Bow Tie Kreative Writing System
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Rules / narrative

NAR-008 Context default layer: section

Keep narrative tense stable

IF narrative tense changes without a time-frame or mode shift, THEN restore the established tense ELSE retain.

Why the rule exists

Stable tense keeps the temporal viewpoint coherent.

Condition

The rule fires when this evaluates true. Paths marked below must be present in the fact base; the engine reports the rest rather than guessing them.

  • ALL
    • section.narrative_tense_shift eq true
    • section.time_frame_shift eq false
    • section.mode_shift eq false

Facts this rule reads

PathSource
section.narrative_tense_shift You supply it
section.time_frame_shift You supply it
section.mode_shift You supply it

Then

  1. align — target section.narrative_tense, value from document.narrative_tense

Else

  1. retain — target current_text, No triggering condition is present.

LAKA

Smallest sufficient intervention
Yes
Primary axes

Sources

  • The Copyeditor's Handbook — Amy Einsohn; Marilyn Schwartz
    Professional copyediting practice, grammar, and editorial process.
  • Steering the Craft — Ursula K. Le Guin
    Sound, rhythm, syntax, point of view, and exercises.
The raw rule record

Verbatim from 13-narrative-rules.json. Also available at /v1/rules/NAR-008.

{
  "id": "NAR-008",
  "name": "Keep narrative tense stable",
  "domain": "narrative",
  "layer": "section",
  "strength": "context_default",
  "human_logic": "IF narrative tense changes without a time-frame or mode shift, THEN restore the established tense ELSE retain.",
  "when": {
    "all": [
      {
        "path": "section.narrative_tense_shift",
        "operator": "eq",
        "value": true
      },
      {
        "path": "section.time_frame_shift",
        "operator": "eq",
        "value": false
      },
      {
        "path": "section.mode_shift",
        "operator": "eq",
        "value": false
      }
    ]
  },
  "then": [
    {
      "action": "align",
      "target": "section.narrative_tense",
      "value_from": "document.narrative_tense"
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "action": "retain",
      "target": "current_text",
      "reason": "No triggering condition is present."
    }
  ],
  "unless": [],
  "because": "Stable tense keeps the temporal viewpoint coherent.",
  "diagnostics": [],
  "examples": {},
  "source_ids": [
    "BK-007",
    "BK-019"
  ],
  "laka": {
    "smallest_sufficient_intervention": true,
    "primary_axes": [
      "scope",
      "depth",
      "magnitude",
      "reversibility"
    ]
  }
}

Other narrative rules

  1. NAR-001 Give the focal agent a desire IF a narrative section expects forward motion AND the focal agent has no legible desire or need, THEN reveal one ELSE retain deliberate mystery with another source of propulsion. Context default
  2. NAR-002 Obstacle opposes the desire IF the focal agent has a desire but no meaningful resistance, THEN introduce an external, interpersonal, internal, or systemic obstacle ELSE retain. Context default
  3. NAR-003 Make stakes change choice IF failure or success would not alter the agent’s choices, relationships, identity, resources, safety, or future, THEN strengthen or clarify stakes ELSE retain a low-stakes form by design. Context default
  4. NAR-004 Events cause later events IF a major event has no causal, motivational, or thematic relation to what precedes it, THEN connect, foreshadow, move, or remove it ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  5. NAR-005 Scene contains a turn IF a scene begins and ends with the same relevant value, knowledge, power, relationship, or plan, THEN add a turn or compress the scene ELSE retain an intentional atmosphere scene. Heuristic
  6. NAR-006 Choice reveals character IF the story asserts a trait without a consequential choice that demonstrates it, THEN create or cite such a choice ELSE retain. Heuristic
  7. NAR-007 Control point of view IF perception, knowledge, or interior access exceeds the established viewpoint without a marked shift, THEN remove, recast, or mark the shift ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  8. NAR-009 Use scene when the moment changes the state IF an event contains consequential choice, conflict, discovery, or relationship change, THEN dramatize enough of it as scene ELSE summary may carry it. Heuristic