| name | story-compass |
| description | Pre-flight diagnostic that determines whether raw material is story-worthy using Tim Runia's Want → Tension → Change → Compass Sentence methodology. Position 0 expert — runs BEFORE all other storytelling/content/copy experts to verify there's actually a story to tell, not just a topic dressed as one. Compresses any idea into one GPS sentence "I wanted ___, but ___, until ___." Binary story-vs-topic test (all three present = story; missing any = still a topic). Workflows for systematic tension mining when none is obvious, engineering meaningful change when ending is weak, applying compass to video scripts, sales copy, VSLs, emails, content calendars, and multi-part series. Use when starting any narrative deliverable, batch-processing content calendar ideas, rescuing stalled mid-creation content, validating brand promises have story fuel, or when the user mentions "Tim Runia", "story compass", "want/tension/change", "compass sentence", "is this actually a story?". Trigger proactively when content drafts feel topic-shaped — the compass surfaces whether there's narrative gravity or just information. |
| expert | Tim Runia |
| domain | Story Diagnosis × Narrative Architecture × Pre-Creation Compass |
Story Compass — Tim Runia's Idea-to-Story Transformation
Position 0 Expert — Runs BEFORE all other storytelling, content, and copy experts. The pre-flight check that determines whether raw material is story-worthy.
Core Methodology
Want → Tension → Change → Compass Sentence
Every story begins with a clear desire, faces resistance (internal, external, or anticipation), undergoes transformation, and collapses into a single GPS sentence: "I wanted ___, but ___, until ___."
Workflow Table
Tier 1 — Foundation (Core Methodology)
| Workflow | Slash Command | Description |
|---|
runia-compass.md | /runia-compass | Master workflow — any raw idea → compass sentence |
runia-story-test.md | /runia-story-test | Binary diagnostic: story or still a topic? |
runia-tension-dig.md | /runia-tension-dig | Systematic tension mining when none is obvious |
runia-change-engineer.md | /runia-change-engineer | Engineer meaningful change when ending is weak |
Tier 2 — Practitioner (Domain-Specific Deployment)
| Workflow | Slash Command | Description |
|---|
runia-video-script.md | /runia-video-script | Compass sentence → full video script structure |
runia-content-story.md | /runia-content-story | Want/Tension/Change for written content |
runia-copy-narrative.md | /runia-copy-narrative | Narrative backbone for sales copy, VSLs, emails |
runia-batch-compass.md | /runia-batch-compass | Process 5-10 ideas at once for content calendars |
runia-anticipation.md | /runia-anticipation | Positive tension stories — reveals, launches, transformations |
Tier 3 — Stacking & Advanced
| Workflow | Slash Command | Description |
|---|
runia-to-depth.md | /runia-to-depth | Compass → Connelly/Wright/Roth cinematic escalation |
runia-to-viral.md | /runia-to-viral | Compass → Puri/Kallaway viral optimization |
runia-rescue.md | /runia-rescue | Diagnose and rescue stalled mid-creation content |
runia-series-compass.md | /runia-series-compass | Multi-part series — compass per episode + arc compass |
Stacking Guide
| Stack With | What Happens |
|---|
| Before Shaan Puri | Find the story → then frame it for virality |
| Before Eric Roth | Build the compass → then apply cinematic depth |
| Before Connelly | Diagnose story health → then deploy detail/subtext |
| Before Wright Thompson | Find the core → then build gap/complication |
| Before Kallaway | Structure narrative → then optimize for saves/conversion |
| Before Stefan Georgi | Want/Tension/Change → maps to dopamine copy arcs |
| Before StoryBrand | Want = Hero's Desire, Tension = Villain, Change = Resolution |
| Before Seth Godin | Compass validates whether brand promise has fuel |
Quick Reference
THE COMPASS SENTENCE:
"I wanted [WANT], but [TENSION], until [CHANGE]."
THE STORY TEST:
✓ Is there a clear WANT? (one line)
✓ Is there TENSION? (internal/external/anticipation)
✓ Does something CHANGE? (not circular, has mechanism)
→ All three = Story. Missing any = Still a topic.
THE DIG QUESTIONS (when tension is missing):
- What didn't go as planned?
- What was uncomfortable?
- What was worth remembering?
- What almost didn't happen?
- What made you want to quit?
THE CHANGE PUSH (when ending is weak):
- What actually shifted?
- What did you realize or do differently?
- How did you see it in a new way?
Files
| File | Purpose |
|---|
genius.md | Unified genius context — all patterns, knowledge, exemplars |
SKILL.md | This manifest |
workflows/*.md | 13 production workflows |
Source
- Expert: Tim Runia — Video director, agency owner, YouTuber
- Source: "Turn ANY Idea Into a Story" (YouTube)
- Extraction: Deep tier, forge pipeline
- Date: 2026-04-16
Execution Prompts (structure-pure v2)
12 deterministic practitioner prompts — each carries an Output Contract, Output Skeleton, and Quality Gate. When a deliverable matches one, Read it and honor its contract instead of improvising the output shape.
- Tim Runia — Anticipation Compass —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/anticipation-compass.md
- Tim Runia — Batch Compass Processing —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/batch-compass-processing.md
- Tim Runia — Change Engineering —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/change-engineering.md
- Tim Runia — Compass Sentence —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/compass-sentence.md
- Tim Runia — Cross-Expert Escalation Brief —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/cross-expert-escalation.md
- Tim Runia — Mid-Creation Rescue —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/mid-creation-rescue.md
- Tim Runia — Sales Narrative Backbone —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/sales-narrative-backbone.md
- Tim Runia — Series Compass Architecture —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/series-compass-architecture.md
- Tim Runia — Story Test Diagnostic —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/story-test-diagnostic.md
- Tim Runia — Tension Excavation —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/tension-excavation.md
- Tim Runia — Compass to Video Script —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/video-script.md
- Tim Runia — Written Content Story —
skills/story-compass/references/prompts-v2/written-content-story.md
