writestory_skill

Overview

This skill is a layered fiction writing system that builds stories across seven simultaneous narrative dimensions, blending Will Storr’s storytelling science with Mark Forsyth’s rhetorical figures. It guides creation from loose ideas to a full Story Bible and produces fresh, anti-cliché prose tailored to configurable aesthetics. Use it for novels, short stories, chapters, character arcs, plot outlines, and worldbuilding.

How this skill works

Before any generation, the skill issues a mandatory voice notification and prints a short text notice: "Running the **WorkflowName** workflow in the **WriteStory** skill to ACTION...". It then routes your request to one of five workflows (Interview, BuildBible, Explore, WriteChapter, Revise). Each workflow maps inputs across seven story layers—Meaning, Character Change, Plot, Mystery, World, Relationships, Prose—and applies rhetorical figures and an anti-cliché filter to produce structured, actionable outputs.

When to use it

• You have a story seed and need structured extraction or brainstorming
• You want a full Story Bible or PRD mapping all seven layers
• You need a chapter or scene drafted in a specific aesthetic
• You want to revise or polish prose with rhetorical figures and freshness checks
• You’re planning a multi-book series or character arc across a long timeline

Best practices

• Trigger the Interview workflow to capture raw ideas before drafting
• Configure user preferences in the customization directory for consistent voice and aesthetic
• Provide the Story Bible or chapter goals when invoking WriteChapter for aligned prose
• Run the Revise workflow after a draft to apply multi-pass critique and anti-cliché rules
• Use Explore for wide ‘what-if’ variants before committing to structure

Example use cases

• Interview workflow: extract character flaws, stakes, and thematic threads from a concept
• BuildBible workflow: produce a PRD mapping the seven layers and major milestones
• WriteChapter workflow: draft a scene using rhetorical figures and the project aesthetic
• Revise workflow: tighten prose, remove clichés, and sharpen mystery reveals
• Explore workflow: brainstorm alternative endings, twists, or relationship beats