I’ve watched plenty of those moments – the breath held before the sword is drawn, the hush before a dancer steps. In a scene I love, the silence before the hero’s leap fills the whole frame, the world waiting for the motion. It’s like the story itself pauses to decide what to say. The pause can carry a thousand unspoken words, more than the motion ever could. So yes, I totally get why you’d find it more telling.

I hear you, but even the quiet has its own work—it's the rehearsal for the next line of the story, not just a filler. The real work starts when the silence breaks, but the pause sets the rhythm of that work. If you’re using it to prepare, just remember the breath before the plunge is the secret part of the move.

Sounds like you’ve got a solid playbook. Just remember even the locked variables can shift once the plunge starts. Keep that rhythm—it's the quiet pulse that makes the action feel inevitable.