Idea Capture and Deferred Work¶

Craft guidance for capturing ideas that arise during creative work without derailing current tasks—hook types, deferral decisions, and managing creative backlog.

The Problem: Ideas at the Wrong Time¶

Creative work generates ideas constantly. While writing one scene, you think of:

A backstory that should exist
A future scene that would be compelling
A fact that needs verification
A style pattern worth documenting
A character detail worth developing

The trap: Chasing every idea derails current work.

The solution: Capture ideas for later without losing them.

Hook Cards¶

What Is a Hook?¶

A hook is a captured idea, question, or opportunity that doesn't need resolution now but should be tracked for future work.

Hooks are:

Quick to create (don't break flow)
Specific enough to act on later
Tagged for appropriate follow-up
Triaged periodically

Hook Types¶

Type	Purpose	Example
canon_gap	Lore that should exist but doesn't	"Lighthouse keeper's backstory unexplained"
scene_idea	Future scene worth developing	"Flashback showing the founding ceremony"
fact_check	Claim needing verification	"Was gaslight common in 1850s factories?"
style_note	Aesthetic opportunity or concern	"Consider recurring fog motif"
character_note	Emerging trait worth formalizing	"Foreman's nervous gesture with ring"
media_cue	Visual or audio enhancement	"This scene needs ambient machinery sounds"

Hook Structure¶

Field	Content
Type	Hook category (see above)
Summary	One-line description
Context	Where this arose, what it connects to
Suggested owner	Who should address this
Priority hint	Urgency or importance (optional)

Example Hooks¶

Canon Gap:

Type: canon_gap
Summary: Lighthouse keeper motivation unclear
Context: Referenced in passage SB-003 as having "a secret"
         but no canon explains what secret or why
Suggested owner: lore_weaver

Scene Idea:

Type: scene_idea
Summary: Flashback to the night of the fire
Context: Characters reference "what happened" repeatedly;
         showing it would add impact
Suggested owner: plotwright

Fact Check:

Type: fact_check
Summary: Could a message reach London in one day from Edinburgh in 1845?
Context: Plot depends on urgent letter arriving overnight
Suggested owner: researcher

When to Create Hooks¶

Mandatory Hook Triggers¶

Create a hook if ANY of these occur during work:

Trigger	Hook Type	Example
Lore should exist but doesn't	canon_gap	Faction history referenced but undefined
Scene idea for later	scene_idea	"This would make a great prologue"
Fact needs verification	fact_check	Historical claim you're not sure about
Style guidance missing	style_note	"Should weather reflect mood?"
Character trait emerges	character_note	Recurring behavior worth formalizing
Media opportunity	media_cue	Visual or audio enhancement idea

When NOT to Create Hooks¶

Don't defer what's needed NOW:

Situation	Action
Missing information blocks current work	Research or ask—don't defer
Core plot element	Include in current work
Structural decision	Make it or escalate
Quality issue	Fix it now

Rule: Hooks capture opportunities. Blockers require immediate attention.

The Deferral Decision¶

Decision Framework¶

Is this needed to complete current task?
├── YES → Handle now (not a hook)
└── NO → Would it improve the story?
         ├── YES → Create hook
         └── NO → Let it go

Good Deferrals¶

Backstory that enriches but isn't essential
Future scenes beyond current scope
Research that would be nice to verify
Style patterns worth considering
Character depth beyond immediate needs

Bad Deferrals¶

Information blocking current progress
Structural decisions affecting current work
Quality issues in current deliverables
Consistency problems that will cascade

Hook Lifecycle¶

States¶

State	Meaning
Proposed	Newly captured, awaiting triage
Accepted	Approved for development
Deferred	Postponed to future cycle
Rejected	Won't pursue (with reason)
Completed	Addressed and resolved

Triage Process¶

Periodically review proposed hooks:

Read context — What was this about?
Assess value — How much would this add?
Assess effort — How hard to address?
Decide — Accept, defer, or reject

Triage Criteria¶

Factor	Accept	Defer	Reject
Value	High story impact	Nice to have	Minimal benefit
Effort	Manageable	Large scope	Disproportionate
Urgency	Blocks other work	No dependency	Never needed
Fit	Aligns with direction	Uncertain fit	Conflicts with vision

Managing Creative Backlog¶

Backlog Hygiene¶

Review regularly — Stale hooks lose context
Prune ruthlessly — Not every idea deserves development
Group related hooks — Patterns reveal priorities
Time-box triage — Don't let backlog management consume creative time

Prioritization¶

Priority	Criteria
High	Blocks other work, high value, low effort
Medium	Significant value, moderate effort
Low	Nice to have, high effort or low value
Someday	Interesting but not current priority

Common Backlog Anti-Patterns¶

Pattern	Problem	Fix
Hook hoarding	Never rejecting anything	Set acceptance criteria
Context loss	Hooks become cryptic	Capture enough detail
Deferred forever	Nothing gets addressed	Schedule development time
Duplicate hooks	Same idea multiple times	Search before creating

Integration with Creative Workflow¶

During Writing¶

Notice idea arising
Quick assessment: needed now or deferrable?
If deferrable: capture hook (30 seconds)
Return to current work immediately

Between Writing Sessions¶

Review recent hooks
Quick triage: accept/defer/reject
Update priorities if needed
Continue with primary work

Dedicated Development¶

Select accepted hooks for development
Work through systematically
Mark completed
Generate new hooks as needed

Hook Quality¶

Good Hook¶

Type: canon_gap
Summary: Union hall meeting procedures undefined
Context: Passage SB-007 has characters attending a union meeting
         but we have no canon for how meetings run, who speaks,
         voting procedures, etc. Currently hand-waved.
Suggested owner: lore_weaver
Priority hint: Medium - affects 3+ scenes

Clear, specific, actionable, contextual.

Bad Hook¶

Type: scene_idea
Summary: Something about the lighthouse

Vague, no context, not actionable.

Hook Quality Checklist¶

[ ] Type correctly categorized
[ ] Summary is specific and actionable
[ ] Context explains where this arose
[ ] Context explains why it matters
[ ] Suggested owner makes sense
[ ] Enough detail to act on later

Quick Reference¶

Hook Type	When to Use	Owner
canon_gap	Missing lore	Worldbuilder/Lorekeeper
scene_idea	Future scene	Plotter/Architect
fact_check	Needs verification	Researcher
style_note	Aesthetic pattern	Style guide owner
character_note	Emerging trait	Character developer
media_cue	Visual/audio idea	Media planner

Decision	Criteria
Handle now	Blocks current work
Create hook	Improves story, not needed now
Let it go	Minimal benefit