Claude Writer's Aid

Claude Writer's Aid MCP is a Model Context Protocol server designed to assist writers by indexing Markdown manuscripts, enabling semantic search, and providing quality checks and writing analytics. It runs alongside Claude Code CLI to keep your manuscript data organized, searchable, and well-structured, helping you stay productive as you write.

How to use

You will interact with the Writer's Aid MCP through the Claude Code CLI client. Start the MCP server locally, then use its commands to index your manuscripts, run quality analyses, validate links, and generate writing statistics. The MCP exposes practical actions you can run from your editor workflow or terminal to keep your writing project organized and searchable.

Typical workflows include indexing all Markdown files in your project, performing semantic search across chapters and sections, validating internal links, extracting recurring themes, and tracking TODO or DRAFT markers. You can also generate progress reports showing word counts and writing activity over time. Use the provided MCP commands to verify the server is running and to perform common tasks.

To verify the server, restart Claude Code CLI if you upgrade, then run a few quick tests like indexing your manuscripts, checking for quality issues, and viewing writing statistics. The MCP will respond with analysis results and metrics that reflect your current writing project.

How to install

Prerequisites you must have installed on your system:

1. Node.js version 18 or higher

2. Claude Code CLI

Install the MCP package globally and set up the integration with Claude Code CLI using one of the following methods.

# Install the package globally
npm install -g claude-writers-aid-mcp

# Auto-configure for Claude Code CLI
writers-aid init-mcp

If you prefer a development workflow, clone the repository, install dependencies, build, and then configure the MCP server.

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/xiaolai/claude-writers-aid-mcp.git
cd claude-writers-aid-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Configure MCP server
npm run init-mcp

Manual configuration (advanced) places the MCP server entry in your Claude configuration at ~/.claude.json.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "writers-aid": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/claude-writers-aid-mcp/dist/index.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/ with the actual installation path of the package. After configuring, verify installation and start Claude Code CLI to begin using the MCP.

Additional configuration and notes

MCP configuration for the Writer's Aid server uses a local stdio connection. The MCP runs as a local node process and is started by Claude Code CLI or via your configured startup sequence.

Environment variables for this server are optional in the provided setup. If you have specific environment requirements, you can add them to the MCP configuration under the env array for the stdio server and also in a top-level environment variable catalog.

Troubleshooting

If Claude Code CLI cannot reach the MCP, restart Claude Code CLI to reload the server, then perform a quick status check and re-run basic tasks like indexing and analyzing your manuscript.

If you upgrade the MCP package, restart Claude Code CLI to ensure the new version is loaded; the CLI caches MCP servers and may continue using an older version until restarted.

License and acknowledgments

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

Learn more about tools and capabilities

This MCP provides a set of practical tools to manage and analyze your manuscripts. The main capabilities include indexing manuscripts, semantic searches, quality analysis, link validation, progress tracking, theme extraction, TODO management, and comprehensive writing statistics.

Available tools

Manuscript Indexing

Automatically index and track all Markdown files in your writing project, enabling fast retrieval and organization.

Semantic Search

Perform natural language searches across your manuscript to quickly locate relevant content.

Quality Analysis

Check terminology consistency, readability, duplicates, and structure issues to improve writing quality.

Link Management

Validate internal links, find broken references, and suggest cross-references.

Progress Tracking

Monitor word counts, track changes, and generate progress reports.

Theme Extraction

Discover recurring themes across your content to understand emphasis and narrative structure.

TODO Management

Extract and track all TODO, FIXME, and DRAFT markers.

Writing Statistics

Provide comprehensive metrics and analytics for your writing project.