments
Goal: Maximum signal-to-noise ratio. Mostly emotional truth. Minimal logistics. Maximum impact per word.
Like clearing undergrowth from a trail — the path is always there, just overgrown with process details. Clear the undergrowth so the path is visible and walkable.
