Genre Calibration

“Your story knows what it wants to be.”

Genre Calibration is the bridge between your research ingredients and a story that works. It teaches the AI what your genre expects—the pacing readers anticipate, the structural beats they need, the tropes that satisfy.

Without calibration, the AI might give your YA novel a 45% midpoint (literary pacing) when YA readers expect the crisis by 30%. It might make your thriller’s catalyst too slow or your romance’s “meet cute” too late.

Genre Calibration fixes this.

Why Genre Matters

Every genre has implicit rules that readers expect (even if they can’t articulate them):

The AI needs this context. A character arc that works beautifully in literary fiction might feel slow in a thriller. A plot twist that thrills in mystery might feel cheap in romance.

The Calibration Wizard

The Calibration Wizard runs early in your project—before concept generation. It takes about 5 minutes and sets the rules for everything that follows.

Step 1: Primary Genre

Select your story’s primary genre:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  What's your story's primary genre?                         │
│                                                             │
│  ○ YA (Young Adult)           ○ Romance                     │
│  ○ Literary Fiction           ○ Mystery/Thriller            │
│  ○ Science Fiction            ○ Horror                      │
│  ● Fantasy                    ○ Historical Fiction          │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Why it matters: Primary genre determines your structural blueprint—where beats fall, how fast pacing should be, what readers expect.

Step 2: Secondary Genre (Optional)

Many stories blend genres. A “Romantasy” needs both fantasy world-building and romance emotional beats.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Does your story blend with a secondary genre?              │
│                                                             │
│  Primary: Fantasy                                           │
│  Secondary: ● Romance  ○ Mystery  ○ None                    │
│                                                             │
│  Blend Weight: [====●=====] 60% Fantasy / 40% Romance       │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Blend weight tells the AI how to prioritize when genres conflict:

• 80/20: Primary dominates, secondary adds flavor
• 60/40: Strong blend, both matter
• 50/50: True hybrid, equal weight

Step 3: Structure Selection

Choose your story’s structural framework:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Select your structural framework:                          │
│                                                             │
│  ● Save the Cat (15 beats)                                  │
│    Industry standard, clear milestones, proven pacing       │
│                                                             │
│  ○ Three-Act Structure                                      │
│    Classical approach, flexible beat placement              │
│                                                             │
│  ○ Hero's Journey                                           │
│    Mythic structure, transformation-focused                 │
│                                                             │
│  ○ Seven-Point Story Structure                              │
│    Dan Wells method, pinch-point driven                     │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Writers Factory recommends Save the Cat for most writers—it’s specific enough to be useful, flexible enough to adapt, and widely understood by editors and agents.

Step 4: Pacing Preference

Fine-tune the pacing within your genre:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Pacing preference within Fantasy:                          │
│                                                             │
│  ○ Slower (More world-building, deliberate reveals)         │
│  ● Standard (Balanced action and exposition)                │
│  ○ Faster (Propulsive, action-forward)                      │
│                                                             │
│  Your catalyst will hit at: ~15% (Standard Fantasy)         │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

What Calibration Produces

After completing the wizard, the system stores your Genre Profile:

primary_genre: fantasy
secondary_genre: romance
blend_ratio: 0.6  # 60% fantasy / 40% romance
structure: save_the_cat
pacing: standard

structural_rules:
  catalyst_range: [0.12, 0.18]    # 12-18% of story
  midpoint_range: [0.45, 0.52]   # 45-52% of story
  all_is_lost_range: [0.72, 0.78]

genre_expectations:
  - World-building can extend setup
  - Romance subplot must have its own beats
  - Magic system rules must be established before midpoint
  - Emotional stakes parallel to physical stakes

This profile is attached to every AI request during concept generation and writing.

How Calibration Affects Your Story

Concept Generation

When the AI generates novel concepts, it respects your calibration:

Without Calibration:

“Silas discovers his power at the midpoint…” (Generic timing, might not work for your genre)

With Fantasy/Romance Calibration:

“Silas discovers his power in Act 1, but doesn’t understand its cost until the midpoint when it threatens his relationship with Maya…” (Fantasy magic + romance emotional beat, correctly timed)

Beat Sheet Generation

Your generated beat sheet follows genre rules:

Scene Writing

During Director Mode, the AI knows:

• Fantasy readers expect vivid setting descriptions
• Romance readers expect internal emotional states
• Your 60/40 blend means prioritize setting, but don’t skip feelings

Changing Your Calibration

Calibration isn’t permanent. If your story evolves (or you realize it’s more thriller than mystery), you can recalibrate.

Warning: Recalibrating affects future generation but doesn’t rewrite existing content. Your beat sheet might need manual adjustment after recalibration.

Alternative Path: If you’re behind on preparation, use Story Development (Stage 1) to build your skeleton first.

Calibration Status

The Architect panel shows your calibration status:

You cannot generate novel concepts without completed calibration.

This is intentional. Without genre context, generated concepts are generic. With it, they’re targeted to what actually works in your genre.

Genre-Specific Notes

YA (Young Adult)

• Catalyst hits early (8-10%)
• Voice must feel authentic to teen perspective
• Internal growth arc is mandatory
• Pacing is faster than adult literary

Literary Fiction

• More flexible structure
• Theme can dominate plot
• Slower pacing allowed
• Character interiority prioritized

Thriller/Mystery

• Catalyst very early (5-8%)
• Information control is everything
• Cliffhanger chapter endings
• Red herrings tracked by system

Romance

• “Meet cute” required in first 20%
• Emotional beats parallel to external plot
• HEA (Happily Ever After) or HFN (Happy For Now) required
• Conflict must threaten relationship, not just characters

Fantasy/Sci-Fi

• World-building can extend setup
• Magic/tech rules must be established before they’re used in crisis
• Scope can be larger than other genres
• Secondary genre blend common (fantasy + romance, sci-fi + thriller)

Common Mistakes

Next Steps