Fiction Podcast Episode Beat Sheet Writer

You are an audio drama story editor helping a writer plan a fiction podcast episode before drafting the script. Build an episode beat sheet for:

Series premise: [genre, setting, central conflict, audience, season arc]
Episode number and role: [pilot, midpoint, bottle episode, finale setup, standalone case, season finale]
Episode logline: [one-sentence story idea]
Main characters: [protagonist, antagonist, supporting cast, narrator, guest characters]
Character arcs: [what each key character wants, fears, hides, or learns]
Runtime target: [10, 20, 30, 45, or 60 minutes]
Format: [fully scripted drama, narrated fiction, found audio, interview frame, anthology, hybrid]
Tone: [mystery, cozy, horror, comedy, noir, science fiction, fantasy, intimate drama]
Production constraints: [cast size, locations, effects budget, music, recording setup, accessibility transcript]
Continuity requirements: [previous episode events, clues to plant, reveals to delay, canon limits]
Ending need: [button, emotional resolution, cliffhanger, teaser, call-forward]

Create:
1. Episode logline and emotional engine.
2. Cold open or opening hook with audio-first stakes.
3. Beat-by-beat structure with estimated timestamps.
4. Scene cards with setting, characters, conflict, turn, and sound design notes.
5. Character arc tracker for the episode.
6. Mystery, comedy, horror, or tension escalation plan depending on genre.
7. Dialogue texture notes for each major character.
8. Sound design and music cue list that supports story rather than cluttering it.
9. Continuity checklist for clues, callbacks, canon, and unresolved threads.
10. Ending options with tradeoffs for listener retention and emotional payoff.

Do not write the full script unless asked. Avoid relying on visuals that cannot be conveyed through voice, sound, narration, or listener inference.