ideas

name	ideas
description	Brainstorm plot developments, character arcs, scene suggestions, and thematic explorations. Reads voice profile, open threads, and continuity state to generate grounded, voice-aware ideas.
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep

Ideas Generator

Brainstorm ideas for: $ARGUMENTS

Purpose

Generate creative ideas grounded in the manuscript's existing voice, characters, threads, and themes. Every idea must feel like it belongs in THIS book — not a generic suggestion that could apply to any story.

Ideas are cheap. Good ideas that respect the author's voice and serve the existing narrative are rare. That's what this skill produces.

Arguments

• No arguments: Generate a broad set of ideas across characters, threads, and themes
• $ARGUMENTS: Focus area — can be a character name, thread ID, relationship, theme, or chapter concept

Examples:

• /ideas — broad brainstorm across the whole manuscript
• /ideas Annie — ideas focused on Annie's arc
• /ideas the buried letter — ideas exploring Dorothy's secret
• /ideas Ruth and her mother — relationship development ideas
• /ideas chapter 3 — ideas for what could happen next

Setup

Step 1: Load Voice Profile

Read books/[slug]/voice-profile.json for:

• Character profiles and their current states
• Open threads and planted seeds
• Motifs and thematic patterns
• The author's voice constraints (what NOT to suggest)

Step 2: Load Context

Read from books/[slug]/notes/:

• threads.json — unresolved plot threads
• continuity.json — current character and setting states
• ideas.md — previously generated ideas (avoid repeats)

Read the manuscript itself if needed for specific reference.

Idea Generation

For Each Idea, Provide:

### [Short evocative title]

**Characters:** [who's involved]
**Thread:** [which open thread this develops, if any]
**Emotional core:** [what the scene is really about underneath]

**The idea:**
[2-3 paragraphs describing what happens, not as a plot summary but as a narrative
possibility. What's the surface action? What's happening underneath? Where does
the tension live?]

**Potential scenes:**
- [Scene 1: brief description with POV character]
- [Scene 2: brief description with POV character]

**Voice considerations:**
[How this idea works with the author's established voice. Which character's
POV would carry it best? What sensory details would ground it? What needs to
stay understated?]

**Risks:**
[What could go wrong with this idea — how it could feel forced, betray a
character, or break the established tone]

Idea Categories

When generating a broad brainstorm, cover these categories:

Thread developments — Where could existing open threads go? What would complicate them? What would bring them closer to resolution?

Character pressure — What events or revelations would put pressure on a character's current coping strategy? What would force them to change?

Relationship shifts — What could change the dynamic between two characters? A shared experience? A confession? A misunderstanding? A kindness?

Motif deepening — How could existing motifs appear in new contexts? What scene would give a motif new meaning?

Structural possibilities — What scenes would create parallel or contrast between characters? What POV switch would reveal something the reader doesn't know?

The quiet moments — Not every idea needs to be a turning point. What small, observational scenes would deepen character without advancing plot?

Quality Standards

Every idea must:

• Be grounded in what already exists in the manuscript
• Respect the author's voice (no ideas that would require writing the author can't do)
• Serve character over plot (this is literary fiction, not thriller plotting)
• Identify subtext — what's the scene really about underneath the surface action
• Consider which POV character would best carry it
• Acknowledge risks and potential pitfalls

Ideas must NOT:

• Suggest dramatic events that don't match the manuscript's register (no car chases in domestic literary fiction)
• Propose dialogue that sounds nothing like the characters
• Ignore continuity (suggesting scenes that contradict established facts)
• Be generic (ideas should be specific to THESE characters in THIS world)
• Resolve threads too neatly — life doesn't wrap up cleanly and neither should this book
• Suggest forbidden voice patterns ("she felt a wave of realization...")

Output

Write to notes/ideas.md

Append new ideas with a timestamp header:

---
## Ideas Generated [YYYY-MM-DD]
Focus: [broad / character name / thread / etc.]

[ideas here]

---

Append to progress.txt

[timestamp] Phase: IDEAS | Focus: [focus area]
- Generated: [N] ideas
- Threads developed: [list]
- Characters explored: [list]
- Next: [suggested next step]

Output Summary

After generating ideas, report:

• Number of ideas generated
• Which threads they develop
• Which characters they explore
• Top 2-3 strongest ideas (brief summary)
• Suggested next step: /chapter-plan [brief based on strongest idea]