Bow Tie Kreative Writing System
Run the engine

Rules / structure

STR-010 Heuristic layer: document

Front-load user value

IF scanning readers must pass background before reaching the answer, action, or benefit, THEN move the needed content earlier ELSE retain intentional narrative suspense.

Why the rule exists

Scanning readers decide quickly whether the content serves their need.

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
    • context.reading_condition in [scanning, mobile, interrupted, under_stress]
    • document.primary_value_position neq "early"
    • context.genre neq "narrative"

Facts this rule reads

PathSource
context.reading_condition You supply it
document.primary_value_position You supply it
context.genre You supply it

Then

  1. move — target document.primary_value
  2. compress — target document.preamble

Else

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

LAKA

Smallest sufficient intervention
Yes
Primary axes

Sources

  • Principles of plain language — Digital.gov / U.S. General Services Administration link
    Design content so the intended audience can find, understand, and use it.
  • Microsoft Writing Style Guide — Microsoft link
    Warm, clear, concise, helpful technical communication.
  • Writing for Web Accessibility — W3C Web Accessibility Initiative link
    Clear structure, descriptive labels, alternatives, and understandable content.
The raw rule record

Verbatim from 10-paragraph-document-rules.json. Also available at /v1/rules/STR-010.

{
  "id": "STR-010",
  "name": "Front-load user value",
  "domain": "structure",
  "layer": "document",
  "strength": "heuristic",
  "human_logic": "IF scanning readers must pass background before reaching the answer, action, or benefit, THEN move the needed content earlier ELSE retain intentional narrative suspense.",
  "when": {
    "all": [
      {
        "path": "context.reading_condition",
        "operator": "in",
        "value": [
          "scanning",
          "mobile",
          "interrupted",
          "under_stress"
        ]
      },
      {
        "path": "document.primary_value_position",
        "operator": "neq",
        "value": "early"
      },
      {
        "path": "context.genre",
        "operator": "neq",
        "value": "narrative"
      }
    ]
  },
  "then": [
    {
      "action": "move",
      "target": "document.primary_value",
      "destination": "early"
    },
    {
      "action": "compress",
      "target": "document.preamble"
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "action": "retain",
      "target": "current_text",
      "reason": "No triggering condition is present."
    }
  ],
  "unless": [],
  "because": "Scanning readers decide quickly whether the content serves their need.",
  "diagnostics": [],
  "examples": {},
  "source_ids": [
    "WEB-002",
    "WEB-004",
    "WEB-005"
  ],
  "laka": {
    "smallest_sufficient_intervention": true,
    "primary_axes": [
      "scope",
      "depth",
      "magnitude",
      "reversibility"
    ]
  }
}

Other structure rules

  1. STR-001 One controlling move per paragraph IF a paragraph performs more than one unrelated rhetorical move, THEN split it at the move boundary ELSE retain. Context default
  2. STR-002 Expose the paragraph point IF the paragraph’s controlling point is absent or recoverable only after rereading, THEN state or move it to a strategic position ELSE retain an intentional delayed reveal. Heuristic
  3. STR-003 Support consequential claims IF a paragraph makes a consequential factual claim, THEN provide evidence, cite it, qualify it, or remove the claim ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  4. STR-004 Keep evidence beside the claim IF evidence is separated from the claim it supports by unrelated material, THEN move it closer or label the relation ELSE retain. Context default
  5. STR-005 Use transitions that name the relation IF adjacent paragraphs have a meaningful but unstated relation, THEN add a transition that expresses that relation ELSE retain. Context default
  6. STR-006 Delete orphan paragraphs IF a paragraph neither advances the purpose nor supports another necessary move, THEN delete or relocate it ELSE retain. Heuristic
  7. STR-007 Section answers one reader question IF a section answers multiple unrelated reader questions, THEN split and label them ELSE retain. Context default
  8. STR-008 Heading predicts content IF a heading does not accurately predict its section, THEN rename the heading or repair the section ELSE retain. Hard constraint