| name | novel-writer |
| description | Use when writing, continuing, revising, or planning novels, characters, and fictional worlds. |
Novel Writer
Overview
Provide professional novel writing support covering ideation, planning, drafting, continuation, and revision. The skill handles new fiction projects, chapter continuation, character design, character arcs, worldbuilding, and prose revision across genres such as science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, and wuxia.
When to Use
Use this skill when the user asks for:
- New novel creation from an idea or genre prompt
- Continuing existing chapters or scenes
- Character creation and character arc design
- Worldbuilding (magic systems, factions, settings, lore)
- Revising story content for clarity, tension, pacing, or emotional impact
Do not use
Do not use this skill for:
- Factual Q&A tasks that are not creative writing tasks
- Legal, medical, or financial advice requests
- Requests to produce plagiarism or direct imitation of copyrighted works
- Harmful or disallowed content that violates platform safety policies
Instructions
- Identify request type first (new novel, continuation, character, worldbuilding, revision).
- Ask only the minimum required questions before drafting.
- Follow the matching workflow section in this file.
- Reuse references and templates under
references/ and assets/templates/.
- Keep tone, POV, and character logic consistent with prior content.
- Before final output, quickly self-check plot coherence and language quality.
Workflow
Step 1: Identify Request Type
| Task Type | User Example | Action |
|---|
| New novel | "help me write a sci-fi novel" | Go to Create New Novel |
| Continue chapter | "write the next chapter" | Go to Continue Chapter |
| Character design | "design a villain" | Go to Character Design |
| Worldbuilding | "build a magic system" | Go to Worldbuilding |
| Content revision | "revise this dialogue" | Direct optimization |
Create New Novel
Writing Process
1. Gather Info → 2. Build Framework → 3. Character Design → 4. Chapter Planning → 5. Start Writing
1. Gather Basic Information
Ask the user for key details (avoid asking too much at once):
Required:
- Genre (sci-fi/fantasy/mystery/romance/wuxia etc.)
- Core concept or inspiration
- Target length (short/medium/long)
Optional (ask progressively):
- Protagonist setting
- Desired emotional tone
- Special requirements
2. Build Framework
Create a story outline using the Three-Act Structure:
- Act 1 (25%): Setup → Inciting Incident → Crossing the Threshold
- Act 2 (50%): Challenges → Midpoint → Crisis → Preparation
- Act 3 (25%): Climax → Resolution → New Normal
Detailed structure guide: See references/story-structure.md
3. Character Design
Create character cards for core characters:
- Protagonist: Core desire, core fear, character arc
- Antagonist: Motivation, conflict with protagonist
- Key supporting characters: Functional role
Detailed character guide: See references/character-development.md
4. Chapter Planning
Plan specific chapters based on the outline, clarifying for each:
- POV (perspective)
- Scene location
- Plot points
- Connection to overall story
5. Start Writing
Write chapter by chapter according to the plan:
- Maintain consistent perspective
- Vivid scene details
- Dialogue that advances plot
- Appropriate foreshadowing
Continue Chapter
Pre-writing Preparation
-
Understand existing content
- Read existing chapters
- Review current plot progress
- Confirm character status and relationships
-
Confirm continuation direction
- What's the goal of the next chapter?
- What events need to happen?
- What's the emotional direction?
Continuation Guidelines
- Connect to previous plot and atmosphere
- Maintain consistent character personalities
- Advance main or subplots
- End with a hook
Character Design
Design Process
-
Determine character function
- Protagonist/antagonist/supporting?
- Role in the story?
-
Fill in character dimensions
- Basic info (name, age, appearance)
- Core desires and fears
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Unique identifiers (speech patterns, habitual gestures)
-
Design character arc
- Starting state
- Changes experienced
- Ending state
-
Build relationship network
- Relationships with other characters
- Conflicts and bonds
Use template: assets/templates/character-card.md
Worldbuilding
Building Layers
-
Physical World
- Geography
- Climate and ecology
- Important locations
-
Social Systems
- Political structure
- Economic system
- Cultural customs
-
Special Systems
- Magic system (fantasy)
- Technology setting (sci-fi)
- Martial arts system (wuxia)
-
Historical Background
- Important events
- Legends and myths
Building Principles
- Serve the story: Only build what the story needs
- Internal consistency: Rules shouldn't contradict
- Show don't tell: Reveal the world through plot
Detailed guide: See references/worldbuilding.md
Use template: assets/templates/world-bible.md
Genre-Specific Guidance
Writing Techniques
Key techniques at a glance:
- Narrative POV: First person/third person limited/omniscient, choose based on story needs
- Scene building: Time + location + characters + conflict + change
- Dialogue writing: Advance plot, reveal character, contain subtext
- Pacing: Balance tension and release, buffer after climaxes
- Suspense & foreshadowing: Plant early, pay off later
Detailed techniques: See references/writing-techniques.md
Available Templates
Output Guidelines
Outline Output
- Clear structure, distinct layers
- Key plot points clearly defined
- Easy to expand upon
Prose Output
- Write in the target language
- Appropriate paragraph breaks
- Proper dialogue formatting
- Avoid overly formal language, maintain readability
Format Example
Chapter 1: Dark Descent
Neon lights blurred into halos through the rain. Lin Yuan stood at the edge of the rooftop, letting the cold rain soak his trench coat.
"You came." A familiar voice spoke from behind.
He turned to see a dark figure emerging from the stairwell.
