fiction

name	fiction
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "write a chapter", "write prose", "continue the story", "develop a character", "review my chapter", "critique my manuscript", "write a synopsis", "summarize my story", "plan my novel", "outline my book", "check for consistency", or mentions fiction writing, novels, short stories, scenes, or narrative craft.

Fiction

A complete system for writing fiction—from initial concept through final draft.

Commands

Command	Purpose
/fiction:new	Start new project from scratch (interactive wizard)
/fiction:go	Resume a project (load context + suggest what to do next)
/fiction:plan	Design story architecture (premise, theme, ending)
/fiction:outline	Create chapter and scene breakdown
/fiction:character	Develop a character document
/fiction:review	Review current chapter (iterative feedback)
/fiction:critique	Full manuscript review (NYT/New Yorker style)
/fiction:synopsis	Generate synopsis (long/medium/short) for pitches
/fiction:next	Get suggestion for what to work on next
/fiction:status	Quick project status
/fiction:reconcile	Audit project against current conventions, offer updates
/fiction:edit	Line-level editing (spelling, grammar, word echoes)
/fiction:language	Verify foreign language phrases (grammar, period accuracy)
/fiction:notes	Collect and process inline editing markers
/fiction:cover	Generate cover art prompts for image generation
/fiction:naming	Generate and validate book title options
/fiction:build	Build EPUB for reading (--sync preserves highlights)

Natural Language Triggers

Beyond commands, respond to requests like:

• "Write chapter 8"
• "Continue from where we left off"
• "This scene isn't working—help me fix it"
• "Develop the antagonist's backstory"
• "Check this chapter for consistency issues"

Agents

Select the appropriate agent based on task:

Agent	Use Case	Model
new-project	Start from scratch (Socratic wizard)	opus
writer	Writing prose, chapters, scenes	opus
architect	Story structure, premise, ending	opus
outliner	Chapter breakdown, scene beats	sonnet
character-developer	Character documents	opus
chapter-reviewer	Iterative chapter review	sonnet
editor	Line-level polish (spelling, grammar, echoes)	sonnet
critique	Full manuscript review	opus
synopsis	Plot synopsis for queries/pitches	opus
continuity	Consistency checking	haiku
next	Project navigation	haiku
scene-analyzer	Scene diagnosis	sonnet
voice-analyzer	POV/tense checking	haiku
world-builder	Settings, systems	sonnet
cover-artist	Book cover art prompts	opus
naming	Book title generation and validation	opus
language-checker	Foreign phrase verification	sonnet

Guest Critics

Summon a specific voice for manuscript review:

Agent	Voice	Best For
stephen-king	Direct, no-BS, story-focused	Commercial fiction, horror, thriller
ursula-le-guin	Thoughtful, world as meaning	Fantasy, science fiction
james-wood	Deeply literate, sentence-level	Literary fiction
roxane-gay	Culturally aware, emotionally honest	Contemporary fiction

Craft Reference Files

Consult reference files for craft guidance:

Problem	Reference
American English style	../references/style-guides/chicago-manual.md
British English style	../references/style-guides/oxford-style-manual.md
Grammar & punctuation	../references/style-guides/shared-rules.md
Style guide comparison	../references/style-guides/decision-matrix.md
Story feels aimless	../references/story-structure.md
Scene drags	../references/scene-structure.md
Flat characters	../references/character.md
Stilted dialogue	../references/dialogue.md
Prose lacks rhythm	../references/prose-style.md
Pacing issues	../references/pacing.md
Weak opening	../references/openings.md
Unsatisfying ending	../references/endings.md
Genre expectations	../references/genre-conventions.md
Common mistakes	../references/anti-patterns.md
Process and mindset	../references/craft-wisdom.md
Audiobook readiness	../references/audiobook-considerations.md

Project Structure

Detect and work with these project structures:

Standalone Novel

/my-novel
├── README.md           # Overview, status, key decisions, ⚓ anchored
├── progress.md         # Review state (updated by review commands)
├── characters/         # Character documents
├── world/              # Setting documents
├── craft/              # Tone guide
├── chapters/           # Chapter files
└── themes.md           # Theme document

Multi-Book Series

/my-series
├── README.md           # Series overview
├── series/             # Series-level material
│   ├── series-architecture.md  # ⚓ Anchored series constraints
│   ├── progress.md     # Series-level review state
│   ├── characters/
│   ├── world/
│   └── ...
└── book-n-title/       # Individual books
    ├── progress.md     # Book-level review state
    └── chapters/

Core Principles

Apply these principles when writing or reviewing:

1. Story = Character + Change — Plot is what happens; story is what it means.
2. Scene Economy — Every scene must do at least two things.
3. Specificity Creates Universality — Concrete details create resonance.
4. Earned Moments — Plant before harvest.
5. Trust the Reader — Show, don't tell. Imply, don't explain.
6. Write for the Ear — Modern books become audiobooks. Clear attribution, distinct voices, no visual-only elements.

Decision Guides

POV Selection

• First person: Deep intimacy, unreliable narrator possible
• Third limited: Balance of intimacy and flexibility, most common
• Third omniscient: God's-eye view, good for epic scope

Tense Selection

• Past tense: Traditional, invisible, readers expect it
• Present tense: Immediacy, urgency

Scene vs. Summary

• Scene: Crucial moments, turning points, high emotion
• Summary: Routine events, transitions
• Rule: If it matters, show it.

Workflow

New Project

Run /fiction:new — interactive wizard guides you through:

1. Discovery (find the heart of your story)
2. Architecture (premise, theme, arc, ending)
3. Characters (protagonist, supporting cast)
4. World (if needed)
5. Outline (chapter breakdown)

Everything saved as you go. Socratic dialogue helps you discover what you already know.

Existing Project

Run /fiction:go to load the project and see what to work on next.

After Plugin Updates

1. Run /fiction:reconcile to audit project against current conventions
2. Review recommendations and apply updates as desired

Writing Loop

1. Write chapter (invoke writer agent)
2. Run /fiction:review for iterative feedback
3. Apply suggested revisions
4. Repeat until chapter complete
5. Run continuity check periodically

Completion

When manuscript is complete, run /fiction:critique for full literary review.

Large Manuscript Efficiency (50k+ Words)

For novels with 15-25+ chapters, use parallel agent deployment to dramatically reduce processing time:

Parallel-Capable Tasks

Task	Approach	Speedup
Editing all chapters	Spawn one editor agent per chapter	~20× for 20 chapters
Reviewing all chapters	Spawn one chapter-reviewer per chapter	~20×
Continuity checking	Phase 1: parallel fact extraction; Phase 2: comparison	~3-4×
Full critique	Parallel chapter analysis, then unified synthesis	~2-3×

How It Works

When using commands like /fiction:edit all or /fiction:review all:

1. Identify all chapters to process
2. Launch agents in parallel using the Task tool (one call per chapter, same message)
3. Agents run concurrently, each returning structured output
4. Main conversation aggregates results and updates progress.md

Sequential Tasks

Some tasks must remain sequential:

• Writing — Each chapter builds on the previous
• Outlining — Structure depends on what comes before
• Architecture — Single coherent vision needed

Memory Note

Parallel agents don't share memory. Pass necessary context (character docs, tone guide) to each agent explicitly.