| name | Outlining books |
| description | Creates outlines for non-fiction books and long articles. Use when user says 'create an outline', 'plan a book', 'structure a book about [topic]', or 'I want to write about [topic]'. Handles leadership, career, how-to, and thought leadership content. |
Outlining Books
Creates structured outlines with theme statements and chapter plans for non-fiction professional development content.
When to use this skill
- User wants to write a book or long article
- User asks to "create an outline" or "plan a book"
- User mentions topics like leadership, career development, expertise, or thought leadership
- User has ideas but needs structure
What this skill does
- Identifies the book's core theme
- Defines target audience and transformation goal
- Creates chapter structure with clear purposes
- Maps how each chapter serves the theme
- Outputs
outline.md file
- Git commits the outline
Required information
Ask user for:
- Genre: Leadership, how-to, career, thought leadership, or other
- Topic: What is this about?
- Audience: Who is this for? (Be specific: "first-time managers" not "managers")
- Transformation: What will readers know/do/believe after reading?
- Length: Target word count or page count
Process
Step 1: Extract theme
Create one sentence capturing the book's purpose.
Good themes are:
- Specific: "Leaders must build trust through radical transparency" > "Leadership is important"
- Testable: Can you check each chapter against it?
- Audience-aware: Resonates with target readers
Bad themes:
- Too generic: "How to be successful"
- Too narrow: "The 7-step process for X" (that's a chapter, not a theme)
- Vague: "Insights on leadership"
Step 2: Propose chapter structure
Based on genre and typical patterns:
Leadership/management books → Framework-driven (5-8 chapters)
- Establish problem → Framework components → Application → Transformation
How-to books → Process-driven (6-10 chapters)
- Foundation → Steps in sequence → Advanced techniques → Troubleshooting
Career books → Journey-driven (7-10 chapters)
- Where you are → Challenges → Skills/mindsets → Actions → Future state
Thought leadership → Argument-driven (5-7 chapters)
- Current state → Why change needed → New model → Evidence → Implications → Call to action
Calculate target word count per chapter: total_length / number_of_chapters
Step 3: Create outline.md
# [Book Title]
## Theme Statement
[One sentence capturing core purpose]
## Target Audience & Transformation
- **Audience**: [specific description]
- **Transformation**: [what readers gain]
- **Total Target Length**: [word count]
## Chapter Structure
### Chapter 1: [Title]
- **Purpose**: [How this serves the theme - one sentence]
- **Key Points**:
- [Point 1]
- [Point 2]
- [Point 3]
- **Target Word Count**: [~X words]
- **Status**: not started
- **Theme Alignment**: [How this connects to theme]
[Repeat for all chapters]
## Chapter Alignment Map
- Chapter 1 → establishes [concept]
- Chapter 2 → builds by [action]
- Chapter 3 → deepens with [insight]
[etc.]
## Metadata
- **Genre**: [as specified]
- **Created**: [date]
Step 4: Review with user
Present outline and ask:
- Does the theme feel right?
- Do the chapters make sense?
- Is anything missing or out of order?
Iterate until user approves.
Step 5: Git commit
git add outline.md
git commit -m "Initial outline: [Book Title]"
Examples
Example 1: Leadership book
User input:
"I want to write a book about building high-trust teams for mid-level managers."
Response:
"Let me create an outline for you. First, a few quick questions:
- Target length? (thinking 40,000-50,000 words for a leadership book)
- What should managers be able to do after reading this?
- Any specific frameworks or experiences you want to include?"
[After gathering info, create outline with 7 chapters focused on trust-building]
Example 2: How-to book
User input:
"Create an outline for a book teaching developers how to write technical documentation."
Response:
"Great topic. Before I outline this:
- What level of developer? (Junior, mid-level, senior?)
- What's the main transformation? (From 'avoiding docs' to 'writing clear docs'?)
- Target length?
- Any specific documentation types to cover (API docs, README files, etc.)?"
Voice profile (optional)
If user provides sample writing, create voice-profile.md:
# Voice Profile
Analyzed: [description of sample]
## Sentence Structure
- Length: [short/medium/long/mixed]
- Complexity: [simple/compound/complex/varied]
## Tone
- Formality: [conversational/professional/academic]
- Perspective: [first/second/third person]
## Techniques
- Examples: [frequent/occasional/rare]
- Metaphors: [frequent/occasional/rare]
- Data: [data-driven/balanced/story-driven]
- Personal stories: [frequent/occasional/rare]
## Technical
- Jargon: [heavy/balanced/plain language]
- Depth: [deep/balanced/accessible]
Then git commit:
git add voice-profile.md
git commit -m "Add voice profile"
Edge cases
User doesn't specify genre:
Ask explicitly: "Is this leadership, how-to, career, or thought leadership?"
Theme doesn't emerge clearly:
Ask: "What's the one thing readers should take away? If they remember nothing else, what matters most?"
Too many chapters:
Suggest combining. Over 12 chapters usually means some should merge.
Too few chapters:
Under 4 chapters means either too short (make it an article) or chapters need splitting.
Files created
outline.md - The master outlinevoice-profile.md - Optional, if sample provided
Next steps
After outline is approved, use the draft-chapter skill to begin writing.
