Fiction Workshop
Plan fiction scenes with goal–conflict–outcome structure before you or your coding agent drafts chapter prose.
Overview
fiction-workshop is an agent skill most often used in Build (also Validate and Grow) that guides solo builders through a Scene Worksheet so every fiction scene has clear purpose, conflict, and payoff before drafting.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/rhavekost/author-toolkit --skill fiction-workshopWhat is this skill?
- Scene identification block: chapter, POV, location, and time for every beat
- Parallel plot, character, and reader function checklists so each scene earns its place
- Classic goal–conflict–outcome grid plus sequel/decision processing before the next scene
- Opening hook and first-page orientation checklist (where, when, who, stakes)
- 3–5 key beats planner and closing modes (cliffhanger, revelation, decision point)
- Parallel plot, character, and reader function checklists per scene
- 3–5 key beats block for essential scene moments
- Goal–conflict–outcome outcome grid with sequel/decision follow-up
Adoption & trust: 1.1k installs on skills.sh; 6 GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You are writing fiction with an AI agent but scenes feel directionless because plot advance, character change, and reader tension were never decided up front.
Who is it for?
Indie authors and builder-creators who want repeatable scene briefs before agent-assisted drafting or revision.
Skip if: Teams shipping only SaaS or API code with no narrative deliverables, or writers who already have locked, editor-approved beat sheets and only need line edits.
When should I use this skill?
Before drafting or heavily revising a fiction scene when you need a structured brief for yourself or your agent.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You finish a scene-level spec—purpose, beats, hook, and ending type—that your agent can draft from consistently and that chains into the next scene via the sequel/decision block.
- Completed Scene Worksheet for one scene
- Ordered list of 3–5 key beats
- Documented scene ending type and sequel/decision
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Scene planning is creative production work that happens while you are building narrative products (novels, game story, serialized fiction), not while you operate infra or run growth analytics. The Scene Worksheet is a pre-draft planning artifact—checklists for plot, character, and reader function—matching Prism’s pm shelf for structured creative specs.
Where it fits
Break a rough act outline into per-scene purpose lines before you commit weeks to drafting.
Fill the worksheet for each chapter so your agent drafts from explicit goals, conflict, and outcome.
Store completed worksheets beside manuscript files as the canonical brief for revisions.
Plan installment endings (cliffhanger vs revelation) for a serial fiction or newsletter release calendar.
How it compares
Use instead of unstructured ‘write the next chapter’ prompts when you need a scene blueprint with explicit story mechanics.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is fiction-workshop for?
Solo builders and indie authors who use coding agents to plan and draft fiction, plus small teams serializing narrative content who want the same scene checklist every time.
When should I use fiction-workshop?
In Validate when scoping acts and scenes, in Build when turning an outline into chapter-ready briefs, and in Grow when planning episodic or serialized installments with deliberate cliffhangers or revelations.
Is fiction-workshop safe to install?
Treat it like any third-party agent skill: review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page and your agent’s file permissions before letting it write worksheets in your repo.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Fiction Workshop
# Scene Worksheet ## Scene Identification **Chapter:** **Scene Number:** **Working Title:** **POV Character:** **Location:** **Time:** --- ## Scene Purpose ### Plot Function What must this scene accomplish for the story? - [ ] Advances main plot by: - [ ] Develops subplot: - [ ] Reveals information: - [ ] Sets up future payoff: ### Character Function - [ ] Develops protagonist's arc by: - [ ] Reveals character trait: - [ ] Advances relationship: - [ ] Forces decision: ### Reader Function - [ ] Creates tension through: - [ ] Provides emotional beat: - [ ] Delivers genre promise (action/romance/mystery/etc.): --- ## Scene Structure ### Goal What does the POV character want in this scene? ### Conflict What opposes them? ### Outcome Do they get it? - [ ] Yes (rarely—story stalls) - [ ] No (protagonist set back) - [ ] Yes, but... (gets goal with complication) - [ ] No, and... (fails plus new problem) ### Sequel/Decision How does the character process this outcome and decide what to do next? --- ## Opening ### Hook First line/paragraph—what pulls the reader in? ### Orientation Within first page, reader should know: - [ ] Where (location) - [ ] When (time relative to previous scene) - [ ] Who (POV established) - [ ] What's at stake --- ## Key Beats Plan 3-5 essential moments in this scene: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. --- ## Closing ### Chapter/Scene End How does this scene end? - [ ] Cliffhanger (physical danger) - [ ] Revelation (new information) - [ ] Decision point (character must choose) - [ ] Escalation (stakes raised) - [ ] Transition (if mid-chapter scene) ### Last Line What's the closing image or line? --- ## Sensory Layer Ground the scene in physical experience: **Sight:** **Sound:** **Smell:** **Touch:** **Taste:** --- ## Dialogue Notes ### Must-hit lines [Key dialogue this scene needs to include] ### Subtext What's unsaid but understood? ### Voice check Is each character's speech distinctive? --- ## Continuity Checklist - [ ] Time of day consistent with previous scene? - [ ] Character knowledge accurate? (Do they know what they know?) - [ ] Physical states carried over? (injuries, fatigue, etc.) - [ ] Objects accounted for? - [ ] Weather/setting consistent? --- ## Post-Draft Assessment After writing, answer: ### Did this scene turn? Something should change between beginning and end. ### Could it be cut? If nothing would be lost, consider combining with another scene. ### Does it earn its length? Every scene should justify its word count. ### Is the POV character active? Passive protagonists lose readers. --- ## Notes [Anything else specific to this scene] # Story Bible: [PROJECT TITLE] ## Quick Reference **Genre:** **Logline:** **Comparable Titles:** **Target Length:** **Status:** --- ## Premise & Theme ### Core Premise [2-3 sentence summary of the story's central situation] ### Thematic Question [What question does this book explore? E.g., "Can you serve God through deception?"] ### Moral Argument [What does the book ultimately argue or suggest about the thematic question?] ### Recurring Motifs - - - --- ## Plot Foundation ### Three-Act Structure **Act I: [Title]** (Chapters ___-___) - Ordinary world: - Inciting incident: - Protagonist's initial response: - Threshold crossing / Act I climax: **Act II-A: [Title]** (Chapters ___-___) - New world / learning the rules: - Rising complications: - Building toward midpoint: **Midpoint** - What happens: - How it changes everything: **Act II-B: [Title]** (Chapters ___-___) - Stakes raised / bad guys close in: - Stripping away support: - All is lost moment: **Act III: [Title]** (Chapters ___-___) - Dark night of the soul: - Final confrontation: - Resolution: ### Major Plot Turns | Chapter | Event | Impact | |---------|-------|--------| | | | | ### Subplots 1. **[Subplot Name]**: 2. **[Subplot Name]**: --- ## Character Registry ### Protagonist: [Name] **Basics** - Age: - Occupation: - Physi