Draft Initialization

Draft Initialization

Initialize a new fiction draft cycle following the Fiction Kit's Spec-Kit-style workflow.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create a new draft folder and artifacts
• Break down a rewrite or story change into structured tasks
• Plan an episode from outline to execution
• Generate checkbox tasks from a high-level plan

Workflow Stages

A complete draft follows this sequence:

1. Idea (idea.md) - Capture rewrite intent (WHAT/WHY)
2. Clarify (clarify.md) - Ask up to 5 questions to reduce ambiguity
3. Plan (plan.md) - Create structural blueprint (HOW)
4. Tasks (tasks.md) - Generate actionable checkbox tasks with acceptance criteria

Stage 1: Create Draft Folder

Determine the next draft number and create folder structure:

drafts/###-kebab-case-name/
├── idea.md
├── clarify.md
├── plan.md
├── tasks.md
├── analyze.md
└── feedback.md

Use the drafts/_template/ folder as reference for file structure.

Stage 2: Populate idea.md

Write structured intent summary with these required sections:

Required Sections

• Intent Summary (3-5 sentences: WHAT needs to change and WHY)
• Motivation (Why this change is needed now)
• Scope (Which episodes/scenes/files/characters affected)
• Desired Outcome (What success looks like)

Critical Rules

• Do NOT propose solutions or write prose
• This is specification only, not implementation
• Stay focused on user's original intent
• If user provides vague request, ask for specifics before writing

Example idea.md

# Draft Idea

**Intent Summary:** Tighten Act 2 pacing in episode 3 by compressing the investigation montage from 4 scenes to 2 scenes. Currently the middle drags and reader interest drops.

**Motivation:** Beta feedback indicates Act 2 loses momentum. Scenes 8-11 feel repetitive and the investigation stalls visually. Need faster escalation to the reveal in scene 15.

**Scope:**
- Episode 3, scenes 8-11 (investigation montage)
- May affect: Eddie's character arc (less screen time), Baxter's methods
- Files: `content/episodes/episode-03-*.md` scenes 8-11

**Desired Outcome:**
- Act 2 maintains reader engagement
- Investigation escalates more rapidly
- Scene count reduced by 2 without losing critical discoveries
- Baxter's competence still established but more efficiently

Stage 3: Run Clarification Gate

Read idea.md and identify missing details that would materially change the plan.

Ask up to 5 questions (prioritized):

1. Target & scope (which episodes/scenes exactly?)
2. Intended outcome (what should feel different?)
3. Non-negotiables (constraints beyond checklist?)
4. Continuity details (time/place/who's present?)
5. Serial beat requirements (hook/turn/cliffhanger needs?)

After User Answers

• Append "Clarifications" section to idea.md with date + Q→A pairs
• Also log in clarify.md for reference

If No Questions Needed

State what is sufficiently specified (1-3 bullets).

Stage 4: Generate Plan

Read idea.md (including clarifications) and create plan.md.

Required Plan Sections

1. Element Changes

   • Which elements files need updates? (characters/, plot.md, outline.md, etc.)
   • What specific changes to each?

2. Content Changes

   • Scenes to add/edit/delete/reorder
   • Episode structure modifications

3. Directory Changes

   • Folders to create/rename/delete in content/
   • File renaming/numbering changes

4. Sequence of Work

   • Step-by-step execution order
   • What must happen first, second, etc.

5. Dependencies

   • What requires what (e.g., "character file update before scene edit")

6. Serial Episode Beats (if applicable)

   • Hook placement
   • Escalation/turn timing
   • End-button or cliffhanger strategy

Constraints to Check

BEFORE writing plan, read:

• voice/format.md - File structure and serial fiction rules
• elements/checklist.md - Non-negotiable requirements
• elements/tone.md - Tone constraints
• elements/pov.md - POV rules

Output Format

Output ONLY the plan content as markdown ready to save to plan.md.

Stage 5: Generate Tasks

Convert plan.md into actionable checkbox tasks in tasks.md.

Task Format (CRITICAL)

EVERY task must use this exact format:

- [ ] **T###: [Task Name]** — [Brief description]
  - **Files/Directories Affected:** [Specific paths]
  - **Action:** [What to do]
  - **Acceptance Criteria:**
    - [ ] Criterion 1
    - [ ] Criterion 2
  - **Dependencies:** [Task IDs that must complete first, or "None"]

Task Numbering

• Sequential IDs: T001, T002, T003, etc.
• Setup tasks first (T001: scaffold folders)
• Content tasks middle (scenes/episodes)
• QA/validation tasks last (T020+: continuity check, compile)

Task Categories

Setup Tasks (T001-T003)

• Create directories
• Scaffold files
• Update elements

Content Tasks (T004-T0XX)

• One task per scene/chapter
• Edit existing content
• Reorder scenes

QA Tasks (Final 3-5)

• Validate against checklist
• Run continuity check
• Compile episode (if applicable)

Example tasks.md

# Tasks

- [ ] **T001: Setup Episode Directory** — Create episode folder structure
  - **Files/Directories Affected:** `content/episodes/episode-03-investigation/`
  - **Action:** Create directory with proper naming convention
  - **Acceptance Criteria:**
    - [ ] Directory named `episode-03-investigation`
    - [ ] Directory exists at correct path
  - **Dependencies:** None

- [ ] **T002: Draft Scene 08 — Baxter Montage** — Write compressed investigation scene
  - **Files/Directories Affected:** `content/episodes/episode-03-investigation/08-baxter-montage.md`
  - **Action:** Write new scene combining beats from old scenes 8-9
  - **Acceptance Criteria:**
    - [ ] Scene opens mid-action (McDonald rule)
    - [ ] Baxter's competence established
    - [ ] Key discoveries included
    - [ ] Word count 1200-1500
  - **Dependencies:** T001

- [ ] **T020: Validate Episode Against Checklist** — QA pass
  - **Files/Directories Affected:** `elements/checklist.md`, all episode scenes
  - **Action:** Verify all checklist requirements met
  - **Acceptance Criteria:**
    - [ ] All checklist items verified
    - [ ] No POV violations
    - [ ] McDonald rule compliance
  - **Dependencies:** T002-T019

Validation

After generating any artifact, validate using scripts/validate_draft.py:

python .github/skills/draft-initialization/scripts/validate_draft.py drafts/###-name/

Checks:

• Draft folder uses naming: ###-kebab-case
• All template files scaffolded
• idea.md has all required sections
• Clarifications logged if questions asked
• plan.md references constraint files
• tasks.md uses checkbox format (- [ ])
• Task IDs sequential (T001, T002, ...)
• Each task has acceptance criteria
• Dependencies correctly specified

Output Format

For each stage, output ONLY a single file section ready to save:

### drafts/<draft-folder>/<file>.md

[followed by full file contents]

Next Step

After tasks.md is complete, tasks can be executed. Use scene-writing skill for prose drafting and draft-validation skill for QA.