Uncategorized
Inanimate Usurpation
Flags scenes where inanimate objects are grammatical subjects more often than characters.
What It Does
Counts sentences in a scene where the grammatical subject is an inanimate common noun (not a character). When 60% or more of sentences have non-character subjects, the diagnostic fires.
Why It Matters
Fiction is driven by human (or animate) agents making choices and taking actions. When the environment consistently displaces characters as grammatical subjects ("The wind howled," "The door slammed," "The silence stretched"), the prose becomes passive and the characters recede. This is especially problematic in high-tension scenes where characters should be driving the action.
What Gets Flagged
| Severity | Example | Why | Suggested Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hint | 7/10 sentences (70%) have inanimate subjects | Objects drive the scene instead of characters | Rewrite environment as backdrop: "She flinched as the wind howled." |
Configuration
No configuration options. Requires minimum 8 sentences per scene.
Technical Details
- Source:
prose-craft - Scope: Scene-level
- Method: First noun POS analysis + character flag checking