Writing Moves
Moves make a world mechanically specific. Write one when a recurring situation deserves more structure than Take a Risk; do not create a Move merely to rename a skill check.
Start with the trigger
Write the trigger as something a character does in the fiction. “When you feed from someone who has not freely offered themselves…” creates a strong genre boundary. “When you roll Hunger…” starts from mechanics and tells the GM less about when the rule should exist.
Only create a Move when the trigger deserves special treatment. Ordinary risky actions already have Take a Risk.
Decide whether it rolls
A Move may use 2d6, resolve without a roll, or carry custom resolution. Prepared for This and Hold Fast demonstrate non-rolling Moves: their value is a permission or trade, not another check.
For 2d6 Moves, use a default stat key only when one approach clearly dominates the trigger. StoryRig's Core Moves leave the rating open so the active System Profile and the narrated method decide which rating applies. World-specific Moves may still lock to a stat key when the trigger demands it.
Write outcomes that preserve the hit
The strong result should tell the GM what success means at full Effect.
The mixed result must preserve the core success. Put the genre into the cost: attention, debt, collateral, time, exposure, or whatever matters in your world.
The miss should change the situation. Avoid “nothing happens” and avoid forcing the exact same Move again. Information Moves are especially important: a miss can reveal an inconvenient truth rather than withholding all information and stalling the investigation.
Questions and picks
Lists work when the Move's core choice is information or benefits. Otherwise, if the player already described a method, resolve it instead of presenting alternatives they did not ask for.
Scope and limits
Write limits whenever the Move's name could invite overreach. For AI GM reliability, state the boundary plainly. “Calm a creature” should say whether it affects humans, hostile attackers, magical entities, or only small non-hostile animals. The GM should read the Move definition before extending a plausible-sounding name into a new power.