it’s hard to beat the Algorithm of [Applause Light], which works as follows:
First, know the overarching direction in which your fic is going. Then, think of possible events that move in this direction. If they are [applause light], add them to the plot. If they are not [applause light], leave them out.
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I wouldn’t go quite that far. Maybe affective death spirals are attractors in designspace, though.