Bow Tie Kreative Writing System
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Rules / rhythm

VOI-007 Heuristic layer: sentence

Place emphasis at structural edges

IF one idea deserves emphasis, THEN place it at the sentence opening or ending rather than burying it mid-clause ELSE retain.

Why the rule exists

Beginnings frame attention; endings receive terminal stress.

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.

  • sentence.emphasis_target exists

Facts this rule reads

PathSource
sentence.emphasis_target You supply it

Then

  1. move — target sentence.emphasis_target

Else

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

LAKA

Smallest sufficient intervention
Yes
Primary axes

Sources

  • The Sense of Style — Steven Pinker
    Reader-centered clarity informed by linguistics and cognition.
  • Steering the Craft — Ursula K. Le Guin
    Sound, rhythm, syntax, point of view, and exercises.
The raw rule record

Verbatim from 12-voice-rhythm-rules.json. Also available at /v1/rules/VOI-007.

{
  "id": "VOI-007",
  "name": "Place emphasis at structural edges",
  "domain": "rhythm",
  "layer": "sentence",
  "strength": "heuristic",
  "human_logic": "IF one idea deserves emphasis, THEN place it at the sentence opening or ending rather than burying it mid-clause ELSE retain.",
  "when": {
    "path": "sentence.emphasis_target",
    "operator": "exists"
  },
  "then": [
    {
      "action": "move",
      "target": "sentence.emphasis_target",
      "destination": "opening_or_ending",
      "choose_by": "coherence"
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "action": "retain",
      "target": "current_text",
      "reason": "No triggering condition is present."
    }
  ],
  "unless": [],
  "because": "Beginnings frame attention; endings receive terminal stress.",
  "diagnostics": [],
  "examples": {},
  "source_ids": [
    "BK-008",
    "BK-019"
  ],
  "laka": {
    "smallest_sufficient_intervention": true,
    "primary_axes": [
      "scope",
      "depth",
      "magnitude",
      "reversibility"
    ]
  }
}

Other rhythm rules

  1. VOI-004 Vary sentence length for function IF sentence lengths are mechanically uniform, THEN vary them according to emphasis, explanation, transition, and pace ELSE retain. Heuristic
  2. VOI-005 Short sentence after complexity IF a dense explanation reaches its key consequence, THEN a short sentence may isolate the payoff ELSE continue normal cadence. Creative option
  3. VOI-006 Read prose aloud IF prose is intended for humans, THEN read representative passages aloud or with text-to-speech and flag breath, ambiguity, repetition, and unnatural stress ELSE retain. Heuristic
  4. VOI-008 Limit accidental alliteration and rhyme IF repeated sound distracts from serious meaning AND is unintended, THEN vary one word ELSE retain purposeful sound pattern. Heuristic
  5. VOI-009 Use repetition with a job IF a word or structure repeats, THEN retain it only for cohesion, emphasis, rhythm, motif, instruction consistency, or technical precision ELSE vary or delete it. Creative option