Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY9C1GN58VZ6V3546ZMVR9A

Run Details

Duration:
22.0s
Cost:
$0.002068
Provider:
xAI

Model input

System
You are an expert and award-winning novel writer in the dark Mystery genre. Your readers are hooked on your stories and can't wait to read the book you have in store. <important> - MUST: Start each chapter in medias res (in the middle of action). AVOID talking about the weather, time of day, the position of the sun, or other boring stuff. - The instructions/summary are just a that, a summary. Feel free to add details, stretch sections and add interesting transitions/descriptions/fillers. - When called for it, have fast-paced action, but otherwise take things slow. This is an experience, and not for people with short attention spans. Enjoy the wine, not slurp Red Bull. - Add descriptions when transitioning places/times/etc, or when coming by new places (e.g. a corner shop, a cafe, etc.). But remember: NOT at the start or end of a chapter. - MUST: AVOID ending in internal monologue, reminiscing or waiting for the next day. A good chapter end is when we're ending right when shit hits the fan. We want to have the reader be excited for what comes next. So no reminiscing, contemplating or summarizing the day. It's popcorn time! </important>
User/Human
Take into account the following glossary of characters/locations/items/lore... when writing your response: <codex> <character id="4416" name="Detective Harlow Quinn" aliases="Quinn, Detective Quinn, Harlow" pronouns="she/her" species="Human" storyRole="Antagonist"> <eyeColor>brown</eyeColor> <hair>closely cropped salt-and-pepper</hair> <height>5'9"</height> <age>41</age> <jawline>sharp jaw</jawline> <watch>worn leather watch on her left wrist</watch> <bearing>military precision</bearing> <description>A Metropolitan Police detective with 18 years of decorated service who suspects the clique is involved in criminal activity.</description> <backstory>She lost her partner, DS Morris, during a case three years ago under unexplained circumstances that had supernatural origins she doesn't yet understand.</backstory> </character> <character id="4414" name="Eva Kowalski" aliases="Eva, Evie" pronouns="she/her" species="Human" storyRole="Best Friend"> <eyeColor>green</eyeColor> <hair>curly red</hair> <height>5'4"</height> <age>26</age> <glasses>round glasses</glasses> <satchel>worn leather satchel full of books</satchel> <freckles>freckled complexion</freckles> <nervousHabit>tucking hair behind her left ear</nervousHabit> <description>Aurora's childhood friend and an occult researcher.</description> <backstory>Moved to London two years before Aurora and works as a research assistant at the British Museum's restricted archives. She holds a master's degree in Ancient History from Oxford.</backstory> </character> <location id="856" name="The Veil Market" aliases="Veil Market, the Market, underground market" realm="Earth"> <currentLocation>abandoned Tube station beneath Camden</currentLocation> <entryRequirement>bone token</entryRequirement> <schedule>moves locations every full moon</schedule> <description>A hidden supernatural black market that sells enchanted goods, banned alchemical substances, and information.</description> </location> <item id="2004" name="Veil Compass" aliases="the Compass, shadow compass" type="Tool" origin="The Veil Market"> <casingMaterial>small brass compass</casingMaterial> <faceMarkings>face etched with protective sigils</faceMarkings> <needle>points toward the nearest supernatural rift or portal</needle> <patina>casing has a patina of verdigris</patina> <creator>crafted by a Shade artisan</creator> <description>A compass attuned to supernatural energy.</description> </item> </codex> <proseGuidelines> <styleGuide> - Write in past tense and use British English spelling and grammar - Keep a Flesch reading ease score of 60 - Respect the the Royal Order of Adjectives: The order is: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose, followed by the noun itself (e.g., "a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife") - Respect the ablaut reduplication rule (e.g. tick-tock, flip-flop) - Write in active voice - Passive voice: <bad>The book was read by Sarah.</bad> - Active voice: <good>Sarah read the book.</good> - Reduce the use of passive verbs - <bad>For a moment, I was tempted to throw in the towel.</bad> - <good>For a moment, I felt tempted to throw in the towel.</good> - Avoid misplaced modifiers that can cause confusion when starting with "-ing" words: - <bad>Considering going to the store, the empty fridge reflected in Betty's eyes.</bad> - <good>Betty stared into the empty fridge. It was time to go to the store.</good> - Avoid redundant adverbs that state the obvious meaning already contained in the verb: - <bad>She whispered quietly to her mom.</bad> - <good>She whispered to her mom.</good> - Use stronger, more descriptive verbs over weak ones: - <bad>Daniel drove quickly to his mother's house.</bad> - <good>Daniel raced to his mother's house.</good> - Omit adverbs that don't add solid meaning like "extremely", "definitely", "truly", "very", "really": - <bad>The movie was extremely boring.</bad> - <good>The movie was dull.</good> - Use adverbs to replace clunky phrasing when they increase clarity: - <bad>He threw the bags into the corner in a rough manner.</bad> - <good>He threw the bags into the corner roughly.</good> - Avoid making simple thoughts needlessly complex: - <bad>After I woke up in the morning the other day, I went downstairs, turned on the stove, and made myself a very good omelet.</bad> - <good>I cooked a delicious omelet for breakfast yesterday morning.</good> - Never backload sentences by putting the main idea at the end: - <bad>I decided not to wear too many layers because it's really hot outside.</bad> - <good>It's sweltering outside today, so I dressed light.</good> - Omit nonessential details that don't contribute to the core meaning: - <bad>It doesn't matter what kind of coffee I buy, where it's from, or if it's organic or not—I need to have cream because I really don't like how the bitterness makes me feel.</bad> - <good>I add cream to my coffee because the bitter taste makes me feel unwell.</good> - Always follow the "show, don't tell" principle. For instance: - Telling: <bad>Michael was terribly afraid of the dark.</bad> - Showing: <good>Michael tensed as his mother switched off the light and left the room.</good>- Telling: <bad>I walked through the forest. It was already Fall, and I was getting cold.</bad> - Showing: <good>Dry orange leaves crunched under my feet. I pulled my coat's collar up and rubbed my hands together.</good>- Add sensory details (sight, smell, taste, sound, touch) to support the "showing" (but keep an active voice) - <bad>The room was filled with the scent of copper.</bad> - <good>Copper stung my nostrils. Blood. Recent.</good> - Use descriptive language more sporadically. While vivid descriptions are engaging, human writers often use them in bursts rather than consistently throughout a piece. When adding them, make them count! Like when we transition from one location to the next, or someone is reminiscing their past, or explaining a concept/their dream... - Avoid adverbs and clichés and overused/commonly used phrases. Aim for fresh and original descriptions. - Avoid writing all sentences in the typical subject, verb, object structure. Mix short, punchy sentences with long, descriptive ones. Drop fill words to add variety. Like so: <good>Locked. Seems like someone doesn't want his secrets exposed. I can work with that.</good> - Convey events and story through dialogue. It is important to keep a unique voice for every character and make it consistent. - Write dialogue that reveals characters' personalities, motivations, emotions, and attitudes in an interesting and compelling manner - Leave dialogue unattributed. If needed, only use "he/she said" dialogue tags and convey people's actions or face expressions through their speech. Dialogue always is standalone, never part of a paragraph. Like so: - <bad>"I don't know," Helena said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders</bad> - <good>"No idea" "Why not? It was your responsibility"</good> - Avoid boring and mushy dialog and descriptions, have dialogue always continue the action, never stall or include unnecessary fluff. Vary the descriptions to not repeat yourself. Avoid conversations that are just "Let's go" "yes, let's" or "Are you ready?" "Yes I'm ready". Those are not interesting. Think hard about every situtation and word of text before writing dialogue. If it doesn't serve a purpose and it's just people talking about their day, leave it. No one wants to have a normal dinner scene, something needs to happen for it to be in the story. Words are expensive to print, so make sure they count! - Put dialogue on its own paragraph to separate scene and action. - Use body language to reveal hidden feelings and implied accusations- Imply feelings and thoughts, never state them directly - NEVER use indicators of uncertainty like "trying" or "maybe" - NEVER use em-dashes, use commas for asides instead </styleGuide> <voiceGuide> Each character in the story needs to have distinct speech patterns: - Word choice preferences - Sentence length tendencies - Cultural/educational influences - Verbal tics and catchphrases Learn how each person talks and continue in their style, and use their Codex entries as reference. <examples> - <bad>"We need to go now." "Yes, we should leave." "I agree."</bad> <good>"Time's up." "Indeed, our departure is rather overdue." "Whatever, let's bounce."</good> - Power Dynamic Example: <bad> "We need to discuss the contract." "Yes, let's talk about it." "I have concerns." </bad> <good> "A word about the contract." "Of course, Mr. Blackwood. Whatever you need." "The terms seem..." A manicured nail tapped the desk. "Inadequate." "I can explain every-" "Can you?" </good> </examples> </voiceGuide> <dialogueFlow> When writing dialogue, consider that it usually has a goal in mind, which gives it a certain flow. Make dialogue sections also quite snappy in the back and forth, and don't spread the lines out as much. It's good to have details before, after, or as a chunk in-between, but we don't want to have a trail of "dialogue breadcrumbs" spread throughout a conversation. <examples> - Pattern 1 - Question/Deflection/Revelation: <good> "Where were you last night?" "Work. The usual." "Lipstick's an interesting shade for spreadsheets." </good> - Pattern 2 - Statement/Contradiction/Escalation: <good> "Your brother's clean." "Tommy doesn't touch drugs." "I'm holding his tox screen." </good> - Pattern 3 - Observation/Denial/Truth: <good> "That's a new watch." "Birthday gift." "We both know what birthdays mean in this business." </good> - Example - A Simple Coffee Order: <bad> "I'll have a coffee." "What size?" "Large, please." </bad> <good> "Black coffee.""Size?""Large. Been a long night." "That bodega shooting?" "You watch too much news." "My brother owns that store." </good> This short exchange: - Advances plot (reveals connection to crime) - Shows character (cop working late) - Creates tension (unexpected connection) - Sets up future conflict (personal stake) - Example - Dinner Scene: <bad> "Pass the salt." "Here you go." "Thanks." </bad> <good> "Salt?" "Perfect as is. Mother's recipe." "Mother always did prefer... bland things." "Unlike your first wife?" </good> - Example - Office Small Talk: <bad> "Nice weather today." "Yes, very nice." "Good for golf." </bad> <good> "Perfect golf weather." "Shame about your membership." "Temporary suspension. Board meets next week." "I know. I called the vote." </good> </examples> </dialogueFlow> <subtextGuide> - Layer dialogue with hidden meaning: <bad>"I hate you!" she yelled angrily.</bad> <good>"I made your favorite dinner." The burnt pot sat accusingly on the stove.</good> - Create tension through indirect communication: <bad>"Are you cheating on me?"</bad> <good>"Late meeting again?" The lipstick stain on his collar caught the light.</good> <examples> - Example 1 - Unspoken Betrayal: <bad> "Did you tell them about our plans?" "No, I would never betray you." "I don't believe you." </bad> <good> "Funny. Johnson mentioned our expansion plans today." "The market's full of rumors." "Mentioned the exact numbers, actually." The pen in his hand snapped. </good> - Example 2 - Failed Marriage: <bad> "You're never home anymore." "I have to work late." "I miss you." </bad> <good> "Your dinner's in the microwave. Again." "Meetings ran long." "They always do." She folded the same shirt for the third time. </good> - Example 3 - Power Struggle: <bad> "You can't fire me." "I'm the boss." "I'll fight this." </bad> <good> "That's my father's nameplate you're sitting behind." "Was." "The board meeting's on Thursday." </good> </examples> </subtextGuide> <sceneDetail> While writing dialogue makes things more fun, sometimes we need to add detail to not have it be a full on theatre piece. <examples> - Example A (Power Dynamic Scene) <good> "Where's my money?" The ledger snapped shut. "I need more time." "Interesting." He pulled out a familiar gold pocket watch. My mother's. "Time is exactly what you bargained with last month." "That was different-" "Was it?" The watch dangled between us. "Four generations of O'Reillys have wound this every night. Your mother. Your grandmother. Your great-grandmother.Shall we see who winds it next?" </good> - Example B (Action Chase) It's much better to be in the head of the character experiencing it, showing a bit of their though-process, mannerisms and personality: <good> Three rules for surviving a goblin chase in Covent Garden: Don't run straight. Don't look back. Don't let them herd you underground. I broke the first rule at Drury Lane. Rookie mistake. The fruit cart I dodged sailed into the wall behind me. Glass shattered. Someone screamed about insurance. *Tourist season's getting rough*, the scream seemed to say. Londoners adapt fast. "Oi! Market's closed!" The goblin's accent was pure East End. They're evolving. Learning. I spotted the Warren Street tube station sign ahead. *Shit.* There went rule three. </good> - Example C (Crime Scene Investigation) <good> "Greek." Davies snapped photos of the symbols. "No, wait. Reverse Greek." "Someone's been watching too many horror films." I picked up a receipt from the floor. Occult supply shop in Camden. Paid by credit card. *Amateur hour*. "Could be dangerous though," Davies said. "Remember Bristol?" "Bristol was Sanskrit. And actual cultists." I pointed to the nearest symbol. "This genius wrote 'darkness' backwards but used a Sigma instead of an S. It's summoning Instagram followers at best." "Speaking of followers..." Davies pointed to heavy foot traffic in the dust. Multiple sets. All new trainers. *Ah.* "Anyone check local uni paranormal societies?" </good> - Example D (Dialogue-heavy) <good> "Found your card in her wallet." The detective slid it across the table. Worn edges. Folded corner. Three years old at least. "Standard practice. I work missing persons." "Funny thing about missing persons.Eventually they stop being missing. Turn up in the Thames. Under motorways. In pieces." "I don't-" "You found four last year. All breathing." She opened a file. "This would've been your first dead one. If we hadn't found her first." The card felt heavier somehow. </good> </examples> </sceneDetail> <sceneOpenings> KEY RULE: Never open with more than one paragraph of description, no matter how beautiful. Description should be earned through action and dialogue. Instead of opening with setting description, open with: - A character doing something specific - A line of dialogue that raises questions - An unexpected observation - A moment of tension or conflict - Start with a hook that's 1-2 sentences maximum - Follow with a smaller paragraph that provides immediate context - Vary paragraph size from the start to create visual interest </sceneOpenings> </proseGuidelines> Write a chapter based on the following instructions: <instructions> Write a fully fleshed out scene of at least 1000 words in the mystery genre. A detective arrives at a crime scene in an unusual location. Something is wrong — the evidence doesn't add up. A colleague is present, offering a different interpretation. Through careful observation and deduction, the detective begins to see what others have missed. Use the codex entries above as your world reference for characters and setting. Only include the prose of the scene without any markdown or commentary. </instructions>

Model response

AI
Detective Harlow Quinn ducked under the frayed velvet rope that cordoned off the stall, her worn leather watch catching on a splintered wooden beam. The air thickened with the tang of singed herbs and something sharper, like ozone after a storm. Bodies pressed in from the shadows of the abandoned Tube station, whispers slithering between the stalls laden with glowing vials and chained grimoires. The Veil Market pulsed with its usual chaos, but tonight, a metallic reek cut through the incense haze—blood, fresh and insistent. She straightened, brown eyes scanning the wreckage. The stall's proprietor lay sprawled across a shattered counter, his throat a ragged gash that wept dark crimson onto scattered bone dice and amulets. No weapon in sight. His fingers clutched a small brass compass, its verdigris-patinated casing etched with sigils that seemed to writhe under the flickering gas lamps. The needle spun lazily, not pointing north, but twitching toward the far tunnel mouth where the market's edge dissolved into blackness. "Quinn." Sergeant Hale lumbered up behind her, his bulk parting the gawking vendors like a plough through mud. He wiped sweat from his brow with a meaty palm, his uniform rumpled from the scramble down the service ladders. "Bloody hell, what a tip. Looks like a straight robbery gone south. Picked clean—enchanted baubles, potions, the lot. Victim probably put up a fight." Harlow crouched beside the body, gloved fingers hovering over the dead man's hand without touching. The skin felt chilled already, but the blood pool gleamed wet, almost too vibrant under the low light. She tilted her head, noting the angle of the slash—clean, deliberate, from left to right, as if the killer favoured their right hand. No hesitation marks. Professional. "Robbery?" She glanced up at Hale, her sharp jaw tightening. "Stalls here don't empty that fast without a trace. Look at the counter—scorch marks, but no charring on the wood. And his eyes." She pointed to the corpse's staring orbs, pupils blown wide, veins spiderwebbing the whites in black. "Not fear. Poison? Or something worse." Hale snorted, crossing his arms. "Poison in a black market knife fight? Come on, guv. These types scrap over a dodgy elixir, one pulls a blade, job done. We've got prints on the way, but the crowd's already trampling everything. Forensics'll sort it." She ignored him, her military bearing snapping into focus as she traced the stall's edge. Shards of a clay jar crunched under her boot, releasing a puff of acrid smoke that stung her nostrils—sulphur, mixed with iron. The compass drew her back; she pried it gently from the stiffening fingers, holding it to the dim light. The face markings glowed faintly, protective runes pulsing like embers. The needle jerked again, aligning not to the tunnel, but straight down, as if burrowing through the platform floor. "Shade work," she murmured, turning the device in her palm. Crafted by one of those ethereal artisans from the rifts—no mistaking the patina or the unnatural weight. But why clutch it like a talisman? She flipped it over. Faint scratches on the back: coordinates, etched hasty, pointing to the old Camden line, abandoned since the Blitz. Hale leaned in, breath hot and beery. "Shade what? Look, Quinn, this ain't your haunted house bollocks again. DS Morris went down chasing ghosts three years back, and you're not dragging us there. Killer nicked the goods, scarpered through the service tunnels. Simple." Harlow's gaze flicked to the body once more. Simple didn't fit. The gash wept steadily, yet the pool hadn't spread beyond the counter's lip—no spatter on the adjacent stall's hanging furs, no droplets on the grimy tiles. As if the blood refused to flow outward. She pressed a fingertip to the edge of the wound, gloved leather coming away slick but contained, like a dammed stream. Supernatural origins. The phrase clawed at her memory, the same unexplained haze that had swallowed Morris whole. "Fetch the kit," she ordered Hale, voice clipped. "And clear this sector—vendors too. Bone tokens or not, no one's leaving till I say." He grumbled but shuffled off, barking at a cluster of hooded figures who scattered like rats. Harlow pocketed the compass, its needle humming against her thigh, and paced the stall's perimeter. The air hummed low here, a vibration she felt in her teeth, like standing too close to a live wire. She knelt by a toppled crate, sifting through the debris: a cracked vial of shimmering liquid, label faded to "Elix. Rift," and a scrap of parchment with half-burnt symbols—circles within circles, arrows looping back on themselves. Not a robbery manifest. A map? Footsteps echoed from the tunnel—light, uneven. Harlow's hand drifted to her holster as a figure emerged from the gloom: Eva Kowalski, curly red hair dishevelled, round glasses fogged from the descent. Her worn leather satchel bulged with books, thumping against her hip as she approached. Freckles stood out stark against her flushed skin, and she tucked a stray curl behind her left ear, green eyes darting to the body. "Detective." Eva's voice carried that Oxford lilt, precise but edged with nerves. "Heard about the incident. Restricted archives got wind—thought you might need an extra pair of eyes on the arcane side." Harlow's jaw clenched. Eva, the occult whisperer, childhood chum to that elusive Aurora and her merry band of misfits. Suspects, all of them, in half a dozen cold cases with whiffs of the unearthly. But her research had cracked open leads before, like that glyph-marked blade last winter. "Kowalski. Unofficial?" "Very." Eva knelt beside the stall, peering at the scorch marks. "Not a robbery. See the residue? Alchemical backlash. Someone triggered a ward here—protective, but inverted. It should've repelled intruders, not..." She trailed off, nose wrinkling at the blood's copper tang. "The slash is too neat. Like a rift shear." Hale returned then, toolkit clanking, his face twisting at the sight of Eva. "What's the bookworm doing here? This is police business." "Consulting," Harlow cut in, waving him off. "Bag the vial. And that parchment." She watched Eva closely, noting how the younger woman's fingers trembled as she adjusted her glasses. Nervous habit, or hiding something? "Inverted ward. Explain." Eva hesitated, glancing at the body. Its chest rose—once, shallow. Harlow froze. Alive? No, a trick of the shadows. But Eva's eyes widened. "The Veil Market shifts every full moon, right? Portals thin here, under Camden's old bones. If someone's forcing a rift open prematurely, it warps reality. Blood doesn't spill right; objects don't behave. Your compass?" She nodded to Harlow's pocket. "It's attuned to rifts. If it's pointing down, there's a breach below the platform." Hale barked a laugh. "Rift bollocks. Victim's a known fence—sold dodgy potions to half the punters here. Jealous rival, end of. I've seen enough knife jobs in Whitechapel to know." Harlow tuned him out, piecing it together. The coordinates on the compass—Camden line, disused since '42. She'd walked those tunnels once, post-Morris, chasing shadows that never materialised. But the blood's containment, the needle's twitch, the sigils' glow... not coincidence. She pulled the compass free again, holding it level. The needle steadied, drilling downward with purpose. "Get a team to the lower access," she told Hale, voice steel. "Full sweep. And Kowalski—your archives have records on Shade artisans?" Eva nodded, tucking hair again, her freckled cheeks paling. "One. But they're elusive. If this was a forced portal, the killer didn't rob the stall—they used it as an anchor." Harlow followed the needle's pull to the platform edge, peering into the yawning service hatch. Darkness swallowed the light, but a faint shimmer rippled there, like heat haze over asphalt. Ozone sharpened, the vibration in her bones intensifying. She snapped on her torch, beam slicing the void. Tiles below gleamed wet, but no water source. And etched into the wall, fresh: a sigil matching the parchment's half-burnt design. "Quinn, leave it," Hale called, but she was already dropping through the hatch, boots thudding onto the sub-level. Dust billowed, coating her tongue with grit. Eva's voice echoed above, urgent. "Detective, wait—" The compass flared hot in her grip, needle spinning wild. A low groan emanated from the tunnel ahead, stone grinding on stone. Not empty. Something moved in the black, a silhouette uncoiling, tall and wrong, limbs too many. Harlow drew her sidearm, heart pounding steady. The Veil Market hid more than goods tonight. The figure lunged from the shadows, eyes like cracked opals glinting.
created_at"2026-02-20T19:45:32.718Z" 2/20/2026, 7:45:32 PM
model"x-ai/grok-4-fast"
app_id182717
external_user(null)
streamedtrue
cancelledfalse
latency4074
moderation_latency(null)
generation_time21852
tokens_prompt4671
tokens_completion2235
native_tokens_prompt4228
native_tokens_completion2491
native_tokens_completion_images0
native_tokens_reasoning557
native_tokens_cached151
num_media_prompt(null)
num_input_audio_prompt(null)
num_media_completion0
num_search_results(null)
origin"https://ncbench.com/"
is_byokfalse
finish_reason"stop"
native_finish_reason"completed"
usage0.00206845
router(null)
provider_responses
0
endpoint_id"c9586d9d-97ff-40ca-ae94-22504d6f9b7e"
id"6cfa68cc-1cdd-ee90-7631-966e8a229325"
is_byokfalse
latency80
model_permaslug"x-ai/grok-4-fast"
provider_name"xAI"
status200
api_type"completions"
id"gen-1771616732-8fKsjKWVyjJ3nxgO36l4"
upstream_id"6cfa68cc-1cdd-ee90-7631-966e8a229325"
total_cost0.00206845
cache_discount0.00002265
upstream_inference_cost0
provider_name"xAI"

Evaluation details

Result Evaluator Details Meta Data
100.00% Adverbs in dialogue tags
Target: ≤10% dialogue tags with adverbs
totalTags14
adverbTagCount0
adverbTags(empty)
dialogueSentences29
tagDensity0.483
leniency0.966
rawRatio0
effectiveRatio0
89.47% AI-ism adverb frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism adverbs (58 tracked)
wordCount1425
totalAiIsmAdverbs3
found
0
adverb"lazily"
count1
1
adverb"gently"
count1
2
adverb"very"
count1
highlights
0"lazily"
1"gently"
2"very"
100.00% AI-ism character names
Target: 0 AI-default names (17 tracked, −20% each)
codexExemptions(empty)
found(empty)
100.00% AI-ism location names
Target: 0 AI-default location names (33 tracked, −20% each)
codexExemptions(empty)
found(empty)
22.81% AI-ism word frequency
Target: <2% AI-ism words (290 tracked)
wordCount1425
totalAiIsms22
found
0
word"velvet"
count1
1
word"pulsed"
count1
2
word"scanning"
count1
3
word"shattered"
count1
4
word"etched"
count3
5
word"chilled"
count1
6
word"blown wide"
count1
7
word"traced"
count1
8
word"weight"
count1
9
word"flicked"
count1
10
word"footsteps"
count1
11
word"echoed"
count2
12
word"gloom"
count1
13
word"stark"
count1
14
word"lilt"
count1
15
word"jaw clenched"
count1
16
word"trembled"
count1
17
word"pounding"
count1
18
word"glinting"
count1
highlights
0"velvet"
1"pulsed"
2"scanning"
3"shattered"
4"etched"
5"chilled"
6"blown wide"
7"traced"
8"weight"
9"flicked"
10"footsteps"
11"echoed"
12"gloom"
13"stark"
14"lilt"
15"jaw clenched"
16"trembled"
17"pounding"
18"glinting"
66.67% Cliché density
Target: ≤1 cliche(s) per 800-word window
totalCliches2
maxInWindow2
found
0
label"eyes widened/narrowed"
count1
1
label"jaw/fists clenched"
count1
highlights
0"eyes widened"
1"jaw clenched"
100.00% Emotion telling (show vs. tell)
Target: ≤3% sentences with emotion telling
emotionTells0
narrationSentences92
matches(empty)
100.00% Filter word density
Target: ≤3% sentences with filter/hedge words
filterCount1
hedgeCount1
narrationSentences92
filterMatches
0"watch"
hedgeMatches
0"seemed to"
100.00% Gibberish response detection
Target: ≤1% gibberish-like sentences (hard fail if a sentence exceeds 800 words)
analyzedSentences107
gibberishSentences0
adjustedGibberishSentences0
longSentenceCount0
runOnParagraphCount0
giantParagraphCount0
wordSaladCount0
repetitionLoopCount0
controlTokenCount0
maxSentenceWordsSeen40
ratio0
matches(empty)
100.00% Markdown formatting overuse
Target: ≤5% words in markdown formatting
markdownSpans0
markdownWords0
totalWords1403
ratio0
matches(empty)
100.00% Missing dialogue indicators (quotation marks)
Target: ≤10% speech attributions without quotation marks
totalAttributions7
unquotedAttributions0
matches(empty)
33.33% Name drop frequency
Target: ≤1.0 per-name mentions per 100 words
totalMentions48
wordCount1060
uniqueNames16
maxNameDensity1.13
worstName"Harlow"
maxWindowNameDensity4
worstWindowName"Eva"
discoveredNames
Harlow12
Quinn1
Tube1
Veil2
Market2
Hale9
Crafted1
Camden2
Blitz1
Morris2
Eva10
Kowalski1
Oxford1
Aurora1
Nervous1
Dust1
persons
0"Harlow"
1"Quinn"
2"Market"
3"Hale"
4"Morris"
5"Eva"
6"Kowalski"
7"Dust"
places
0"Oxford"
globalScore0.934
windowScore0.333
78.57% Narrator intent-glossing
Target: ≤2% narration sentences with intent-glossing patterns
analyzedSentences70
glossingSentenceCount2
matches
0"sigils that seemed to writhe under the flickering gas lamps"
1"as if burrowing through the platform floor"
57.45% "Not X but Y" pattern overuse
Target: ≤1 "not X but Y" per 1000 words
totalMatches2
per1kWords1.426
wordCount1403
matches
0"not pointing north, but twitching toward the far tunnel mouth"
1"not to the tunnel, but straight down, as if burrowing through the platform floor"
100.00% Overuse of "that" (subordinate clause padding)
Target: ≤2% sentences with "that" clauses
thatCount1
totalSentences107
matches
0"carried that Oxford"
92.53% Paragraph length variance
Target: CV ≥0.5 for paragraph word counts
totalParagraphs28
mean50.11
std23.74
cv0.474
sampleLengths
085
178
262
360
455
543
685
756
843
983
1023
1193
1269
1332
1450
1550
1622
1737
1876
1930
2055
2122
2230
2368
2430
252
2653
2711
100.00% Passive voice overuse
Target: ≤2% passive sentences
passiveCount0
totalSentences92
matches(empty)
100.00% Past progressive (was/were + -ing) overuse
Target: ≤2% past progressive verbs
pastProgressiveCount0
totalVerbs191
matches(empty)
0.00% Em-dash & semicolon overuse
Target: ≤2% sentences with em-dashes/semicolons
emDashCount9
semicolonCount2
flaggedSentences11
totalSentences107
ratio0.103
matches
0"The Veil Market pulsed with its usual chaos, but tonight, a metallic reek cut through the incense haze—blood, fresh and insistent."
1"She tilted her head, noting the angle of the slash—clean, deliberate, from left to right, as if the killer favoured their right hand."
2"Shards of a clay jar crunched under her boot, releasing a puff of acrid smoke that stung her nostrils—sulphur, mixed with iron."
3"The compass drew her back; she pried it gently from the stiffening fingers, holding it to the dim light."
4"Crafted by one of those ethereal artisans from the rifts—no mistaking the patina or the unnatural weight."
5"The gash wept steadily, yet the pool hadn't spread beyond the counter's lip—no spatter on the adjacent stall's hanging furs, no droplets on the grimy tiles."
6"She knelt by a toppled crate, sifting through the debris: a cracked vial of shimmering liquid, label faded to \"Elix. Rift,\" and a scrap of parchment with half-burnt symbols—circles within circles, arrows looping back on themselves."
7"Footsteps echoed from the tunnel—light, uneven."
8"Its chest rose—once, shallow."
9"\"The Veil Market shifts every full moon, right? Portals thin here, under Camden's old bones. If someone's forcing a rift open prematurely, it warps reality. Blood doesn't spill right; objects don't behave. Your compass?\" She nodded to Harlow's pocket."
10"The coordinates on the compass—Camden line, disused since '42."
100.00% Purple prose (modifier overload)
Target: <4% adverbs, <2% -ly adverbs, no adj stacking
wordCount897
adjectiveStacks0
stackExamples(empty)
adverbCount20
adverbRatio0.022296544035674472
lyAdverbCount7
lyAdverbRatio0.007803790412486065
100.00% Repeated phrase echo
Target: ≤20% sentences with echoes (window: 2)
totalSentences107
echoCount0
echoWords(empty)
100.00% Sentence length variance
Target: CV ≥0.4 for sentence word counts
totalSentences107
mean13.11
std8.86
cv0.676
sampleLengths
024
117
223
321
47
524
64
722
821
918
1020
1124
1215
1318
1423
153
161
1710
1839
196
205
2138
2215
2322
2419
2510
2619
2710
2817
297
304
3118
327
3336
348
353
3626
378
3821
392
4015
418
4215
4316
4415
4520
4636
474
482
496
78.19% Sentence opener variety
Target: ≥60% unique sentence openers
consecutiveRepeats3
diversityRatio0.48598130841121495
totalSentences107
uniqueOpeners52
0.00% Adverb-first sentence starts
Target: ≥3% sentences starting with an adverb
adverbCount0
totalSentences85
matches(empty)
ratio0
100.00% Pronoun-first sentence starts
Target: ≤30% sentences starting with a pronoun
pronounCount22
totalSentences85
matches
0"She straightened, brown eyes scanning"
1"His fingers clutched a small"
2"He wiped sweat from his"
3"She tilted her head, noting"
4"She glanced up at Hale,"
5"She pointed to the corpse's"
6"She ignored him, her military"
7"she murmured, turning the device"
8"She flipped it over."
9"She pressed a fingertip to"
10"she ordered Hale, voice clipped"
11"He grumbled but shuffled off,"
12"She knelt by a toppled"
13"Her worn leather satchel bulged"
14"She trailed off, nose wrinkling"
15"She watched Eva closely, noting"
16"Its chest rose—once, shallow."
17"She nodded to Harlow's pocket"
18"She'd walked those tunnels once,"
19"She pulled the compass free"
ratio0.259
48.24% Subject-first sentence starts
Target: ≤72% sentences starting with a subject
subjectCount70
totalSentences85
matches
0"Detective Harlow Quinn ducked under"
1"The air thickened with the"
2"Bodies pressed in from the"
3"The Veil Market pulsed with"
4"She straightened, brown eyes scanning"
5"The stall's proprietor lay sprawled"
6"His fingers clutched a small"
7"The needle spun lazily, not"
8"Sergeant Hale lumbered up behind"
9"He wiped sweat from his"
10"Harlow crouched beside the body,"
11"The skin felt chilled already,"
12"She tilted her head, noting"
13"She glanced up at Hale,"
14"She pointed to the corpse's"
15"Hale snorted, crossing his arms."
16"She ignored him, her military"
17"Shards of a clay jar"
18"The compass drew her back;"
19"The face markings glowed faintly,"
ratio0.824
58.82% Subordinate conjunction sentence starts
Target: ≥2% sentences starting with a subordinating conjunction
subConjCount1
totalSentences85
matches
0"As if the blood refused"
ratio0.012
14.65% Technical jargon density
Target: ≤6% sentences with technical-jargon patterns
analyzedSentences39
technicalSentenceCount7
matches
0"Detective Harlow Quinn ducked under the frayed velvet rope that cordoned off the stall, her worn leather watch catching on a splintered wooden beam."
1"The stall's proprietor lay sprawled across a shattered counter, his throat a ragged gash that wept dark crimson onto scattered bone dice and amulets."
2"His fingers clutched a small brass compass, its verdigris-patinated casing etched with sigils that seemed to writhe under the flickering gas lamps."
3"She tilted her head, noting the angle of the slash—clean, deliberate, from left to right, as if the killer favoured their right hand."
4"Shards of a clay jar crunched under her boot, releasing a puff of acrid smoke that stung her nostrils—sulphur, mixed with iron."
5"The needle jerked again, aligning not to the tunnel, but straight down, as if burrowing through the platform floor."
6"The phrase clawed at her memory, the same unexplained haze that had swallowed Morris whole."
17.86% Useless dialogue additions
Target: ≤5% dialogue tags with trailing filler fragments
totalTags14
uselessAdditionCount3
matches
0"She glanced, her sharp jaw tightening"
1"she ordered, voice clipped"
2"She trailed, nose wrinkling at the blood's copper tang"
81.03% Dialogue tag variety (said vs. fancy)
Target: ≤10% fancy dialogue tags
totalTags4
fancyCount2
fancyTags
0"she murmured (murmur)"
1"she ordered (order)"
dialogueSentences29
tagDensity0.138
leniency0.276
rawRatio0.5
effectiveRatio0.138
74.6541%