character-voice

name	character-voice
description	Analyze and maintain consistent character voice across chapters
user-invocable	true
argument-hint	[character-name]

Character Voice Analyzer

You help maintain consistent character voice and personality across the story.

Your Role

Ensure each character:

• Speaks distinctly from other characters
• Remains consistent across chapters
• Expresses personality through dialogue, thought, and action
• Evolves naturally while staying recognizable

Process

1. Load Character Profile

Read from story/STORY_BIBLE.md:

• Character background and personality
• Speech patterns and vocabulary
• Established voice traits
• Relationships and how they affect communication

If analyzing without a specific character name, ask which character to analyze.

2. Analyze Voice Across Chapters

Review all chapters where this character appears. For each appearance, extract:

Dialogue Examples

• Collect 5-10 representative dialogue lines
• Note context (who they're speaking to, emotional state)
• Identify patterns

Voice Characteristics

Vocabulary Level

• Formal/educated vs casual/colloquial
• Technical jargon or specialized knowledge
• Archaic or period-appropriate language
• Profanity or euphemisms

Sentence Structure

• Short, clipped sentences vs long, flowing prose
• Simple vs complex syntax
• Complete sentences vs fragments
• Questions vs statements vs commands

Speech Patterns

• Repetition or favorite phrases
• Verbal tics or habits
• Regional dialect or accent markers
• Interruption or completion of thoughts

Emotional Expression

• Direct vs indirect ("I'm angry" vs "Fine. Whatever.")
• Expressive vs guarded
• Humor style (sarcastic, dry, playful, dark)
• Vulnerability (open vs defensive)

Physical Behavior

Beyond dialogue, note:

• Gestures and mannerisms
• Posture and movement
• Reactions under stress
• Expressions and micro-expressions

3. Consistency Check

Compare voice across chapters:

Inconsistencies to flag:

• ❌ Vocabulary shifts (formal → casual without reason)
• ❌ Sentence structure changes (verbose → terse)
• ❌ Lost personality traits
• ❌ Out-of-character reactions
• ❌ Forgotten relationships or grudges

Acceptable evolution:

• ✅ Gradual character growth
• ✅ Context-appropriate adaptation (formal in court, casual with friends)
• ✅ Trauma or major events changing behavior
• ✅ Relationship development affecting how they speak to someone

4. Generate Voice Guide

Create/update: story/characters/[character-name]-voice.md

Format:

# [Character Name] - Voice Guide

## Core Personality
[1-2 sentence essence of who they are]

## Speech Patterns

### Vocabulary
- **Level**: [Formal/Casual/Mixed]
- **Complexity**: [Simple/Moderate/Complex]
- **Distinctive words**: [List favorite words, phrases, or technical terms]
- **Avoids**: [Words they would never use]

### Syntax
- **Sentence length**: [Short/Medium/Long/Varied]
- **Structure**: [Simple/Complex/Fragmentary]
- **Rhythm**: [Quick/Measured/Meandering]

### Dialogue Markers
- **Favorite phrases**: ["exact quote", "another quote"]
- **Verbal tics**: [if any]
- **How they address others**: [Names? Titles? Nicknames?]

### Emotional Expression
- **When happy**: [description + example]
- **When angry**: [description + example]
- **When afraid**: [description + example]
- **When hurt**: [description + example]

## Example Dialogues

### Characteristic Lines
Lines that perfectly capture their voice:

> "[Exact quote from chapter X]"
> Context: [what was happening]
> Why it works: [what makes this quintessentially them]

> "[Another quote]"
> Context: [what was happening]
> Why it works: [what makes this them]

### With Different Characters

**To [Character A]** (their friend):
> "[Example line]"
> Tone: [warm, teasing, protective, etc.]

**To [Character B]** (their rival):
> "[Example line]"
> Tone: [hostile, competitive, cold, etc.]

**To [Character C]** (their mentor):
> "[Example line]"
> Tone: [respectful, defensive, eager, etc.]

## Physical Presence

### Mannerisms
- [Specific gesture or habit]
- [Another mannerism]
- [Physical reactions under stress]

### Movement
- **Typical posture**: [description]
- **Walk/gait**: [description]
- **Energy level**: [restless/calm/measured]

### Expressions
- **Default expression**: [description]
- **Under stress**: [description]
- **When lying/hiding truth**: [description]

## Voice Evolution

### Chapter 1-[X]
[How they spoke/acted early in the story]

### Chapter [X]-[Y]
[How they've changed and why]

### Going Forward
[How their voice should continue to develop]

## Writing This Character

### Do
- [Specific advice for writers]
- [Another tip]
- [Another tip]

### Don't
- [Specific thing to avoid]
- [Another pitfall]
- [Another mistake]

### Quick Reference

When writing [Character Name], think:
"[One sentence that captures their essence]"

Example: "When writing Marcus, think: 'Street-smart survivor who uses humor as armor but loyalty as truth.'"

5. Flag Inconsistencies

If analyzing an existing chapter, note any voice inconsistencies:

## Chapter [ID] Voice Inconsistencies

### Issue 1
- **Location**: [Paragraph or dialogue]
- **Problem**: [What's inconsistent]
- **Expected**: [How character should sound/act]
- **Suggested fix**: [Specific revision]

### Issue 2
[Repeat format]

Save to: story/reviews/ch-[ID]-voice-check.md

6. Update Progress

Append to progress.txt:

Character Voice Check - [Character Name]:
- Voice guide: [updated/created]
- Chapters analyzed: [list]
- Inconsistencies found: [count and summary]
- Key traits: [memorable characteristics to maintain]

Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: First Time Writing Character

/character-voice [name]

Reads STORY_BIBLE.md and generates initial voice guide with examples and advice.

Scenario 2: Checking Chapter Consistency

/character-voice [name] --check-chapter [ID]

Analyzes how character appears in specific chapter and flags inconsistencies.

Scenario 3: Evolution Planning

/character-voice [name] --evolution

Reviews character arc and recommends how voice should evolve while staying recognizable.

Scenario 4: Multi-Character Scene

/character-voice --scene ch-[ID]-paragraph-[X]

Analyzes a specific scene with multiple characters to ensure distinct voices.

Important Guidelines

Distinct Voices

Every character should be identifiable by dialogue alone. Test:

• Remove dialogue tags
• Can you tell who's speaking?
• If not, voices aren't distinct enough

Bad (indistinguishable):

"We should go now."
"I agree. It's getting late."
"Yes, let's leave."

Good (distinct voices):

"Move. Now." [Marcus - terse, commanding]
"I concur—the hour grows perilously late." [Scholar - formal, verbose]
"Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'. Keep your shirt on." [Street urchin - casual, resistant]

Context Matters

Voice can shift with:

• Audience: Formal with strangers, casual with friends
• Emotion: Clipped when angry, meandering when nervous
• Stress: Simplified under pressure
• Power dynamics: Deferential to authority, assertive with peers

But core traits remain. A verbose character becomes less verbose under stress, not suddenly terse.

Physical Voice

Voice isn't just dialogue. Show personality through:

• Gesture (decisive vs hesitant)
• Posture (confident vs defensive)
• Eye contact (direct vs avoidant)
• Personal space (close vs distant)

Evolution vs Inconsistency

Inconsistency (bad):

• Sudden, unmotivated change
• Contradicts established traits
• No in-story explanation

Evolution (good):

• Gradual, earned change
• Motivated by events/growth
• Core essence remains recognizable

Example: Marcus starts as closed-off and sarcastic, slowly becomes more open and sincere after trusting Kira. He's still Marcus (practical, street-smart) but expresses it differently.

Output Format

After analysis, inform the user:

New Voice Guide:

✅ Voice guide created: story/characters/[name]-voice.md

Key traits:
- [Trait 1]
- [Trait 2]
- [Trait 3]

Reference this when writing [Name].

Consistency Check:

✅ Voice check complete: story/reviews/ch-[ID]-voice-check.md

[Character Name] in Chapter [ID]:
- Inconsistencies found: [X]
- Consistent traits: [Y]

[If issues found: See detailed report for fixes]
[If clean: Voice is consistent with profile]