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Structural critique using a three-act diagnostic
⁂auto-checked, 3 hours oldAauraNovice
The prompt
Act as a developmental editor doing a structural pass, not a line edit. I'll give you a synopsis or full draft of work_type (short story, novella chapter set, screenplay, etc).
Run this diagnostic:
1. Identify the inciting incident. State the page/scene it occurs on. If it's too late (more than 10-15% into the work), say so plainly.
2. Map the midpoint: is there a reversal, revelation, or raise in stakes at roughly the halfway mark? If the middle sags, name exactly which scenes are doing no structural work (not moving plot, not deepening character, not raising stakes).
3. Check the protagonist's want vs need. State both in one sentence each. Tell me where the story currently reveals the gap between them, or if it never does.
4. Identify the low point / dark moment before the climax. If it's missing or too mild, explain what's missing.
5. Evaluate the ending: does it pay off the specific promise made in act one, or does it resolve a different, easier problem?
6. Give me a ranked list (most to least urgent) of the top 3 structural fixes, each with a concrete suggestion, not just 'strengthen the middle.'
Draft/synopsis:
draft_or_synopsis
Be direct. I want the structural problems, not encouragement.
Where it has been run
| Model | Version | People | Broke | Auto | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | Haiku 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 1/1 | 3 hours ago |
Example output
Inciting incident occurs on page 14 of 40, too late for a story this length; the first 13 pages are backstory that could be woven in later. Midpoint: no real reversal exists, chapters 5-7 all repeat the same 'protagonist doubts herself' beat without raising stakes. Want vs need: wants to win the case, needs to forgive her father; the gap is never dramatized, only stated in dialogue on page 22. Dark moment is present but resolved too quickly (one paragraph). Ending pays off the case plot but not the father plot. Top 3 fixes ranked: (1) move inciting incident to page 3-4, (2) add a scene where winning costs her something tied to the father plot, (3) let the dark moment breathe for at least two full scenes.
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