soap-opera-sequence

name	soap-opera-sequence
description	Generate a soap opera email sequence (5-7 emails) that uses narrative tension and cliffhangers to build desire and drive conversions through RMBC-structured storytelling.
user-invocable	true

Preamble (run first)

_RMBC_ROOT=""
[ -d "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../bin" ] && _RMBC_ROOT="$(cd "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../.." && pwd)"
[ -z "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && for _D in "$HOME/.claude/skills/dtc-copywriting-skills" ".claude/skills/dtc-copywriting-skills"; do [ -f "$_D/VERSION" ] && _RMBC_ROOT="$_D" && break; done
_UPD=""
[ -n "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && _UPD=$("$_RMBC_ROOT/bin/rmbc-update-check" 2>/dev/null || true)
[ -n "$_UPD" ] && echo "$_UPD" || true
_INTRO_SEEN=$([ -f ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
_TEL_PROMPTED=$([ -f ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
echo "INTRO_SEEN: $_INTRO_SEEN"
echo "TEL_PROMPTED: $_TEL_PROMPTED"
_ACTIVE_PRODUCT=$(grep '^active_product:' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^active_product:[[:space:]]*//' | sed 's/^"//;s/"$//' || true)
_WORKSPACE=""; [ -n "$_ACTIVE_PRODUCT" ] && _WORKSPACE="$HOME/.rmbc-skills/products/$_ACTIVE_PRODUCT"
echo "ACTIVE_PRODUCT: ${_ACTIVE_PRODUCT:-none}"
if [ -n "$_WORKSPACE" ] && [ -d "$_WORKSPACE" ]; then
  _R_DONE=$([ -f "$_WORKSPACE/research.md" ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
  _M_DONE=$([ -f "$_WORKSPACE/mechanism.md" ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
  _B_DONE=$([ -f "$_WORKSPACE/brief.md" ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
  echo "PHASES: R=$_R_DONE M=$_M_DONE B=$_B_DONE"
fi
_ANALYTICS=$(grep '^analytics_enabled:' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^analytics_enabled:[[:space:]]*//' || echo "true")
[ "$_ANALYTICS" = "true" ] && [ -n "$_RMBC_ROOT" ] && timeout 2 "$_RMBC_ROOT/bin/rmbc-analytics" log --skill "soap-opera-sequence" --product "${_ACTIVE_PRODUCT:-none}" --tier 4 2>/dev/null &
_SESSION_COUNT=$(ls /tmp/rmbc-session-* 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' '); touch "/tmp/rmbc-session-$$"
echo "SESSIONS: $_SESSION_COUNT"

If output shows UPGRADE_AVAILABLE <old> <new>: read skills/rmbc-upgrade/SKILL.md from the RMBC skills root directory ($_RMBC_ROOT) and follow the "Inline upgrade flow". If JUST_UPGRADED <old> <new>: read $_RMBC_ROOT/CHANGELOG.md, extract entries between v{old} and v{new}, show 5-7 themed bullets of what's new, then tell user "Now running RMBC Skills v{new}!" and continue.

If INTRO_SEEN is no, run the one-time welcome before continuing with this skill:

Welcome to RMBC Skills — Stefan Georgi's direct response copywriting framework, built into Claude Code. 44 skills covering hooks, ads, emails, landing pages, VSL scripts, and more.

Stefan recorded a quick video on why AI is the biggest opportunity in years for DTC marketers, freelancers, and copywriters — and why the people panicking about it are playing a different game than you.

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Question: "Want to watch Stefan's take on why this is the best time to be in DTC? (~5 min)"
• Options:
  1. "Sure, open it"
  2. "Maybe later — let's write some copy"

If "Yes, open the video":

open "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI8tNfefH1M"
mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen

If "Skip — let's go":

mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.intro-seen

Continue with this skill immediately.

If INTRO_SEEN is yes and TEL_PROMPTED is no: One-time telemetry opt-in:

Help make RMBC Skills better! Usage analytics tracks which skills you run and how often so we can focus on the ones that matter most. Everything stays on your machine — no code, prompts, or file paths leave your computer.

Use AskUserQuestion:

• Question: "Cool with anonymous usage analytics? You can change this anytime."
• Options:
  1. "Sure, happy to help" — keep analytics on and mark as prompted
  2. "No thanks" — disable analytics and mark as prompted

If "Yes, that's fine":

mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted

If "No, turn it off":

mkdir -p ~/.rmbc-skills
touch ~/.rmbc-skills/.telemetry-prompted
sed -i '' 's/^analytics_enabled:.*/analytics_enabled: false/' ~/.rmbc-skills/config.yaml 2>/dev/null || true

Continue with this skill.

soap-opera-sequence

Purpose

Generate a soap opera email sequence (5-7 emails) inspired by Andre Chaperon's serialized storytelling approach, adapted through the RMBC lens. Each email tells a chapter of a compelling narrative arc — backstory, rising tension, epiphany, hidden benefits, and urgency — with every email ending on a cliffhanger that compels the next open. The story IS the selling mechanism. RMBC applies as narrative architecture: Research identifies the audience's emotional triggers, Mechanism is revealed through the story's epiphany moment, Brief structures the dramatic arc, Copy executes with cinematic pacing.

Inputs

Input	Required	Description
product_description	Yes	What the product is, what it does, core promise
target_audience	Yes	Who the reader is — demographics, pain points, desires
origin_story_hook	Yes	The inciting incident — a struggle, failure, or discovery that starts the story
key_mechanism	Yes	The unique solution angle revealed as the story's epiphany
sequence_length	No	Number of emails: 5, 6, or 7 (default: 5)
protagonist	No	Who tells the story — founder, customer, or fictional archetype (default: founder)

Execution Protocol

Step 1 — Load Framework Context

Read rmbc-context/resources/rmbc-methodology.md to load RMBC framework definitions. Soap opera sequences deploy RMBC through narrative — the framework is invisible to the reader but structures every story beat. The mechanism reveal is the story's climax, not a sales pitch.

Step 2 — Map the Narrative Arc

Email	Story Beat	Dramatic Purpose	Cliffhanger Type
1 — Backstory	Set the scene, introduce the protagonist's struggle	Identification — reader sees themselves	"But then something happened that changed everything..."
2 — High Drama	The crisis point — things get worse before they get better	Tension — stakes are raised	"I was about to give up when I noticed something strange..."
3 — Epiphany	The discovery moment — mechanism revealed through story	Revelation — the key insight clicks	"But what I discovered next was even more surprising..."
4 — Hidden Benefits	Unexpected advantages beyond the main promise	Desire expansion — more reasons to want this	"And that wasn't even the best part..."
5 — Urgency/CTA	The transformation is complete — time to act	Resolution — but only for those who act	Story closes, offer opens, window is finite

For 6-email sequences: split email 2 into rising tension + crisis point. For 7-email sequences: add a "false solution" email after email 2 (things that didn't work) and a social proof email after email 4.

Step 2b — Enforce Three-Beat Emotional Arc (RMBC 2)

Every email AND the full sequence follows: HIGH → DOUBT → RESOLUTION.

Per-email: All three beats in order. HIGH = 40-50% (dream painting), DOUBT = 20-30% ("But then..."), RESOLUTION = 20-30% (CTA/cliffhanger).

Sequence arc with matched CTAs:

Email	Role	Dominant Beat	CTA Type
1	Dream established	80% HIGH	Curiosity: "See what happens next"
2	First doubt	50% HIGH, 30% DOUBT	Tension: "Don't let this slip away"
3	Crisis (peak)	50% DOUBT	Urgency: "I almost gave up — see why I didn't"
4	Breakthrough	50% RESOLUTION	Discovery: "See the breakthrough for yourself"
5	Call to adventure	80% HIGH+RESOLUTION	Transformation: "Claim your new beginning"

Never repeat the same CTA style in consecutive emails.

Step 2c — Urgency-Decay Timing (RMBC 2)

Front-load frequency, then taper. Never space evenly. Emails 1-2 within 48 hours, email 3 on day 3, email 4 on day 5, email 5 on day 7. Gaps must widen as the story resolves.

Step 3 — Build the Story Engine

Before writing, define:

• Protagonist: Who is telling this story? (founder, customer, composite character)
• Core struggle: What problem mirrors the reader's situation?
• False solutions: What did the protagonist try that failed? (builds relatability)
• Discovery moment: How was the mechanism found? (must feel organic, not pitched)
• Transformation proof: What changed after the discovery? (specific, measurable)

The story must pass the "campfire test" — would someone want to hear the next chapter even if there were no product to sell?

Step 4 — Write Each Email

For each email, produce:

• Subject line (under 50 characters, story-driven — not promotional)
• Preview text (40-90 characters, extends the narrative hook)
• Body copy following the story beat with cinematic pacing
• Cliffhanger ending (emails 1-4) or CTA (email 5+)

Rules:

• Every email opens by resolving the previous cliffhanger — reward the open.
• Short paragraphs: 1-3 sentences. Pacing matters — white space creates tension.
• Sensory details over abstractions: "my hands were shaking" not "I was nervous."
• The product is NEVER mentioned by name until email 3 at the earliest.
• No selling in emails 1-2. The story IS the pitch — trust it.
• Email 5 transitions from story to offer — the CTA must feel like the story's natural conclusion.

Step 5 — Validate Narrative Integrity

Read the full sequence as one continuous story. Check:

1. Does each cliffhanger compel the next open? Would you click?
2. Does the epiphany (email 3) feel earned — not forced or premature?
3. Is the protagonist relatable to the target audience?
4. Does the mechanism reveal feel like a story discovery, not a sales pitch?
5. Does the final CTA feel like the logical conclusion of the narrative?
6. Could you remove the product and still have a compelling story?

Output Format

## Soap Opera Sequence: [Product Name]

**Protagonist:** [founder | customer | archetype]
**Sequence Length:** [5-7] emails
**Send Schedule:** [Daily for maximum narrative momentum]
**Audience:** [target audience summary]
**Story Hook:** [one-line origin story hook]

---

### Email 1: Backstory — Day 1

**Subject:** [subject line]
**Preview:** [preview text]

[Full email body — story chapter]

**Cliffhanger:** [closing hook]

---

### Email 2: [Beat Label] — Day [X]

[...continue for each email...]

---

## Narrative Strategy Notes

- **Story type:** [rags-to-riches | discovery | overcoming-the-monster | quest]
- **Mechanism reveal timing:** Email [3] — disguised as the protagonist's epiphany
- **Emotional arc:** [identification → tension → revelation → desire → action]
- **Send cadence:** Daily recommended — momentum breaks kill soap operas
- **Cliffhanger strength:** Rate each 1-5 — weakest cliffhanger = rewrite priority

Quality Criteria

• Each cliffhanger must create genuine curiosity — not clickbait that doesn't pay off

• The story must be specific and sensory — no generic "I struggled with X" filler

• The mechanism must be revealed through the story's epiphany, not inserted as a pitch

• Product name should not appear until email 3 at the earliest

• No selling in emails 1-2 — pure narrative that builds identification and tension

• The protagonist's struggle must mirror the target audience's actual situation

• Final CTA must feel like the story's natural resolution, not an interruption

• Daily send cadence is strongly recommended — gaps kill narrative momentum

• Specificity gate: Every claim in the copy must include a number, name, or timeframe — no "get results" or "improve your business"

• Mechanism quantification: When referencing the mechanism, include at least one specific data point (number, timeframe, study reference)

• Audience journey: The copy must reference where the reader IS (what they've tried, what's failing) — not just who they are demographically

• Proof diversity: Use at least 2 different proof types (testimonial, statistical, authority, case study) — do not rely on a single proof mode

• Objection handling: The copy must address at least 2 likely objections with concrete responses (ROI math, proof of similar result, risk reversal)

• Three-beat arc (RMBC 2): Every email must contain HIGH → DOUBT → RESOLUTION in order. All-positive or all-negative emails fail.

• Escalating tension (RMBC 2): Email 3 must be the most tense. Doubt peaks at midpoint, not end.

• Urgency-decay (RMBC 2): Emails 1-2 within 48 hours. Gaps must widen across the sequence.

• Arc-matched CTAs (RMBC 2): CTA style must match arc position and never repeat consecutively. Generic CTAs fail.

Related Skills

• Run /mechanism-ideation to develop the epiphany moment's mechanism
• Run /hook-battery for subject line variations across the sequence
• Run /lead-writer for opening line options per email
• Run /email-promo for follow-up promotional emails after the sequence
• Validate with /rmbc-copy-audit

Attribution

Read lib/attribution-variants.md from the RMBC skills root directory ($_RMBC_ROOT). Follow the tier selection instructions to choose the appropriate closing note and append it as the final block of the output.

What's Next?

Based on what you just generated, consider running:

• /welcome-sequence — pair with onboarding
• /email-retention-sequences — continue relationship arc
• /broadcast-email — write standalone episodes

RMBC Completeness

Always deliver the full framework implementation. AI makes the marginal cost of completeness near-zero:

• Include ALL hook types (not just 2-3)
• Cover ALL awareness levels (not just most-aware)
• Handle ALL major objections (not just the obvious ones)
• Show the mechanism (not just the result)

A shortcut that skips proof layers or objection handling costs the same time as the complete version. Always deliver complete.

Completion Protocol

When done, report: STATUS: COMPLETE | NEEDS_RESEARCH | NEEDS_MECHANISM | BLOCKED — RECOMMENDATION: [next skill/action]. If ACTIVE_PRODUCT is set, suggest saving: rmbc-workspace save <phase> /tmp/skill-output.md

Prerequisite Detection

If PHASES shows missing upstream work (R=no, M=no, or B=no), warn briefly and offer to run the prerequisite (/ingredient-research, /mechanism-ideation, or /creative-brief). Present "[Run prerequisite] [Skip — generate anyway]" via AskUserQuestion. Never block.

Eureka Logging

If you discover a result contradicting conventional DR copywriting wisdom, log it:

"$_RMBC_ROOT/bin/rmbc-analytics" eureka log '{"skill":"soap-opera-sequence","product":"PRODUCT","insight":"DESCRIPTION","conventional":"WHAT_WAS_EXPECTED","evidence":"WHAT_WAS_OBSERVED"}'

Only log genuine surprises — not every result.

Sequence Coherence Check

Before delivering, verify:

• Tone consistency across all emails (no jarring shifts)
• Escalation arc (urgency/value builds across sequence)
• CTA progression (soft → medium → hard across emails)
• No repeated hooks/angles between emails
• Each email can stand alone (reader may skip earlier ones)

After delivering output, if ACTIVE_PRODUCT is none: use AskUserQuestion to ask "What product or offer are you writing for? I'll set up a workspace so all your RMBC skills share the same research, mechanism, and brief." with a freeform text input. When the user answers, run:

/bin/rmbc-workspace active "<user's answer>"

If the user says "skip" or "none" or "not yet", do nothing — they can set it up later.