crucible-planner_skill

Overview

This skill is an interactive planning system for epic fantasy novels built around the Crucible Structure, a 36-beat framework with three interwoven strands (Quest, Fire, Constellation), five Forge Points, and a Mercy Engine. Starting from a simple premise, it guides writers through multi-choice questions to produce seven interconnected planning document categories (14 files total) that form a complete blueprint for an epic fantasy. It emphasizes immediate state saving so progress can be resumed safely.

How this skill works

You provide a short premise or synopsis and confirm novel scope. The skill runs a three-phase workflow: Intake (capture premise and initialize project), Questioning (guided multi-choice questionnaires that populate nine document cycles), and Compilation (generate the full planning package). Every answer is saved with full context after each question to preserve progress and ensure coherence across documents.

When to use it

• You have a fantasy premise and want a structured plan before outlining.
• You need a reproducible, scene-level blueprint for an epic or series.
• You want to map three interlocking strands and their convergence crises.
• You need a rigorous antagonist and mercy/payoff design.
• You want exportable planning files to start drafting or share with editors.

Best practices

• Provide a concise 1–2 sentence premise plus a protagonist sketch before starting.
• Answer each multi-choice question deliberately; the system references prior answers for coherence.
• Save verifies after each response; retry saves once if they fail, then continue and recover later.
• Confirm novel length and POV complexity at intake to set appropriate strand depth.
• Complete verification questions for each document before advancing to ensure internal consistency.

Example use cases

• Turn a two-sentence premise into a full Crucible Thesis, strand maps, and world-building bible.
• Design the antagonist’s Dark Mirror profile and link it to every Forge Point.
• Generate a Mercy Ledger tracking mercies and later payoffs for emotional arcs.
• Create Forge Point blueprints that define the five convergence crises across strands.
• Compile all planning files into a single package ready for chapter outlining or drafting.