# Presentation Story Architecture

> Turns an approved brief and supported claims into a thesis, audience journey, chapter roles, transitions, and slide-by-slide jobs for the main talk and backup. Use when the story-architecture gate is current for a presentation project or when a router asks for the story and storyboard.

- Skill: `samulee003/presentation-story-architecture` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add samulee003/presentation-story-architecture`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/samulee003/presentation-story-architecture/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- Author: samulee003 (https://skillmd.com/u/samulee003)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/samulee003/presentation-story-architecture

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# Build the story architecture

Use when `story-architecture` is the current gate.

- Read repo instructions, `PRESENTATION-BRIEF.md`, `EVIDENCE-LEDGER.md`, and the cited source files before structuring the talk.
- Require one memorable thesis.
- Require an explicit audience change from where the talk starts to where it should end.
- Write `STORY.md` from `templates/STORY.md`.
- Write `STORYBOARD.md` from `templates/STORYBOARD.md`.
- Build the story from the approved brief and supported evidence claims only.
- If a chapter needs unsupported evidence, return the work to evidence instead of letting the chapter enter the story.
- Assign each chapter a role such as context, tension, proof, decision, action, or closing commitment.
- Write spoken transitions that explain why the next chapter or slide must exist.
- Separate the main-talk range from backup or Q&A material.
- **One Dominant Message per Slide**: Require one necessary job per slide. Split the slide rather than shrink text or pack distinct messages onto one page. Remove ornamental, duplicate, or “nice to have” pages.
- **Meaningful Brevity (Anti-Over-Pruning)**: Text pruning must eliminate fluff and secondary clutter while preserving clear, grammatically sound, and intellectually substantive core takeaways. Do not reduce statements to cryptic 2-word fragments.

## Instructional design & 4MAT learning cycle

Incorporate adult learning dynamics (ATD / 4MAT / Kirkpatrick Level 2 & 3 behavior transfer):
1. **Why (Relevance & Emotional Safety)**: Open with visceral pain points and validation to establish psychological safety before introducing solutions.
2. **How / Logic (Underlying Cognitive Insight)**: Deconstruct the psychological and systemic mechanisms (e.g. dignity defense, family subsystems) so the audience understands the *why* behind behaviors.
3. **What (Actionable Tool Chunking)**: Deliver chunked, memorable tools, role definitions, and boundary frameworks with high memory stickiness.
4. **Action / What If (Behavioral Rehearsal & Transfer)**: Provide concrete dialogue templates, case vignettes, and takeaway scaffolding so learning converts into immediate real-world practice.

- Keep chapter order tied to the promised audience outcome, not to the order sources were found.
- Allow SCQA but never force it.
- Use another structure when it better fits the product, audience, and evidence.
- Stop once the thesis, audience journey, chapter roles, transitions, main/backup boundaries, and slide jobs are coherent enough for story grilling or prototyping.