A6 Novel Writing (Advanced)

💡 One-sentence summary: Use AI to help conceptualize world-building, design characters, develop plots, and write dialogue.

📝 Course Notes

Key takeaways from this lesson:

A6 Novel Writing (Advanced) Course Notes

What You'll Be Able to Do

Use AI to conceptualize story outlines and world-building
Design three-dimensional characters using character card templates
Use AI to help develop plots and design conflicts
Write dialogue with distinctive styles

Why Use OpenCode Instead of Web-based AI?

Capability	Web-based AI	OpenCode
Multi-file management	❌ Only in one conversation	✅ Outlines, character cards, chapters stored separately
Character consistency	❌ Easy to forget settings in long works	✅ Reference with @character-card, AI always remembers
World-building management	❌ Redescribe every time	✅ AGENTS.md solidifies settings
Chapter versioning	❌	✅ Git tracks modification history of each chapter
Cross-chapter search	❌	✅ Full project search for characters/plots

Your Current Struggle

Have story ideas but don't know how to develop them into complete plots
Characters experience "personality collapse" as you write
Dialogue is too flat, lacking character distinctiveness

When to Use This Technique

When you need to: Create a novel with complete world-building and three-dimensional characters
And don't want to: Discover plot logic holes halfway through writing

🎒 Before You Start

Make sure you have completed the following:

[ ] Completed A1 Writing Workflow
[ ] Have a preliminary idea for a novel

Core Concept

Novel Writing Quartet

Stage	Content	AI Assistance Method
Conceptualize	World-building, timeline, core conflict	Discuss in Plan mode
Character	Character cards, relationship maps, character arcs	Generate with templates
Plot	Chapter outlines, scene design, foreshadowing	Plan chapter by chapter
Execute	Write dialogue, describe scenes	Output in Build mode

Follow Along

Step 1: Conceptualize the Story Outline

Why
Build the skeleton first, then add flesh and blood.

Switch to Plan mode and enter:

I want to write an urban suspense novel:
- Background: A series of disappearances at a tech company
- Protagonist: A programmer with social anxiety
- Core mystery: All missing persons were using the same APP

Please help me design:
1. The three-act structure of the story
2. Core conflicts and turning points
3. Several possibilities for the ending

Step 2: Design Main Characters

Why
Three-dimensional characters give the story life.

Enter:

Based on the story above, help me design the protagonist's character card, including:
- Basic info (name, age, occupation)
- Physical appearance
- Personality traits (at least 3 positive, 2 negative)
- Backstory
- Core motivation
- Character arc (from what state to what state)

💡 Save Character Card

Switch to Build mode and have AI save the character card as characters/protagonist.md for easy reference later.

Step 3: Design Chapter Outline

Why
Having an outline maintains plot coherence.

Enter:

Based on the three-act structure, help me design an outline for the first 5 chapters, each containing:
- Chapter title
- Main scenes
- Chapter objective (what plot to advance/what information to reveal)
- End-of-chapter suspense

Step 4: Write Chapter One

Why
Start actual creation.

Switch to Build mode:

@characters/protagonist.md Based on the character settings and chapter one outline, write the complete first chapter.
Requirements:
- First-person perspective
- Start with an engaging scene
- Around 3000 words
- Save as chapters/chapter-one.md

Step 5: Write Character Dialogue

Why
Dialogue is key to revealing character personality.

@characters/protagonist.md @characters/supporting-character.md Write a dialogue scene between the protagonist and supporting character:
- Scene: First meeting in the company corridor
- Purpose: Hint that the supporting character knows some secrets
- Style: Protagonist stutters nervously, supporting character acts casual

📋 Magic Prompts

👤 Character Card Generation

Expected effect: Generate complete character cards with personality, background, and motivation

## Role
You are a senior novel editor skilled at creating three-dimensional, deep character images.

## Task
Generate a complete character card based on the basic information provided by the user.

## Input Information
### Required Fields
- Name: [Character Name]
- Identity: [Occupation/Identity]

### Optional Fields
- Age: [Age?]
- Story Type: [Fantasy/Urban/Romance/Suspense?]
- Character Position: [Protagonist/Antagonist/Supporting?]
- Special Requirements: [Other requirements?]

## Output Specification
### 1. Physical Description (around 100 words)
> Focus on the most distinctive features

### 2. Personality Spectrum
| Positive Traits | Negative Traits |
|---------|---------|
| Trait 1 + Specific manifestation | Flaw 1 + Specific manifestation |
| Trait 2 + Specific manifestation | Flaw 2 + Specific manifestation |
| Trait 3 + Specific manifestation | |

### 3. Backstory (around 200 words)
> Core experiences that shape character motivation

### 4. Core Motivation
- **External Goal**: What he/she wants
- **Internal Need**: What he/she truly lacks

### 5. Fatal Weakness
> What makes him/her vulnerable

### 6. Signature Traits
- Catchphrase:
- Signature gesture:

### 7. Character Arc
> From [starting state] → to [ending state]

## Constraints
- ✅ Physical description should be vivid
- ✅ Personality traits should have contradictions (not a perfect person)
- ✅ Backstory should explain the origin of personality
- ❌ Avoid stereotypes (all good or all bad)
- ❌ Avoid being too similar to mainstream characters

📖 Chapter Outline Generation

Expected effect: Generate chapter outlines with scenes, conflicts, and suspense

## Role
You are a senior novel editor skilled at structural design and pacing control.

## Task
Generate detailed outlines for specified chapters based on the story background.

## Input Information
### Required Fields
- Story Synopsis: [Story Synopsis]
- Chapter Number: Chapter [N]

### Optional Fields
- Previous Chapter Summary: [What happened in the previous chapter?]
- Chapter Objective: [What plot needs to be advanced?]
- Involved Characters: @[Character card file?]

## Output Specification
### Chapter Title
> [Attractive title]

### Opening Scene
- Time:
- Location:
- Atmosphere:

### Main Events in This Chapter (3-5)
1. Event 1: [Description]
2. Event 2: [Description]
3. ...

### Chapter Conflict Points
- **External Conflict**: [Description]
- **Internal Conflict**: [Description]

### Character Emotional Changes
| Character | Starting State | Ending State |
|------|---------|---------|

### End-of-Chapter Suspense/Hook
> [Design that makes readers want to read the next chapter]

### Connection to Main Plot
> How this chapter advances the main storyline

## Constraints
- ✅ Each chapter should have an independent mini-climax
- ✅ Must have suspense at the end of the chapter
- ✅ Logical coherence with preceding and following chapters
- ❌ Avoid piling up events without focus
- ❌ Avoid disconnecting from the main plot

💬 Dialogue Polishing

Expected effect: Polish dialogue to better fit character personality and have more tension

## Role
You are a professional novel dialogue editor skilled at making dialogue vivid, layered, and full of subtext.

## Task
Polish the dialogue provided by the user to make it more literary and dramatically tense.

## Input Information
### Required Fields
- Character Settings: @[Character card file] (or describe character personality)
- Scene Background: [Description]
- Original Dialogue:

[Paste dialogue]

### Optional Fields
- Dialogue Purpose: [What to achieve?]
- Emotional Tone: [Tense/Warm/Oppressive?]

## Polishing Dimensions
1. **Character Distinctiveness**: Each character speaks differently
2. **Subtext**: Saying one thing on the surface, thinking another inside
3. **Action Description**: Small gestures, expressions while speaking
4. **Rhythm Control**: Fast and slow, long and short
5. **Emotional Layers**: Ups and downs of emotions

## Output Specification
### Polished Dialogue
[Complete polished dialogue]

### Polishing Notes
| Change Point | Original | After Change | Reason |
|--------|------|--------|------|

## Constraints
- ✅ Keep original meaning unchanged
- ✅ Each character's speaking style should be distinct
- ✅ Add necessary action/expression descriptions
- ❌ Avoid being overly formal
- ❌ Avoid dialogue that's too long (3-5 sentences per exchange is ideal)

Checklist ✅

Must pass all items to continue

[ ] Completed the story's three-act structure design
[ ] Created at least one character card file
[ ] Wrote the first chapter content
[ ] Can use @ to reference character cards when writing dialogue

Common Pitfalls

Phenomenon	Cause	Solution
Character personality collapsed	Didn't use character card	Create character card files, use @ reference every time you write dialogue
Plot contradictions	No overall outline	Design three-act structure and chapter outline first
Dialogue too formal	Style instructions unclear	Add style requirements in the prompt

Lesson Summary

You learned:

Novel writing quartet (Conceptualize → Character → Plot → Execute)
Design three-dimensional characters using character card templates
Use @ to reference character cards to maintain consistency
Write distinctive dialogue using the dialogue polishing prompt

Next Lesson Preview

In the next lesson, we'll learn script writing, mastering scene library management and format automation techniques.

📚 More Complete Templates: Prompt Template Library

A6 Novel Writing (Advanced) ​

📝 Course Notes ​

What You'll Be Able to Do ​

Why Use OpenCode Instead of Web-based AI? ​

Your Current Struggle ​

When to Use This Technique ​

🎒 Before You Start ​

Core Concept ​

Novel Writing Quartet ​

Follow Along ​

Step 1: Conceptualize the Story Outline ​

Step 2: Design Main Characters ​

Step 3: Design Chapter Outline ​

Step 4: Write Chapter One ​

Step 5: Write Character Dialogue ​

📋 Magic Prompts ​

👤 Character Card Generation ​

📖 Chapter Outline Generation ​

💬 Dialogue Polishing ​

Checklist ✅ ​

Common Pitfalls ​

Lesson Summary ​

Next Lesson Preview ​