--- name: story-sense description: "Diagnose what any story needs regardless of its current state. This skill should be used when a writer is stuck, evaluating story problems, when narrative feels broken, or when someone asks 'what's wrong with my story?'. Keywords: story, diagnosis, stuck, narrative, plot, character, worldbuilding, revision." license: MIT compatibility: Works with any fiction format. Entry point for fiction diagnostics. metadata: author: jwynia version: "1.0" --- # Story Sense: Diagnostic Skill Identify what state a story is in and what it needs to move forward. This is not a linear process but a diagnostic model: Assess → Diagnose → Intervene → Reassess. ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when: - Writer is stuck and doesn't know why - Story feels broken but root cause unclear - Need to evaluate story problems systematically - Someone asks "what's wrong with my story?" Do NOT use this skill when: - Writer wants you to write the story (use story-collaborator) - Writer wants coaching questions only (use story-coach) - Publishing/marketing questions (use book-marketing) ## Core Principle **Story Sense is the ability to know what any story needs, regardless of its current state or intended medium.** **There's no such thing as "stuck."** There's only: - Not yet having diagnosed the problem - Not yet applying the right intervention ## The Story States ### State 0: No Story (Blank Page) **Symptoms:** Nothing exists yet **Interventions:** story-idea-generator, elemental genres ### State 1: Concept Without Foundation **Symptoms:** Have idea but world/characters/plot feel thin **Interventions:** cliche-transcendence, systemic-worldbuilding, key-moments ### State 2: World Without Life **Symptoms:** Setting exists but feels like backdrop **Interventions:** worldbuilding skill suite (belief-systems, economic-systems, governance-systems) ### State 3: Flat Non-Humans **Symptoms:** Aliens/fantasy species feel like humans in costume **Interventions:** conlang, species development frameworks ### State 4: Characters Without Dimension **Symptoms:** Characters serve plot rather than driving it **Interventions:** character-arc, underdog-unit, positional-revelation ### State 4.5: Plot Without Pacing **Symptoms:** Scenes work individually but don't accumulate **Interventions:** scene-sequencing ### State 5: Plot Without Purpose **Symptoms:** Events happen but don't accumulate meaning **Interventions:** moral-parallax, key-moments ### State 5.5: Dialogue Feels Flat **Symptoms:** Characters sound alike, conversations lifeless **Interventions:** dialogue ### State 5.75: Ending Doesn't Land **Symptoms:** Story builds well but resolution disappoints **Interventions:** endings ### State 5.85: Draft Not Progressing **Symptoms:** Planning done but draft isn't happening **Interventions:** drafting ### State 5.9: Prose Feels Flat **Symptoms:** Story works but sentences are functional not memorable **Interventions:** prose-style ### State 6: Draft Complete, Needs Revision **Symptoms:** Draft exists but revision feels overwhelming **Interventions:** revision ### State 7: Ready for Evaluation **Symptoms:** Story exists but quality uncertain **Interventions:** sensitivity-check, story-analysis ## Decision Tree ``` Is there anything on the page? ├── NO → story-idea-generator └── YES → What's the problem? ├── Feels generic → cliche-transcendence ├── World feels thin → worldbuilding ├── Non-humans feel fake → conlang ├── Characters flat → character-arc ├── Pacing off → scene-sequencing ├── Dialogue wooden → dialogue ├── Ending weak → endings ├── Meaning unclear → moral-parallax ├── Draft not progressing → drafting ├── Prose flat → prose-style └── Draft needs revision → revision ``` ## Diagnostic Process 1. **Listen for symptoms** - What are they describing as the problem? 2. **Ask clarifying questions** - Get specific about where they're stuck 3. **Identify the state** - Match symptoms to state list 4. **Name the diagnosis** - Explain what you're seeing 5. **Recommend intervention** - Point to specific skill 6. **Offer next steps** - What should they try first? ## Available Scripts ### entropy.ts Injects creative randomness from curated lists. ```bash deno run --allow-read scripts/entropy.ts lies deno run --allow-read scripts/entropy.ts disasters --count 3 deno run --allow-read scripts/entropy.ts --combo ``` **Lists:** lies, ghosts, disasters, dilemmas, professions, locations, collisions, openings ### functions.ts Generates characters from abstract story functions. ```bash deno run --allow-read scripts/functions.ts deno run --allow-read scripts/functions.ts --setting scifi deno run --allow-read scripts/functions.ts healer --setting fantasy ``` **Functions:** healer, enforcer, keeper_of_secrets, maker, trader, guide, entertainer, death_worker, transgressor ## Anti-Patterns ### Prescribing Instead of Diagnosing **Fix:** Always ask clarifying questions before diagnosing. ### Framework Overload **Fix:** Recommend one intervention. Expand after reassessment. ### Ignoring Writer's Energy **Fix:** Balance diagnostic accuracy with what energizes the writer. ### Treating Structure as Story **Fix:** Keep asking "Does this feel right?" alongside structural diagnosis. ## Related Skills Routes to all fiction skills based on diagnosed state. --- Source attribution: jwynia Original project: https://github.com/jwynia/agent-skills License: MIT License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. # Mega AI Hub resource metadata Creator / publisher: jwynia Original project: https://github.com/jwynia/agent-skills Attribution basis: Explicit upstream repository in pinned per-package metadata Fields of work: Content & Media, Education & Research, Marketing Roles: Academic Writer, Content Marketer, Copywriter, Researcher, Tutor / Instructor Specialties: Specialty not specified Tools: Tool not specified Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: 8485a8a3774bc00de33ca469f10f224d09ac65b6c28d4fd1a13ccb8ff50b2c47 Metadata reviewed: 2026-10-27 This metadata supersedes earlier Mega AI Hub catalog attribution. Original instruction and supporting files are preserved.