story-sense
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.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/jwynia/agent-skills --skill story-sense- 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 story-sense 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.
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
- Listen for symptoms - What are they describing as the problem?
- Ask clarifying questions - Get specific about where they're stuck
- Identify the state - Match symptoms to state list
- Name the diagnosis - Explain what you're seeing
- Recommend intervention - Point to specific skill
- Offer next steps - What should they try first?
Available Scripts
entropy.ts
Injects creative randomness from curated lists.
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.
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.
FAQ
What does the story-sense skill do?
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.
How do I install story-sense?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/jwynia/agent-skills --skill story-sense 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/story-sense/ (personal) or .claude/skills/story-sense/ (project).
Which AI agents can use story-sense?
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 story-sense 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 story-sense?
It is published by jwynia in jwynia/agent-skills. It has 647 recorded installs.
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