| name | hemingway-bridge |
| description | This skill should be used when the user says "hemingway bridge", "wrap up session", "save my progress", "where did I leave off", "session handoff", "end of session", "capture what I was working on", "pick up where I left off", "PARA handoff", "what should I do next session", or wants to capture session state in a PARA-aware format before stopping work. Integrates with rad-repo-manager's wrapup/startup cycle.
|
| version | 1.0.0 |
Hemingway Bridge — PARA-Aware Session Handoffs
Capture session state using the Hemingway Bridge technique: stop work while momentum
is still high, document current status, next steps, and open questions so the next
session starts with zero ramp-up time.
Named after Hemingway's practice of stopping mid-sentence so he always knew where to
pick up the next day.
When to Use
- End of any work session (before the user is exhausted)
- Pausing or shelving a project
- Before going on vacation or leave
- Handing off work to someone else
- When the user says "I'm done for today"
- Proactively at end of long sessions involving PARA work
Hemingway Bridge Capture Process
Step 1: Identify Active Context
Ask one question:
"What were you working on today? Give me a quick brain dump -- projects touched,
decisions made, anything unfinished."
If the session context is already clear from conversation history, skip the question
and proceed directly.
Step 2: Build the Bridge
Capture these four elements:
- Current Status -- What was just completed or accomplished
- Next Steps -- What was planned next (be specific: "write the intro section"
not "keep working on it")
- Open Questions -- Unresolved decisions, blockers, or unknowns
- First Action -- The single, concrete thing to do when returning
(this eliminates decision fatigue at session start)
Step 3: Map to PARA Context
Add PARA-specific context to the bridge:
- Active Project: Which project folder this work belongs to
- Materials Created: New IPs, notes, or drafts produced this session
- Materials Needed: What to gather or read before the next session
- Capture Inbox: Anything captured during the session that still needs
to be sorted into PARA folders
Step 4: Write the Bridge Note
Generate a bridge note in this format:
## Hemingway Bridge — [Project Name]
**Date:** [today's date]
**Session Duration:** [approximate time spent]
### Status
[What was accomplished this session — outcomes only, not narrative]
### Next Steps
1. [Specific next action — the thing to do FIRST when returning]
2. [Second priority]
3. [Third priority]
### Open Questions
- [Decision or unknown that needs resolving]
- [Blocker or dependency]
### PARA Context
- **Project:** [Project folder name]
- **New IPs created:** [List any Intermediate Packets produced]
- **Unsorted captures:** [Items still in inbox needing classification]
- **Related materials:** [Notes/files to review next session]
### Momentum Notes
[Anything to preserve the creative state — a half-formed idea, an intuition
about direction, a connection noticed but not yet explored]
Step 5: File the Bridge
Recommend where to save the bridge note:
- Inside the project folder if the work is project-specific
- In the daily log if multiple projects were touched
- In
docs/handoff.md if integrating with rad-repo-manager (see below)
Integration with rad-repo-manager
When the rad-repo-manager plugin is installed and the work lives inside a git repo,
/rad-repo-manager:wrapup owns the session handoff — it overwrites docs/handoff.md
from git evidence. The Hemingway Bridge is the PARA-notes variant: use it for PARA
vault work (notes, captures, non-code projects) that git evidence can't see.
docs/handoff.md Integration
When both apply (a PARA-focused session inside a managed repo), fold the bridge's
elements into the docs/handoff.md that /rad-repo-manager:wrapup writes:
- Status → the handoff's session summary
- Next Steps / First Action → the handoff's next-action snapshot
- Open Questions → open work
- PARA Context (new IPs, unsorted captures) → noted alongside changed files
- Momentum Notes → insights worth preserving
Session Startup Integration
When starting a new session after a Hemingway Bridge was written:
- Read the bridge note (or
docs/handoff.md — /rad-repo-manager:startup reads it
for you when rad-repo-manager is installed)
- Present the "First Action" to the user immediately
- Surface any unsorted inbox items for quick PARA classification
- Resume work with full context -- zero ramp-up time
Bonus: Send-Off Technique
Before wrapping up, suggest the user send a draft or work-in-progress for feedback:
"Consider sharing what you have so far with someone for feedback. When you return,
you'll have fresh input waiting -- a natural on-ramp back into the work."
This combines the Hemingway Bridge (preserving momentum) with the IP feedback loop
(getting external input while you're away).
Key Principles
- Stop before exhaustion. The bridge works best when written with energy remaining.
- Be specific, not vague. "Write the introduction paragraph for the API doc" beats
"keep working on the docs."
- Preserve creative state. Half-formed ideas and intuitions are the most fragile
context -- capture them even if they feel incomplete.
- One clear first action. The next session should start with zero decision-making.
Reference Files
For the full Hemingway Bridge technique and other creative techniques:
../para-organize/references/creative_techniques.md -- Complete technique descriptions
