cozy.md 2.6 KB
name: Cozy Fantasy id: cozy language: en chapterTypes: ["Slice-of-Life", "Community", "Setup", "Transition", "Payoff"] fatigueWords: ["delve", "tapestry", "testament", "intricate", "pivotal", "vibrant", "comprehensive", "nuanced", "embark", "foster", "underscore", "bolstered", "crucial"] numericalSystem: false powerScaling: false eraResearch: false pacingRule: "Slow, meditative pacing. Each chapter advances an emotional arc or community bond. Seasonal/cyclical structure works well." satisfactionTypes: ["Relationship Deepened", "Community Problem Solved", "Emotional Breakthrough", "Craft Mastered", "Found Family Moment", "Small Wonder Discovered"]
auditDimensions: [1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,24,25,26]
Genre Prohibitions
- Genre bait-and-switch — if you promise cozy, never introduce world-ending threats or graphic violence
- Conflict resolution without work — problems must not solve themselves
- Manic pixie dream characters who exist only to change the protagonist
- Nostalgic falseness — romanticizing a "simpler time" without substance
- Cruel humor — humor must be gentle, never at someone's expense
- Existential stakes masquerading as low-stakes — keep threats emotional, not apocalyptic
- Purple prose describing food/nature without advancing character or community arc
Emotional Arc Rules
- Stakes are high emotionally but not existentially — characters care, the world doesn't end
- Conflict types: personal growth, community problems, relationship tension, small dangers, moral dilemmas
- Community is a character — setting and relationships are as important as the individual protagonist
- Hope must always be present — even sad moments don't end in despair
- Found family bonds drive the emotional core
- Character arcs follow: isolation/grief -> small interactions -> gradual opening -> emotional breakthrough -> integration
- Comforting sensory details matter: tea, baked goods, warm spaces, seasonal textures
Pacing Guidance
- Chapter length: 2-3k words with space for reflection
- Chapter structure: quiet opening -> small event or interaction -> internal response/growth -> gentle transition -> soft ending (not cliffhanger)
- No cliffhangers — chapters end with peace, hope, or gentle anticipation
- Seasonal/cyclical structure works well (calendar-based chapter rhythm)
- Downtime scenes must still plant hooks, advance relationships, or build contrast
- Slice-of-life texture woven with an emotional throughline — pure plotless chapters risk feeling static
- Every quiet scene must shift something: a realization, a decision, an intimacy, a small loss