# Plan Novel

> Create or substantially revise a novel premise, structure, chapter plan, character arcs, and required world foundations. Use for a new novel or major structural replan.

- Skill: `forsonny/plan-novel` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add forsonny/plan-novel`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/forsonny/plan-novel/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: forsonny (https://skillmd.com/u/forsonny)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/forsonny/plan-novel

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# Plan Novel

Use any premise, constraints, or priorities supplied with the invocation.

1. Resolve the repository root and inspect `planning/`, `characters/`, `worldbuilding/`, and `manuscript/chapters/`.
2. Treat substantial manuscript prose as canon unless the user explicitly requests a retcon.
3. Read `.agents/roles/plot-architect.md`.
4. If the harness exposes a named `plot-architect` specialist, delegate a bounded planning task to it. Otherwise perform that role directly.
5. Use `character-developer` and `worldbuilder` only for foundations that materially affect the plan.
6. Create causally connected chapter purposes, turning points, setups, payoffs, and character decisions.
7. Write or update `planning/novel-outline.json`.
8. Record unresolved creative choices as explicit questions or provisional decisions, not hidden assumptions.
9. Run `./sync-state.sh` when tracking needs initialization or reconciliation.
10. Summarize the premise, structural shape, major arcs, chapter count, open decisions, and next recommended drafting action.