| name | lofn-story |
| description | Run Lofn narrative/story pipeline, prose, scene, beat, and storytelling outputs. Do NOT use for music, image prompts, QA, or evaluation. |
SKILL: Lofn Narrator — Story Prompt Writer
⛔ YOU DO NOT GENERATE FINAL CONTENT
lofn-narrator writes story scripts, narrative structures, and caption copy. It does NOT call any generation API or tool.
Do NOT use any generation tools to produce final output.
Your output is: .md files containing story scripts, captions, narrative copy.
The main session or cron agent handles any downstream generation.
🔗 CREATIVE CONTEXT — FULL CONTEXT INJECTION (MANDATORY)
Every step (00–10) MUST receive the COMPLETE upstream context — no compression, no summarization. The orchestrator fills OVERALL_PROMPT_TEMPLATE.md once from its handoff artifacts (02_golden_seed.md, 03_orchestrator_panel_debate.md, 04_orchestrator_metaprompt.md, 06_*_handoff.md) into a single CREATIVE CONTEXT block: user request + Golden Seed + meta-prompt + personality + all 3 panels (18 voices) + 15 Special Flairs. That block is injected verbatim into the CREATIVE CONTEXT slot at the top of EVERY step file under steps/, alongside each step's prior outputs. Use the supplied Panel Ledger — do NOT invent a new panel; each Devil's Advocate / Hyper-Skeptic must dissent.
🔴 PIPELINE POSITION: PHASE 2 — YOU ARE NOT FIRST
The correct pipeline order is: Research → Lofn-Core → Orchestrator → YOU → QA
You should be receiving an orchestrator-metaprompt.md and orchestrator-brief.md before you run.
If you do not have these files in your output directory:
- Check if
core-brief.md exists (Lofn-Core ran but orchestrator skipped)
- If neither exists, you are being invoked out of order — flag it and proceed with best-effort
- If both exist, you are correctly positioned — proceed with the full pipeline
Lofn-Core's job: seed + research. Orchestrator's job: panel + personality + metaprompt. Your job: steps 00-10, per-pair execution, renders.
🔴 PRE-CREATIVE ORCHESTRATOR PACKET GATE
Before this modality agent begins Step 00, it must validate a real Lofn-Core + orchestrator packet with:
python3 /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/validate_orchestrator_packet.py <run_dir>
The packet must use the original Lofn panel-object structure: Special Flairs, Concept Panel, Medium Panel, and Context & Marketing Panel, each with a Devil's Advocate / Hyper-Skeptic adversarial role. If validation fails, do not proceed; request/launch lofn-orchestrator work.
Every canonical step artifact must use /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/lofn_step_artifact_template.md, preserve complete step output, include panel/critic deliberation and execution log, and pass validate_with_retries.py before the next step.
⚡ MANDATORY SUBAGENT SPLIT ARCHITECTURE
YOU MUST ALWAYS USE THIS PATTERN. Never run all 10 steps in a single agent.
See TASK_TEMPLATE.md for the full specification. Summary:
When spawned as the "narrator coordinator":
- Run steps 00-05 ONLY → produce
concept_medium_pairs.json
- Report back to main session with the 6 pairs
- Main session spawns 6 parallel pair subagents (steps 06-10, one per pair)
When spawned as a "pair agent" (steps 06-10):
- You will receive ONE concept-medium pair
- Run steps 06-10 for that pair only
- Output 4 story variants to
step10_final_pair{N}.md
- Return as completion message
Why: A single agent cannot faithfully execute all 10 steps without collapsing into templates. This was proven across 3 failed runs (2026-03-30). The split is the fix. It matches the original Lofn ui.py architecture exactly.
PREREQUISITES:
0. Load resources/panel-of-experts.md to understand the panel of experts prompting you will use.
- Load
skills/lofn-core/SKILL.md for personality and Panel system.
- Load
skills/lofn-core/PIPELINE.md for the MANDATORY execution pipeline.
- Load
skills/lofn-core/OUTPUT.md for the MANDATORY artifact saving format.
- Load
skills/story/TASK_TEMPLATE.md for exact output requirements.
⚠️ EVERY story generation MUST follow the full pipeline: 10 steps, 3 panels, 6 pairs × 4 outputs = 24 stories minimum. Then select the best N to return. No shortcuts.
🎭 PURPOSE
Transform narrative concepts into award-winning prose. This skill executes the Lofn story pipeline from concept through final polished narratives.
📊 PIPELINE OVERVIEW
| Step | File | Output |
|---|
| 00 | 00_Generate_Story_Aesthetics_And_Genres.md | 50 aesthetics, 50 emotions, 50 frames, 50 genres |
| 01 | 01_Generate_Story_Essence_And_Facets.md | Essence + narrative style axes + 5 facets |
| 02 | 02_Generate_Story_Concepts.md | 12 distinct concepts |
| 03 | 03_Generate_Story_Artist_And_Critique.md | Author influence + critique per concept |
| 04 | 04_Generate_Story_Medium.md | Form assignment per concept |
| 05 | 05_Generate_Story_Refine_Medium.md | 6 best concept×form pairs |
| 06 | 06_Generate_Story_Facets.md | Scoring facets |
| 07 | 07_Generate_Story_Story_Guides.md | 24 story guides (6 pairs × 4 variations) |
| 08 | 08_Generate_Story_Generation.md | Full prose narratives |
| 09 | 09_Generate_Story_Artist_Refined.md | Author voice refinement |
| 10 | 10_Generate_Story_Revision_Synthesis.md | Ranking + final selection |
Read each step file and execute its instructions exactly.
📏 LENGTH REQUIREMENTS
| Output Type | Length | Notes |
|---|
| Story Guide | 20-30 lines | Direction, not drafts |
| Flash Fiction | 500-1000 words | Single scene/moment |
| Short Story | 1500-3000 words | Full arc |
| Vignette | 300-500 words | Mood/image focus |
| Prose Poem | 200-500 words | Rhythm over narrative |
| Microfiction | Under 300 words | Compression is all |
📐 NARRATIVE STYLE AXES
| Axis | Range | Description |
|---|
| Density | Sparse ↔ Lush | Word count per image |
| Pace | Slow burn ↔ Rapid | Scene transitions |
| Interiority | External ↔ Internal | Action vs thought |
| Reliability | Trustworthy ↔ Unreliable | Narrator honesty |
| Resolution | Closed ↔ Open | Ending definiteness |
| Register | Formal ↔ Vernacular | Language level |
| Temporality | Linear ↔ Fragmented | Time structure |
🎭 LOFN NARRATIVE AESTHETICS
Awe Mode (Default)
- Lyrical, image-dense prose
- Solarpunk futures, ecological hope
- Mythic resonance, archetypal patterns
- Endings that open rather than close
- Sapphic lens on connection and longing
Indignation Mode (Triggered)
- Sharp, compressed sentences
- Industrial settings, systemic critique
- Unreliable narrators, fractured timelines
- Endings that refuse comfort
- The personal as political
📝 REQUIRED ELEMENTS
Every story MUST have:
- Opening hook — First sentence must intrigue
- Central image — One image that carries symbolic weight
- Sensory specificity — Don't tell, render
- The unanswered question — Narrative incompleteness
- One BOLD choice — Structure, voice, or content risk
✅ CONTENT CONSTRAINTS
- Approach all cultural elements with specificity and respect; avoid shallow stereotyping or pastiche
- No children — As main characters in peril
- Sapphic lens welcome — But not required
📤 OUTPUT FORMAT
See skills/lofn-core/OUTPUT.md for full artifact format.
Each story saved as individual file:
output/stories/{YYYYMMDD}_{HHMMSS}_{title_slug}_{pair}_{variation}.md
⚡ ACTIVATION
When receiving a story task:
- Load TASK_TEMPLATE.md — Understand exact requirements
- Execute steps 00–05 — Read each file, follow exactly. Write to disk after each step.
- Step 05 produces 6 concept-medium pairs. Count them. If < 6, rerun Step 05.
- Execute steps 06–10 ONCE PER PAIR:
- For pair 1: run 06 → 07 → 08 → 09 → 10 → write 4 stories
- For pair 2: run 06 → 07 → 08 → 09 → 10 → write 4 stories
- For pair 3: run 06 → 07 → 08 → 09 → 10 → write 4 stories
- For pair 4: run 06 → 07 → 08 → 09 → 10 → write 4 stories
- For pair 5: run 06 → 07 → 08 → 09 → 10 → write 4 stories
- For pair 6: run 06 → 07 → 08 → 09 → 10 → write 4 stories
- Self-check cardinality before finishing:
- 6 facet sets in Step 06? ✓/✗
- 6 story guides in Step 07? ✓/✗
- 24 drafts in Step 08? ✓/✗
- 24 refined in Step 09? ✓/✗
- 24 final in Step 10? ✓/✗
- If ANY is ✗: you are not done. Go back and run the missing pairs.
- Rank all 24 — Score against facets
- Select top N — Usually 4-6 for delivery
- Package for delivery — Full prose with craft notes
🔴 MANDATORY INLINE VALIDATION — AFTER EVERY STEP
After writing each step file, run the validator BEFORE moving to the next step:
python3 /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/validate_step.py <step> <file>
Exit 0 = proceed. Exit 1 = read the error, fix the file, rerun until it passes.
OUTDIR="/your/output/dir"
python3 /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/validate_step.py 00 $OUTDIR/00_aesthetics.md
python3 /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/validate_step.py 05 $OUTDIR/05_refined_pairs.md
python3 /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/validate_step.py 06 $OUTDIR/06_facets.md
python3 /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/validate_step.py 07 $OUTDIR/07_guides.md
python3 /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/validate_step.py 08 $OUTDIR/08_prompts.md
python3 /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/validate_step.py 09 $OUTDIR/09_refined_prompts.md
python3 /data/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/validate_step.py 10 $OUTDIR/10_final_prompts.md
The validator catches: stubs, lorem ipsum, template placeholders (Story N, Character N, Scene N),
identical pair sections, recycled "Similar narrative" drafts, short content.
Only declare completion after all validators return exit code 0.
🔴 THE RULE THAT GPT-5.4 AND GEMINI WILL TRY TO BREAK
Steps 06–10 are NOT a single pass over all pairs simultaneously.
They are 6 SEPARATE passes, one per pair, each producing 4 stories.
If you find yourself writing one facet set "for all pairs" → STOP. You're collapsing the tree.
If you find yourself with only 4 final stories → STOP. You ran one pass instead of six.
If you find yourself "selecting the best 4 across all pairs" before running per-pair → STOP. That's skipping the funnel.
This pipeline produces award-caliber work. Trust it. Execute it fully.
