Generate Style Guide

Analyze the writing style of this manuscript and produce a **STYLE_GUIDE.md** document that codifies the stylistic conventions, voice, and authorial choices observed. This guide will serve as a reference for future work on the project, ensuring consistency when continuing, revising, or expanding the manuscript.

---

## Instructions

### Phase 1: Read and Analyze

Review the manuscript in `Manuscript Material/` thoroughly, paying attention to:

- How the prose sounds and feels
- Patterns in sentence construction
- Dialogue conventions
- Narrative voice and distance
- Vocabulary and register choices
- Formatting decisions
- Any distinctive quirks or recurring techniques

Also review `Supporting Material/` for any existing author notes on intended style.

### Phase 2: Identify Patterns

For each domain below, identify the **established patterns** in this manuscript. Look for:

- What the author consistently does (the "rules" of this manuscript)
- Intentional deviations from conventional style (purposeful choices)
- Distinctive elements that give the prose its character

**Focus on description, not prescription.** You are documenting what this manuscript does, not what manuscripts in general should do.

### Phase 3: Produce the Style Guide

Create `STYLE_GUIDE.md` in `Supporting Material/` where appropriate that documents the findings.

---

## Analysis Domains

### Narrative Voice

- **POV** — What point of view is used? (First person, third limited, third omniscient, multiple POV, etc.)
- **Tense** — Past or present tense? Any intentional shifts?
- **Narrative distance** — Close/intimate or distant? Does it vary by scene type?
- **Narrator personality** — Is the narrator neutral, opinionated, wry, formal, conversational?
- **Interiority** — How much access to character thoughts? Direct thought, indirect thought, psychic distance shifts?

### Prose Style

- **Sentence length** — Short and punchy? Long and flowing? Varied deliberately?
- **Sentence structure** — Simple, compound, complex? Fragments used? For what effect?
- **Paragraph length** — Dense blocks? Frequent breaks? Pattern to the variation?
- **Rhythm and cadence** — Staccato? Flowing? Lyrical? Sparse?
- **Density** — Lush and descriptive or lean and spare?

### Vocabulary and Register

- **Diction level** — Literary, conversational, vernacular, formal, mixed?
- **Vocabulary range** — Common words? Unusual/recherché words? Domain-specific terminology?
- **Profanity/vulgarity** — Present? Absent? How used?
- **Contractions** — Used in narration? Only in dialogue?
- **Register shifts** — Does register change with POV character or scene type?

### Dialogue Conventions

- **Dialogue tags** — Primarily "said"? Varied tags? Tagless exchanges?
- **Action beats** — Frequency and style of interspersed action?
- **Dialect/accent** — How is non-standard speech rendered? Phonetic spelling? Syntax only? Minimal markers?
- **Dialogue punctuation** — Any non-standard conventions?
- **Character voice distinction** — How is it achieved? (Vocabulary, rhythm, verbal tics, syntax?)

### Description and Exposition

- **Sensory emphasis** — Which senses dominate? Visual-heavy? Multi-sensory?
- **Setting description** — Integrated or blocked? Sparse or detailed?
- **Exposition delivery** — Woven in? Brief tells? Dialogue-delivered?
- **Metaphor and simile** — Frequent? Rare? What kind? (Literary, earthy, character-specific?)
- **Show vs. tell ratio** — What's the manuscript's natural balance?

### Pacing Techniques

- **Scene breaks** — How marked? Frequency?
- **Chapter length** — Consistent? Varied? Pattern?
- **White space** — Used for pacing? Single-line paragraphs for emphasis?
- **Time transitions** — How handled? Explicit markers? Implicit jumps?
- **Action sequences** — Prose style in high-tension moments vs. quiet moments?

### Formatting Conventions

- **Emphasis** — Italics for what purposes? (Thought, emphasis, foreign words, titles?)
- **Thought rendering** — Italicized? Unmarked? Tagged?
- **Scene breaks** — Symbol used? (*, #, blank line, etc.)
- **Chapter headings** — Numbered? Named? Both? Format?
- **Lists or unusual formatting** — Any non-prose elements?
- **Numbers** — Spelled out or numerals? Threshold?

### Distinctive Elements

- **Signature techniques** — Anything this manuscript does that's distinctive or unusual?
- **Recurring motifs** — Stylistic motifs (not thematic) that appear throughout?
- **Intentional rule-breaking** — Where does the manuscript deliberately violate convention? For what effect?
- **Authorial quirks** — Unusual punctuation habits, favorite words, structural tics?

---

## Output: STYLE_GUIDE.md

Produce a document with the following structure:

```markdown
# Style Guide: [Manuscript Title]

## Overview

[1-2 paragraphs: Brief characterization of the manuscript's overall style. What does it feel like to read? What's the prose personality?]

---

## Narrative Voice

### Point of View
[Document the POV approach]

### Tense
[Document tense usage]

### Narrative Distance
[Document distance and interiority conventions]

### Narrator Tone
[Document the narrator's personality/attitude]

**Examples:**
> [Short quoted example from manuscript illustrating voice]

---

## Prose Style

### Sentence Patterns
[Document sentence length and structure tendencies]

### Paragraph Patterns
[Document paragraph conventions]

### Rhythm and Density
[Document the prose's cadence and descriptive density]

**Examples:**
> [Short quoted example illustrating prose style]

---

## Vocabulary and Register

### Diction
[Document vocabulary level and word choice patterns]

### Contractions and Formality
[Document usage]

### Profanity
[Document if/how used]

**Character-Specific Notes:**
- [Character name]: [Any distinct vocabulary or register]
- ...

---

## Dialogue

### Tags and Beats
[Document dialogue attribution conventions]

### Speech Patterns
[Document how character voice is differentiated]

### Dialect Rendering
[Document approach to accents/dialect if applicable]

### Formatting
[Any non-standard dialogue formatting]

**Examples:**
> [Short quoted example of typical dialogue]

---

## Description and Exposition

### Sensory Approach
[Document which senses are emphasized]

### Setting Integration
[Document how setting is delivered]

### Exposition Style
[Document how information is conveyed]

### Figurative Language
[Document metaphor/simile usage and style]

---

## Pacing and Structure

### Scene and Chapter Conventions
[Document structural patterns]

### Time Handling
[Document how time transitions are managed]

### Tonal Variation
[Document how prose shifts in different scene types]

---

## Formatting Conventions

### Emphasis and Italics
[Document italic usage rules]

### Thought Rendering
[Document how internal thought is formatted]

### Scene Breaks
[Document break markers]

### Numbers and Dates
[Document formatting choices]

### Other Conventions
[Any other formatting notes]

---

## Distinctive Elements

### Signature Techniques
[Document anything unusual or distinctive to this manuscript]

### Intentional Deviations
[Document purposeful rule-breaking and its purpose]

### Words/Phrases to Note
[Any recurring words, favorite constructions, or terms specific to this world/story]

---

## Quick Reference

| Element | Convention |
|---------|------------|
| POV | [e.g., Third limited, single protagonist] |
| Tense | [e.g., Past] |
| Dialogue tags | [e.g., Mostly "said," occasional beats] |
| Thought italics | [e.g., Yes, untagged] |
| Scene breaks | [e.g., Centered "***"] |
| Contractions in narration | [e.g., Yes] |
| Numbers | [e.g., Spelled out under 100] |
| ... | ... |

---

## Notes for Future Work

[Any guidance for maintaining consistency when adding to or revising this manuscript. What should a future writer/editor be careful to preserve? What patterns are essential to the voice?]
```

---

## Tone

Be **descriptive, specific, and neutral**. This is documentation, not evaluation. You're not judging whether choices are good—you're recording what they are so they can be maintained.

---

## Notes

- **Quote sparingly but usefully** — Include brief examples that illustrate patterns. Don't over-quote.
- **Be specific** — "Sentences are varied" is less useful than "Short declarative sentences in action scenes; longer, subordinate-clause-heavy sentences in reflective passages."
- **Distinguish consistent patterns from one-offs** — Only document things that appear to be established conventions, not single instances.
- **Flag uncertainties** — If you can't tell whether something is intentional style or inconsistency, note it.
- **This is a living document** — Future editors may update it as the manuscript evolves.

How to use this prompt