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Rules are markdown files that give the Agent persistent writing instructions. Define them once, and the Agent follows them automatically — across every session, every chapter, every prompt.

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Two types of rules

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Global rules

Global rules apply to every writing project you open. Use them for personal habits that you carry from project to project:
  • Your natural sentence rhythm preferences
  • Punctuation style (Oxford comma, em dash usage, etc.)
  • Common anti-AI writing constraints that you apply universally
  • Any defaults you always want the Agent to start from

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Project rules

Project rules live inside a specific project and only apply when you’re working on it. Use them for:
  • This project’s POV and narrative distance
  • Tense (past / present) and person (first / third)
  • Project-specific stylistic goals or genre conventions
  • Writing constraints specific to this story’s tone

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Where rules live

your-novel/
├── .soloent/
│   └── rules/                 # Project rules (this project only)
│       ├── pov.md             # POV, tense, narrative distance
│       └── style.md           # Project-specific style requirements
├── SOLOENT.md                 # Story constitution: world, characters, plot, state
├── chapters/
└── ...
Global rules are stored in SoloEnt’s system-level Rules directory and are loaded automatically for every project. SoloEnt processes all .md files inside .soloent/rules/, combining them with any active global rules into a unified set of instructions for the Agent.

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Creating rules

Rules panel showing Global Rules and Workspace Rules sections with a new rule file input and toggle controls
1

Open the Rules panel

Click the fourth icon from the left in the Agent panel，and switch the Rules manager.
2

Choose global or project

Select where the rule should live — globally (all projects) or just in the current project.
3

Create a new rule file

Click “New rule file…”, enter a filename (e.g., my-style) and click on ”+”. The file will be created with a .md extension.
4

Write your rule

Add your instructions in markdown format. Keep each rule file focused on a single concern.

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Rules vs. SOLOENT.md

Rules are designed for your habits and preferences — the things that stay true regardless of which story you’re working on. Story-specific content like world-building details, character profiles, and plot structure lives in SOLOENT.md, where the Agent can manage and update them as your project evolves. These two systems are complementary:
RulesSOLOENT.md
What it capturesYour writing habits & preferencesYour story’s content & state
ScopeYou as a writerThis specific project
ExamplesSentence rhythm, anti-AI constraints, POV defaultsWorld logic, character profiles, plot outline
Updated byYou manuallyMostly auto-updated by the Agent
Applies toAll projects (global) or this projectThis project only
Think of it this way: SOLOENT.md is the story’s brain. Rules are your brain — your instincts, your style, your habits and non-negotiables as a writer.

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Toggling rules

Rules panel showing an active rule file with the toggle switch highlighted Every rule has a toggle to enable or disable it without deleting the file. This is useful when a specific task needs the Agent to temporarily step outside your usual constraints — for example, disabling a “short sentence” rule when writing a stream-of-consciousness passage.

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What to put in Rules

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Personal style habits (global)

These are the writing instincts you’ve developed as a writer. They should feel like second nature to you, even if you’ve never written them down before. Sentence rhythm example: 
# Sentence Style

- Default to shorter sentences (under 20 words) in scenes with tension or action
- Allow longer sentences in memory or introspective passages, but break them if they exceed 40 words
- Never write three long sentences in a row without a short one to interrupt the rhythm
- Vary sentence openings — avoid starting consecutive sentences with "She" or "He"
Punctuation habits example: 
# Punctuation Preferences

- Use the Oxford comma
- Avoid em dashes for parenthetical asides — use commas or restructure the sentence instead
- Ellipses only for trailing-off speech or thought; not for dramatic pauses
- Semicolons are allowed in narration but not in dialogue

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Anti-AI writing constraints (global)

AI models have recognizable default patterns that flatten prose and signal non-human authorship. Add the ones that bother you most as standing constraints. 
# Anti-AI Writing Constraints

## Overused words to avoid
- tapestry, mosaic, testament, dance (as metaphor), embrace (as metaphor)
- "It was a reminder that..." / "It was a testament to..."
- whisper (unless literal), shimmer, gleam
- "[X] hung between them" / "a surge of [X] rose in her chest" / "her heart sank" (stock somatic descriptions)
- "His eyes / expression / tone said it all"

## Structural patterns to avoid
- Do not summarize emotions in a final sentence after showing them in a scene
- Do not end scenes with a character reflecting on what just happened ("She realized that...")
- Avoid the "X, Y, and Z" three-item list pattern in narration
- No sentences structured as "Not [X]. [Y]." unless used very sparingly
- No excessive countdown timestamps: "X days until the tournament" / "one year and three months in total"
- No countdown phrasing: "three days left" / "two days remaining"
- No single-word sentences used for dramatic effect; no parallel clauses made of single words

## Character voice
- Do not repeat the same word or sentence pattern for a character unless it's an intentional verbal tic
- Maintain distinct voices per character — clearly different in register, rhythm, and tone
- The protagonist is allowed to be sarcastic, self-deprecating, and irritable

## Chapter openings and endings
- Do not open a chapter with a time marker: "One day later", "Three days before the match"
- Do not open a chapter with "He/She felt..."
- Do not end a chapter with an extended internal monologue
- Do not end a chapter with thematic reflection or moral commentary
- Every chapter ending must have a hook that pulls the reader forward
- Do not soften the end of a tense scene with a light or hopeful beat

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Project POV and narrative basics (project)

Every project has a fixed set of foundational writing decisions that the Agent should never deviate from. 
# Project POV & Narrative Basics

## Point of View
- Close third-person limited
- One POV character per chapter; never switch mid-chapter
- The narrator knows only what the POV character knows — no dramatic irony from outside their perspective

## Tense & Person
- Past tense throughout
- Third person throughout; no second person

## Narrative Distance
- Stay close; render interiority directly
- Avoid free indirect discourse that could be mistaken for omniscient narration

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Project-specific style requirements (project)

Use this for genre conventions, tonal targets, or stylistic goals that are particular to this story. 
# Project Style — Psychological Horror

## Tone targets
- Dread through implication, not explicit description
- The wrongness should accumulate slowly; avoid sudden revelation until Act III
- Understated prose; the horror lives in what's not said

## What to avoid in this project
- No jump-scare structure (sudden loud event after quiet)
- No gore for its own sake; visceral detail only if it serves the character's psychological state
- Avoid explaining the supernatural — ambiguity is the primary tool

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Writing effective rules

  • Be specific, not aspirational. “Write beautifully” tells the Agent nothing. “Prefer concrete sensory detail over abstract emotional labeling” is actionable.
  • State prohibitions directly. The most useful rules are often negative: “never do X.” The Agent responds well to clear constraints.
  • Include the why when it’s not obvious. “Avoid em dashes (they read as an AI writing signature)” helps the Agent understand the intent and generalize it correctly.
  • Keep rules short. Rules consume context tokens. A rule file that runs to five pages will crowd out your actual writing. If a rule needs extensive explanation, it’s probably better handled in SOLOENT.md or a dedicated reference document.
  • One concern per file. Split rules by topic so you can toggle individual concerns on and off without affecting the rest.
Don’t use Rules to duplicate what’s already in SOLOENT.md. If you’ve defined a character’s voice in SOLOENT.md, there’s no need to re-state it in a rule — the Agent reads both.

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Conditional rules

Conditional rules activate only when you’re working with files that match a path pattern. This lets you apply different writing constraints at different stages of a project without having to manually toggle rules each time. As your rule library grows, loading every rule for every request wastes context tokens. Conditional rules keep the Agent focused on only the instructions that matter for the files you are currently working with. A common use case: applying sentence rhythm and anti-AI constraints only when writing chapter files, so they don’t interfere with notes or outlines. 
---
paths:
  - "chapters/**"
---

# Prose Style

## Sentence rhythm
- Vary sentence length deliberately — short sentences for impact, longer ones for accumulation
- Never open three consecutive sentences with the same subject
- Break any sentence over 35 words into two

## Patterns to avoid
- No em dashes for parenthetical asides; restructure the sentence instead
- Avoid "she realized / she noticed / she understood" — show the realization, don't name it
- No three-item lists in narration (X, Y, and Z)
- Do not soften the end of a tense scene with a reflective or hopeful beat

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How it works

Add YAML frontmatter at the top of any rule file. The Agent evaluates each rule’s paths against the files you’re currently working with, and activates matching rules automatically. Rules without frontmatter are always active — the right choice for your universal style habits and anti-AI constraints.

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Troubleshooting

Most likely cause: The rule is either toggled off or the instruction isn’t specific enough.
  • Check that the rule file is toggled on in the Rules panel
  • Rewrite the constraint as a direct prohibition: “Do not…” rather than “Try to avoid…”
  • If it’s a global rule, verify it’s not being overridden by a project rule with conflicting instructions
Check the following:
  • The file you’re editing must match the paths glob pattern
  • The YAML frontmatter must have proper --- delimiters on both sides
  • The rule must be toggled on in the Rules panel
This usually means there’s overlap — you’ve defined something in both places.
  • Keep story content (who a character is, what the world’s rules are) in SOLOENT.md
  • Keep your writing preferences (how prose should feel, what patterns to avoid) in Rules
  • If you have stylistic requirements specific to this story’s tone, a project rule is fine — just make sure it doesn’t contradict SOLOENT.md’s Section 5 (Stylistic Guidelines)
Rules consume context tokens. If you have many active rules:
  • Toggle off rules that don’t apply to your current task
  • Consolidate overlapping rules into a single file
  • Move any story-specific content that’s crept into Rules back into SOLOENT.md where it belongs

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More Advanced Tips

SOLOENT.md Guide

Understand what belongs in SOLOENT.md vs. Rules

Commands

Use /review to check whether your latest chapter follows your active rules