story-init

name	story-init
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "start a new story", "initialize a story project", "create a story", "new book", "set up a story", or wants to begin a new fiction writing project from scratch.

Story Initialization

Overview

Initialize a new story project with a structured markdown folder layout. Creates the story bible, character registry, worldbuilding index, plot structure, and chapter tracker - all as cross-referenced markdown files with YAML frontmatter.

When to Use

• Starting a new story, book, or fiction project
• Setting up the folder structure for an existing story idea
• NOT for adding to an existing story project (use the domain-specific skills instead)

Workflow

1. Ask for basic story information:

   • Title
   • Genre and sub-genre
   • Brief synopsis (2-3 sentences)
   • Setting era/time period
   • Key themes (2-4)
   • POV style (first-person, third-person-limited, third-person-omniscient)
   • Tense (past, present)

2. Create the folder structure at the current working directory:

{story-title-kebab}/
├── story.md
├── characters/
│   └── _index.md
├── worldbuilding/
│   ├── _index.md
│   ├── locations/
│   └── systems/
├── plot/
│   ├── _index.md
│   ├── arcs/
│   └── timeline.md
└── chapters/
    └── _index.md

3. Populate story.md with the story bible:

---
title: "{Title}"
genre: {genre}
sub-genre: {sub-genre}
setting-era: {era}
status: planning
themes:
  - {theme-1}
  - {theme-2}
pov: {pov-style}
tense: {tense}
---

Below the frontmatter, include sections:

• Synopsis - the 2-3 sentence synopsis provided
• Tone & Style - brief notes on the story's voice (derive from genre/themes)
• Notes - empty section for the user to fill in

4. Populate each _index.md with an empty registry:

characters/_index.md:

---
type: character-registry
story: {story-title-kebab}
---

# Characters

## Registry

| Name | Role | Status | File |
|------|------|--------|------|
| *No characters yet* | | | |

## Family Trees

*No family trees defined yet.*

## Relationship Map

*No relationships defined yet.*

worldbuilding/_index.md:

---
type: world-registry
story: {story-title-kebab}
---

# Worldbuilding

## World Overview

*Describe the world at a high level here.*

## Locations

| Name | Type | Region | File |
|------|------|--------|------|
| *No locations yet* | | | |

## Systems

| Name | Type | File |
|------|------|------|
| *No systems yet* | | |

plot/_index.md:

---
type: plot-registry
story: {story-title-kebab}
structure: three-act
---

# Plot Structure

## Story Structure

**Model:** Three-Act Structure (adjust as needed)

## Arcs

| Name | Type | Status | File |
|------|------|--------|------|
| *No arcs yet* | | | |

## Theme Tracking

| Theme | Arcs | Chapters |
|-------|------|----------|
| *No themes tracked yet* | | |

plot/timeline.md:

---
type: timeline
story: {story-title-kebab}
---

# Story Timeline

| When | Event | Arc | Chapter |
|------|-------|-----|---------|
| *No events yet* | | | |

chapters/_index.md:

---
type: chapter-registry
story: {story-title-kebab}
---

# Chapters

## Registry

| # | Title | POV | Status | Word Count | File |
|---|-------|-----|--------|------------|------|
| *No chapters yet* | | | | | |

## Total Word Count: 0

5. Present a summary of what was created and suggest next steps:
   • "Add your first character" (triggers character-management skill)
   • "Start worldbuilding" (triggers worldbuilding skill)
   • "Define your plot structure" (triggers plot-structure skill)

Conventions

These conventions apply across ALL story skills:

• Kebab-case filenames for all entity files (e.g., sera-voss.md, ashen-citadel.md)
• YAML frontmatter on every file for structured metadata
• _index.md files are authoritative registries for each domain
• story.md is the top-level bible read by all skills for context
• Bidirectional cross-links - when referencing another entity, update both files
• Character identifiers use the kebab-case filename without extension (e.g., sera-voss)