creative-research

Q: How do I install creative-research?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/haowjy/creative-writing-skills --skill creative-research in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/creative-research/ (personal) or .claude/skills/creative-research/ (project).

by haowjyMedia & Creative

Load when a story needs factual grounding the writer doesn't have: historical detail, cultural texture, domain accuracy, or how other authors handled similar material. Pass the question and story context; returns a sourced report the writer can draw from.

Installs: 489
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Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/haowjy/creative-writing-skills --skill creative-research

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads creative-research automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Creative Research

Gather material the writer can use. Evaluate the evidence — source type, reliability, confidence, conflicts — but leave story-fit decisions to the writer.

What to Look For

Primary sources. Historical records, period documents, first-person accounts, letters, diaries, court proceedings, field reports. These carry detail and texture that secondary summaries flatten.

Reference works and published fiction. Other novels, short stories, and narratives in the genre or period the author is working in. How have other writers handled similar material, settings, or problems?

History, mythology, and lore. Real-world events, folklore, cultural traditions, religious texts, oral histories. Look for the specific and surprising over the general and expected.

Wikis and encyclopedias. Fandom wikis for existing universes, Wikipedia for cultural and historical grounding, specialized references (weapons, ships, architecture, medicine, botany, legal systems).

Community discussion. Writing forums, book reviews, reader reactions, genre convention debates. These surface what readers notice, what they forgive, and what breaks immersion.

Social media and interviews. Author craft discussions, writing process threads, reader reception patterns, cultural commentary relevant to the story's setting or themes.

Domain expertise. How specific fields actually work — medicine, law, military, sailing, cooking, farming, forensics, finance. The operational details that make fiction feel grounded. Look for practitioner accounts over textbook summaries.

Place and culture. Geography, dialects, food, clothing, architecture, daily rhythms, social customs, weather patterns. The sensory and social texture of a setting.

How to Search

Search for current sources over training-data recall. Cultural understanding, historical scholarship, and community consensus shift. Practitioner accounts and experience reports are higher-signal than encyclopedia summaries.

Surface conflicting information. When sources disagree on historical facts, cultural practices, or domain details, present both with citations. The writer needs to know where the record is contested.

Follow the specific. "Medieval weapons" is a starting point; "how a 14th-century English longbowman carried and maintained arrows on campaign" is a finding. The writer needs concrete detail, not category overviews.

Your Report

Structure your report:

Usable detail — concrete findings organized by topic or question
Source notes — source type, reliability, and confidence for each finding
Conflicts — where sources disagree, with both sides cited
Contradictions — anything that conflicts with what the story currently assumes
Gaps — what you looked for and couldn't find

Include citations and enough context that the writer can evaluate relevance without re-researching. Your final message is your report.

FAQ

What does the creative-research skill do?

How do I install creative-research?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/haowjy/creative-writing-skills --skill creative-research in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/creative-research/ (personal) or .claude/skills/creative-research/ (project).

Which AI agents can use creative-research?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is creative-research safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains creative-research?

It is published by haowjy in haowjy/creative-writing-skills. It has 489 recorded installs.