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name: craft-notes-outline description: Create talking-point outlines for Nelson's "Craft Notes" video series about the writing craft behind "Waking From Innocent Dreams." Use when Nelson asks for help brainstorming, structuring, or outlining a craft notes video. Videos are ~10 minutes, focused on a single craft topic, and aimed at early readers of the book.

Craft Notes Video Outline

Purpose

Create talking-point outlines for short (~10 minute) videos about craft decisions in "Waking From Innocent Dreams." These are not scripts—they're bullet points Nelson can glance at while recording.

Audience

Early readers of the book who are interested in the writing process. Assume familiarity with the story but not necessarily with craft terminology or frameworks.

Outline Structure

Each outline should follow this arc:

1. The Discovery/Inciting Incident — What prompted this exploration? A book read, a problem noticed, a question that arose.
2. The Problem — What challenge or uncertainty did this create for the manuscript?
3. Context/Definitions — Brief explanation of any craft concepts needed (for viewers unfamiliar with the terminology).
4. The Exploration — What options were considered? What was attempted?
5. What Happened — Did it work? What went wrong? What succeeded?
6. What Was Learned — The insight gained, even from failed experiments.
7. The Takeaway — A generalizable lesson for other writers.
8. Open-Ended Question — A question for early readers to encourage engagement and feedback.

Not every video needs all eight sections. Adapt based on the topic.

Open-Ended Question Guidelines

Each episode ends with an open-ended question for early readers. The purpose is to invite feedback and create dialogue about how the craft decisions land in practice.

Characteristics of a good question:

• Asks readers about their experience of the text, not whether they understood a concept
• Invites genuine curiosity rather than fishing for validation
• Connects the craft topic to something readers can observe in the manuscript
• Open enough for varied responses; not yes/no

If Nelson provides a question: Refine for clarity and tone if needed.

If no question is provided: Generate one based on the episode's content, connecting the craft decision to reader experience.

Example:

"As you read Act 1, do you feel the 'Out of the Bottle' magic coloring the dreamlike reunion? Or does it read differently to you? I'm curious how the genre flavoring lands."

Formatting Guidelines

• Use markdown headers for major sections
• Use bullet points for talking points within sections
• Keep bullets concise—phrases or single sentences, not paragraphs
• Include specific examples from the manuscript where relevant
• When introducing craft frameworks (Save the Cat, Story Grid, etc.), include a familiar example (Wizard of Oz, Spider-Man, etc.) to ground the concept
• Italicize book/film titles

Tone

• Honest about the process, including failures and dead ends
• Educational but conversational
• Focused on showing the journey, not just the destination

Template

Copy# Craft Notes: [Topic]

## The Discovery
- What prompted this exploration
- Initial observations or questions

## The Problem
- What challenge this created for the manuscript
- Why it mattered

## Definitions (if needed)
- **Term:** Brief explanation
- Familiar example to ground the concept

## The Exploration
- Options considered
- What was attempted

## What Happened
- Results of the attempt
- What worked, what didn't

## What Was Learned
- Insights gained
- How it changed the manuscript or approach

## The Takeaway
- Generalizable lesson for other writers

## Open-Ended Question
- Question for early readers connecting the craft topic to their reading experience

Process

1. Clarify the topic — Ask what craft decision or exploration Nelson wants to discuss
2. Identify the narrative arc — Every craft note should have a journey: discovery → problem → exploration → learning
3. Draft the outline — Use the template, adapting sections as needed
4. Review for focus — Ensure it can be covered in ~10 minutes; cut tangents
5. Output as markdown file — Create a .md file Nelson can reference while recording