A paper-first reading field guide
Trace a Decision and Its Consequences
Anchor the decision page, then add one immediate result and one later result. Keep coincidence and inferred motive outside the chain unless the text supplies evidence.
Consequences spread across chapters. A three-point chain makes the relationship visible without building a full plot summary.
Step 1
Anchor the location
Record the page or chapter before interpreting the moment. Add the current reading boundary when later knowledge could change the note.
Step 2
Decision page
State the action in neutral words and record its page.
Step 3
Immediate result
Choose the first change that follows directly from the decision.
Step 4
Delayed result
Add one later effect only when the connection remains supported.