discovery-drafting

# Discovery Drafting ## Overview Draft by discovery ("pantsing"): start from a one-paragraph story kernel rather than a beat sheet, write forward, then reconcile each chapter back into the story bible through a structured loop (extract entities → reverse outline → diff against the bible → reconcile). This is the complement to chapter-writing's outline-first workflow. The bible is maintained *after* the prose, not before — which the repo's import-style entity extraction and continuity checks already support. ## Prerequisites A story project must already exist (created via the story-init skill), with at least a `story.md` and one character. No plot structure is required to start — arcs get built during reconciliation. ## When to Use - The user wants to draft without outlining first, or identifies as a discovery writer - Starting a project from a situation/character rather than a plot - NOT for mysteries or other clue-dependent genres where setup must precede payoff (use chapter-writing; see `genre-craft`) - NOT for revising existing chapters (use `revision-continuity`) - The user can switch modes per project or per chapter; record the mode so audits know which discipline applies ## Workflow 1. **Write the story kernel.** Consult `references/story-kernel.md` and draft the one-paragraph kernel with the user (character in a situation, a want, an obstacle, a tone signal). Store it in `story.md` under `## Story Kernel` and set `draft-mode: discovered` in frontmatter. 2. **Draft forward.** Write the chapter from the kernel using the session shape in `references/drafting-cadence.md` (re-read → write → close with a next-session note). Write forward only; park bible questions as `[TODO: check bible]` inline rather than stopping. Follow the prose craft in `chapter-writing/references/writing-guidelines.md` and the scene-grain tools in the `scene-craft` skill as usual, and write in the voice and house style recorded in `style-sheet.md` — discovery changes *planning order*, not prose standards. 3. **Run the reconcile loop.** After each chapter, follow `references/reconcile-loop.md` exactly: - Extract new entity/promise candidates (import-style, user-approved) - Reverse-outline the chapter into the chapter file and `scenes/` records - Diff against the bible (new / contradiction / enrichment / dangling) - Reconcile: update the bible **or** revise the chapter — never neither - Add post-hoc chapter notes above `## Chapter Text` (below it they count and ship as prose); set chapter frontmatter `mode: discovered` 4. **Batch review every 3–5 chapters.** Re-read post-hoc notes, sweep the promise/question ledgers for dangling setups, and cut dead ends per `references/dead-ends.md` (abandoned ledger entries keep a recorded reason; cut characters get `status: cut`, not deletion). 5. **Hold the cadence.** Keep the agreed target (see `references/drafting-cadence.md`) and log each session with `story progress . --log`; at midpoint and draft completion, hand the batch to `revision-continuity` for developmental checks before continuing. 6. **Close the loop on mode.** When the draft is complete, every `mode: discovered` chapter must have post-hoc notes and a completed diff — `story next` lists any without post-hoc notes under `Reconcile discovered chapters`; finish those, then hand the manuscript to `revision-continuity` for revision passes. ## Conventions - `story.md` frontmatter `draft-mode: discovered` marks a discovery project; per-chapter `mode: discovered` / `mode: outlined` tracks mixed projects. - Chapters carry a `## Chapter Notes (post-hoc)` section, above `## Chapter Text`, recording what was discovered, what was cut, and open questions — the project's memory of why the bible looks the way it does. - Entity candidates extracted from prose are presented for user approval before bible files are created (same discipline as `story import`). - Cut threads are logged, not erased: abandoned promises/questions keep `status: abandoned` with a reason; cut characters keep their file with `status: cut`. - Bidirectional links and kebab-case ids follow the story-init conventions exactly — discovery changes when the bible is written, not how. ## CLI Maintenance Use the Story CLI when it is available. If `story` is not installed, use `bun run story --` from the Story Skills repository checkout or the bundled fallback `node ../story-maintenance/scripts/story.js` with the same arguments, resolving the path relative to this skill folder. If no CLI is available, perform the registry, backlink, and word-count checks manually. After each reconcile loop: ```shell story wordcount . --write story reindex . story links . story validate . story continuity . ``` ## Reference Files - **`references/story-kernel.md`** - The one-paragraph kernel: character in a situation, want, obstacle, tone signal - **`references/reconcile-loop.md`** - The core loop: extract entities/promises → reverse-outline → diff against the bible → reconcile; `mode: discovered` flag - **`references/dead-ends.md`** - Recognizing and cutting dead ends: cut/fold/prune, abandoned ledger entries, the darling log - **`references/drafting-cadence.md`** - Daily targets, batch reviews, session shape, recovering a broken cadence