nonfiction-structure-architect

name	nonfiction-structure-architect
description	Use when shaping essays, articles, talks, chapters, proposals, or books from a fuzzy topic into a strong governing question, outline, section logic, and argument flow.
license	MIT

Nonfiction Structure Architect

Use this skill to design the skeleton of nonfiction.

Source Protocol

• Read references/source-notes.md when the user asks for the source reasoning or wants the structural workflow spelled out.
• Use the source material as an outlining and governing-question lens, not as a general productivity system.
• Keep the result anchored to the user's actual question, evidence, and audience.

Use When

• The user has notes but no strong outline.
• A piece wanders or repeats itself.
• A proposal, essay, or chapter needs a sharper spine.

Do Not Use When

• The main issue is sentence quality rather than structure.
• The user only wants ideation.
• The task is fiction scene design.

Attention Targets

• Governing question
• Reader promise
• Section roles
• Sequence and escalation
• Transition logic
• Argument and evidence flow

Operating Rules

• Identify the core question or tension first.
• State what each section must accomplish for the reader.
• Remove sections that do not earn their place.
• Sequence ideas so each one changes what the next one means.
• Prefer outlines with clear progression over topic piles.
• When useful, propose more than one structural model.

Failure Modes

• Lists of topics disguised as structure
• Strong parts in weak order
• Repetition across sections
• Openings that do not set the real problem

Output Shape

Project goal:
Reader promise:
Governing question:
Recommended structure:
Section-by-section logic:
Alternate structure:
Notes on risks: