APODICTIC

Development Editor for fiction and argument-shaped nonfiction — reads what you wrote, diagnoses structure, never rewrites.

New here? This page is a map of everything the editor can do — you don't need to memorize it. Open your agent in your manuscript's folder and type apodictic-start; three questions route you to the right workflow. Writing an argument-shaped piece? apodictic-start still works — answer "nonfiction" at the constraint question to reach the Nonfiction Argument Engine.
The Firewall: This tool diagnoses structure. It identifies problems, explains mechanisms, and proposes classes of solution. It never invents content — no plot ideas, no dialogue, no prose, no arguments. Creative and argumentative authority stays with the author.

How It Works — The Router

Start with apodictic-start. Three questions route you to the right workflow.

Q1: What do you have?
idea · fragments · partial · complete draft · series
→
Q2: What do you want?
options depend on Q1
→
Q3: Any constraints?
deadline · AI-written · nonfiction · risk
→
Workflow
routed automatically
Q1 determines what you're working with:
Q2 options change based on Q1. For a complete draft:
Q3 modifies how the workflow runs:

What It Analyzes — Macro Blocks

The system runs the passes your question requires, grouped into blocks you can understand.

Structure Map
"Is the structure working?"
Pass 0: Reverse Outline Pass 2: Structural Mapping
Beat map, causal chain, proportional analysis. Identifies structural breaks, missing acts, proportion problems.
Reader Dynamics
"Does the pacing hold?"
Pass 1: Reader Experience Pass 3: Rhythm & Modulation
Naive-reader tracking: confusion, boredom, delight, belief breaks. Quantitative pacing analysis.
Character Architecture
"Are my characters landing?"
Pass 5: Character Audit Pass 7: POV & Voice
Psychology engine (Wound→Lie→Want→Need→Fear), agency quotient, arc tracking, voice distinctiveness, POV distribution.
Emotional Dynamics
"Does it land emotionally?"
Pass 4: Emotional Value
Emotional value charge per scene, earned vs. unearned beats, sentiment trajectory, and modulation of intensity across the arc.
Scene Delivery
"Are the scenes doing their jobs?"
Pass 6: Scene Function Pass 7: POV & Voice
Scene legitimacy, function verification (8 scene functions), scene-sequel mechanics.
Reveal Economy
"Is the information flow right?"
Pass 8: Reveal Economy
Information pressure, clue economy, fairness tests, dramatic irony tracking.
Theme & Continuity
"Does it cohere?"
Pass 9: Thematic Coherence Pass 10: Entity Tracking
Motif alignment, controlling idea, continuity of people/places/rules/facts.
Submission Readiness
"Is this ready?"
Pass 11: Critical Quality & Market Viability
Prose quality diagnostic, critical verdict, market reality check, first-50 conversion gate, revision economics.

Genre Modules — Loaded at Intake

Genre modules modify how passes run. They recalibrate thresholds, add tracking, and adjust false-positive warnings.

Genre Module
Literary Fiction
Thematic depth, ambiguity, psychological complexity. Priority: Pass 9.
Genre Module
Horror (Psychological)
Dread escalation, reality destabilization, certainty axis. Priority: Pass 4 + Pass 1.
Genre Module
Science Fiction / Fantasy
World rule consistency, Sanderson's Laws, integration tests. Priority: Pass 10.
Genre Module
Romance / Erotic
Relationship engine, trust-rupture-repair cycle, 15 named flags. Priority: Pass 4 + Pass 5.
Genre Module
Mystery
Information pressure, clue economy, fair play tests. Priority: Pass 8.
Genre Module
Thriller
Threat escalation, clock pressure, protagonist competence. Priority: Pass 3.

Nonfiction Argument Engine

For argument-shaped nonfiction — op-eds, policy briefs, testimony, essays. Same Firewall, same diagnose → letter → marked-up-piece spine as the fiction path; different front end. Reach it via apodictic-start → constraint: nonfiction, or apodictic-audit dialectical for a standalone argument audit.

Argument Engine
Nonfiction Argument Engine
Infers the argument contract (claim, audience, burden, stakes); flags missing warrants, scope drift, unmet strongest objections; produces argument editorial letter + marked-up piece
Craft
Dialectical Clarity
Claim ladder, thesis–antithesis balance, rhetorical fairness, straw-position detection (apodictic-audit dialectical)
Craft
Argument Red Team
Stress-tests the argument against its strongest opposition
Craft
Argument Persuasion
Audience fit, rhetorical force, concession discipline
Craft
Argument Evidence
Audits the evidence base under the claim ladder
Craft
Argument-Decision (ArgScope)
Structure-level argument AI tells — paragraph-role arc + discourse-mode mix (apodictic-audit argument-decision)

The argument contract — claim, audience, burden, stakes — is the nonfiction equivalent of the fiction contract. When the inferred contract doesn't match what you intended, that mismatch is the core diagnostic signal.

Specialized Audits — Deep Dives

Audits run alongside or after passes. Some are recommended automatically based on your genre and findings; all are available via apodictic-audit [name].

Craft (universal)
Genre-specific
Tag (experience layer)
Research mode
Craft
Character Architecture
Psychology engine, arc types, agency quotient
Craft
Scene Turn
Entry/exit charge, turn identification, scene-sequel
Craft
Emotional Craft
Emotional precision, earned moments, sentiment tracking
Craft
Dialectical Clarity
Argument structure, thesis-antithesis balance
Craft
Shelf Positioning
Target reader, comps, signal audit, BISAC codes
Craft
Series & Composite Novel
Standalone function, hope calibration, distance
Craft
Interiority Preservation
POV interiority during peak-intensity scenes
Craft
Female Interiority
20 flags for interiority thinning patterns
Craft
Banister (Epistemic Humility)
Rhetorical fairness, straw opposition
Craft
Literary Craft Deep Dive
22 flags, load-bearing vs. ornamental analysis
Craft
AI-Prose Calibration
Voice singularity, echo stacks, register seams
Craft
Force Architecture
25 flags, force-delivery integration, consequence
Craft
Short Fiction
Compression, single-effect design, ending resonance
Craft
Stakes System
Escalation and consequence architecture (universal)
Craft
Decision Pressure
Choice plausibility under pressure (universal)
Craft
Compression
16 flags, 4 hard gates; expendable material across 5 channels
Craft
Reception Risk
Cultural/political/ideological reception flags for sensitivity review
Craft
Content Advisory
Where intense material is depicted, at what intensity, on/off-page
Craft
Narrative-Decision (StoryScope)
How decisions propagate consequences through the narrative
Craft
Argument-Decision (ArgScope)
How an argument is built — paragraph-role arc + discourse-mode mix
Craft
POV Voice Profile
Per-POV voice signatures and distance discipline (opt-in)
Craft
Reader-Persona Simulation
Reader-dynamics lens across declared dispositions; where audiences diverge
Craft
Idiolect Preservation
Advisory: protect the author's distinctive voice markers
Craft
Punctuation Cadence
Advisory: punctuation rhythm and breath as prosody
Craft
Adversarial Evidence Review
ACH, cross-exam, severe testing for evidence defensibility
Craft
Argument Evidence
Audits the evidence base under the claim ladder
Craft
Argument Persuasion
Audience fit, rhetorical force, concession discipline
Craft
Argument Red Team
Stress-tests the argument against its strongest opposition
Genre
Horror Craft Integration
23 flags, dread architecture, 9 subgenre calibrations
Genre
Supernatural Horror
Violated-reality dread vs. supernatural-coded set dressing
Genre
Grimdark / Dark Fantasy
Productive darkness vs. grimdark-coded atmosphere
Genre
Mystery/Thriller Architecture
28 flags, information pressure, clue/herring/clock
Genre
SFF Worldbuilding Integration
20 flags, five-dimension framework, load-bearing
Genre
Comedy & Satire
Comedic timing, landing rate, tonal integration
Genre
Historical Fiction
Period authenticity, research integration
Genre
Memoir & Creative Nonfiction
Truth-craft balance, Gornick Layer, ethics
Genre
Narrative Nonfiction Craft
Scene construction, source integration
Genre
Fan Fiction Conversion
IP scaffolding, worldbuilding gaps, character independence
Genre
Queer Romance/Erotica
Pronoun clarity, trope navigation, joy/struggle
Tag
Cozy
Safety envelope, belonging engine, restoration arc
Tag
Philosophical
Question architecture, dramatic embodiment
Tag
Erotic Content
8 flags, consent calculus, heat level calibration
Tag
Consent Complexity
Consent timeline, boundary tracking, power dynamics
Research
Citation Verifier
Verify source existence, accuracy, and fit against claims
Research
Field Reconnaissance
Scout counterevidence, literature gaps, source-ecosystem health
Research
Comp Validation
Verify comps are current and query-ready
Research
Genre Contract Currency
Current market expectations for your subgenre
Research
Factual Verification
Spot-check real-world claims
Research
Representation Context
Community discourse for outside-experience writing

Common Workflows

I have an argument-shaped piece (op-ed, brief, testimony) and need to know if it holds up
apodictic-start → full_draft → repair → constraint: nonfiction → Nonfiction Argument Engine (Dialectical Clarity + Argument companions)
I have a complete draft and want to know what's wrong
apodictic-start → full_draft → repair → Core DE (passes 0, 1, 2, 5, 8) → Synthesis
My characters feel flat
apodictic-start → full_draft → repair (targeted: characters) → passes 0, 1, 5, 7 → Character Architecture audit
I have an idea and need to figure out the structure
apodictic-start → idea → draft → Pre-Writing Pathway
Is my horror novel ready to submit?
apodictic-start → full_draft → submit → all passes + Pass 11 + Horror Craft audit + Shelf Positioning
I'm stuck mid-draft and don't know why
apodictic-start → partial → repair (diagnostic) → Core DE (partial flag) → Synthesis
I used AI to draft and need to fix the voice
apodictic-start → full_draft → repair → constraint: AI → Core DE + AI-Prose Calibration
I have beta reader / critique feedback to sort through
apodictic-start → full_draft → feedback → Feedback Triage (sort, validate & prioritize each note) → Core DE with feedback as evidence
My content is sensitive or legally exposed
apodictic-start → full_draft → repair → constraint: risk → Core DE + Legal Risk Register (flags exposure, routes to counsel — not legal advice)
I want a beta read that actually returns useful feedback
Beta-Reader Instrument → turns the diagnosis's open uncertainties into a focused, non-leading reader questionnaire
I'm coming back to a project I started earlier
apodictic-start <id> → state-driven resume (zero intake questions) from the project registry

Plot Architecture — 50 Spines

Spine diagnosis, selection coaching, and structural triage. Available via apodictic-plot-coach or recommended during diagnosis.

Linear/Teleological (6): Save the Cat, Three-Act, Fichtean Curve, Freytag, Hero's Journey, Kishōtenketsu
Circular/Recursive (4): Spiral, Fugue, Loop, Braided
Information/Knowledge (5): Mystery, Howcatchem, Revelatory, Conspiracy, Puzzle Box
Relationship/Erotic (5): Courtship, Seduction, Captivity, Training, Betrayal-of-Self
Moral/Social (4): Corruption, Redemption, Justice/Revenge, Scapegoat
Constraint/Environment (4): Siege, Countdown, Procedural, Quest
Time/Causality (3): Nonlinear, Reverse Chronology, Two-Handed
Existential/Identity (5): Bildungsroman, Doppelgänger, Transformation, Aftermath, Prophecy
Tonal/Hybrid (4): Thriller, Psych Horror, Faustian, Rashomon
Rhythm/Intensity (4): Wave/Pulse, Lullaby, Pressure Cooker, Jo-ha-kyū
Format/Frame (4): Episodic, Clinical Case File, Nested Dolls, Talisman
Transformation Extended (2): Heroine's Journey, Seven-Point