Name the change before replacing the whole voice
A shift from brisk dialogue to long commentary may concern narrator presence. A jump from the viewpoint character’s observations into an antagonist’s thoughts may also violate information boundaries. Compare a short passage from each neighbouring chapter and name actual sentences instead of asking for “sophistication.”
| Dimension | An actionable request |
|---|---|
| Sentence rhythm | Keep connected medium-length sentences with short pauses at key moments, rather than one line per sentence. |
| Viewpoint | Follow what this chapter’s character sees and thinks without giving them another person’s secret. |
| Narration and dialogue | Use plain narration while preserving each speaker’s habits. |
| Emotion and commentary | Direct feeling is allowed within the viewpoint; do not attach a life lesson to every gesture. |
These are this example’s author choices, not universal rules. A coherent book does not require identical character voices or identical rhythms for a fight and a quiet conversation.
Resolve current requests, book style and defaults
Oh Story applies expression preferences in this order: the current request, book-local style and settings, active book-local author preferences, genre/workflow/global preferences, the main benchmark’s style, then general references. Each dimension takes the first explicit applicable instruction; defaults do not combine into a universal prohibition list.
For long fiction, read this book’s full 设定/文风.md. One executable sentence can be enough. Do not fill gaps from another book or substitute an old summary for the full current text. A temporary request applies to this task and does not automatically become a lasting preference.
Style may change expression without changing events, knowledge, word-count requirements or revision scope. “Make this chapter funnier” cannot make someone discover a secret early. Limited viewpoint can withhold facts the character cannot know; it cannot invent “he already knew” to preserve an unsuitable sentence.
Complete example: a borrowed umbrella remains a borrowed umbrella
Original setup: Xu Ning borrows Liang Chuan’s umbrella at a small shop and promises to return it the next morning. She does not know he moves away tomorrow. This book uses her limited viewpoint, plain connected sentences and direct worry. A faulty passage says, “Fate had arranged their separation. Liang watched her leave and concealed his move.”
The problem is more than heavy lyricism: commentary reveals an unknown future and enters Liang’s mind. A candidate revision is:
Xu opened the umbrella; one rib caught. Liang straightened it and let go once she had a firm grip.
“I’ll return it tomorrow morning,” she said.
“Leave it on the counter.”
She glanced back at the lit shop. Rain was getting harder. Worried she would miss opening time, she asked, “Will someone be here before nine?”
“Yes.”
She nodded and followed the awning to the corner. The umbrella remained with her; returning it belonged to tomorrow.
The opening-time exchange is an explicitly chosen new local revision in this example, not a claim that it existed in an earlier manuscript. When applying it to a book, approve the added exchange and check its later implications. Liang’s move remains an author-level fact withheld from this chapter. “Someone” does not establish that he personally will be there.
A task can say: “Revise only this chapter’s umbrella passage using the full book-local style. Preserve the loan, the next-morning return arrangement and Xu’s lack of knowledge about the move. This revision may add her opening-time question, but must not write the return, change other chapters or update lasting preferences.”
Review facts and carry the same style into polishing
Pass the effective requirements and their sources to subsequent polishing and review so another default does not overwrite them. Compare draft and revision: did the loan happen, is return still pending, who knows about the move, and was added dialogue allowed?
An approved pause or metaphor does not make every similar sentence good. Check repetition, redundancy and information leaks. A detector finding does not automatically require deletion. When retaining an authorised original line, use the book-local whitelist rules for that specific phrase and purpose rather than exempting broad words to disable whole checks.
If only one passage drifted, repair that passage first. The entire novel need not become short sentences, and style-resolution commentary belongs outside the story prose.
FAQ
Must every chapter use the same sentence lengths?
No. Vary rhythm for action, conversation and quiet passages while preserving the author’s chosen voice and information boundaries.
Do it with the skill
Use $story-long-write with the named passage, full book style and current request. Identify changed dimensions, preserve events and knowledge, and revise only the authorised scope. Carry the same style requirements into polishing and review.
Read the method: Dimension-level style resolution, fact boundaries and book-local exemptions · Book-local materials and artifact paths