| name | causal-chain-construction |
| description | Build plot beats as Prior State -> Trigger -> Character Interpretation -> Decision -> Action -> Consequence. |
Causal Chain Construction
Use this skill when planning or checking plot logic.
A strong plot beat is not just an event. It is a causal chain:
Prior State -> Trigger -> Character Interpretation -> Decision -> Action -> Consequence
Checks
- Would this beat happen without the trigger?
- Does the decision follow from the character's current information and pressure?
- Does the action create a consequence that the next beat remembers?
- Has the prior state planted the resources, location, relationship, or pressure that makes this beat possible?
Common Gaps
- Information gap: a character knows something only the author knows.
- Motivation gap: the action does not serve any plausible interest or need.
- Coincidence as causality: "just happens to" replaces setup.
- Time gap: the event cannot physically happen in the available time.
- Forgotten consequence: a prior action leaves no trace on the following scene.
