Story Generator

Story Generator

This skill generates complete graphic novel narratives about physicists and scientists for intelligent textbooks built with MkDocs Material.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• The user requests a new graphic novel story about a scientist or physicist
• Adding a story to a Physics History Graphic Novels section
• Creating educational narrative content with image prompts for AI image generation
• The user mentions "story", "graphic novel", or "narrative" about a historical scientist

Story Structure

Each story follows a consistent structure designed to engage high school students:

Required Components

1. YAML Frontmatter - Title, description, social media image paths
2. Cover Image - With detailed generation prompt in <details> block
3. Narrative Prompt - Background context for generating the story
4. Prologue - Hook introducing the scientist's significance
5. Chapters (12-14) - Each with narrative text, image placeholder, and image prompt
6. Epilogue - Lessons table summarizing what made the scientist successful
7. Call to Action - Inspiring message connecting to readers
8. Quotes - 2-3 memorable quotes from the scientist
9. References - Academic sources (can use placeholders initially)

Image Prompt Requirements

Every image prompt must specify:

• Wide-landscape 16:9 format
• Period-appropriate art style (e.g., "Victorian", "Art Nouveau", "Renaissance")
• Specific scene details and characters
• Color palette guidance
• Emotional tone and mood

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Information

Before writing, identify:

• The scientist's name and birth/death years
• Key discoveries or contributions
• Central theme (e.g., "overcoming doubters", "persistence through failure")
• Historical period and appropriate art style
• 3-5 key life events that form the narrative arc

Step 2: Create Story Directory

mkdir -p docs/stories/<scientist-name>

Use lowercase with hyphens for directory names (e.g., nikola-tesla, marie-curie).

Step 3: Write the Story

Create docs/stories/<scientist-name>/index.md with the following structure:

---
title: <Catchy Title> - <Scientist Name>'s <Theme>
description: A graphic-novel story of how <brief description>...
image: /stories/<scientist-name>/cover.png
og:image: /stories/<scientist-name>/cover.png
twitter:image: /stories/<scientist-name>/cover.png
social:
   cards: false
---

# <Catchy Title>: <Subtitle>

![Cover image](./cover.png)
<details>
<summary>Cover Image Prompt</summary>
[Detailed cover image generation prompt - 16:9 format, period style, composition details]
</details>

<details>
    <summary>Narrative Prompt</summary>
[Background context and style guide for the entire story]
</details>

### Prologue – <Hook Title>

[Opening narrative establishing the scientist's importance]

![](./image-01.png)
<details><summary>Image Prompt</summary>
[Detailed image prompt for prologue scene]
</details>

## Chapter 1 – <Chapter Title>

[Chapter narrative...]

![](./image-02.png)
<details><summary>Image Prompt</summary>
[Image prompt...]
</details>

[Continue for 12-14 chapters...]

### Epilogue – What Made <Scientist> Different?

[Summary of lessons learned]

| Challenge | How <Scientist> Responded | Lesson for Today |
|-----------|---------------------------|------------------|
| ... | ... | ... |

### Call to Action

[Inspiring message connecting to readers]

---

*"Quote from scientist"*
—<Scientist Name>

---

## References

1. [Title](PLACEHOLDER) - Description
[Continue with 4-6 references]

Important: Always use .png extension for image references (not .jpg).

Step 4: Add to Navigation

Edit mkdocs.yml to add the story in chronological order by birth year:

- Stories:
    - Overview: stories/index.md
    - <Scientist Name> - <Title>: stories/<scientist-name>/index.md

Reference chronological order:

• Archimedes (287 BC)
• Galileo (1564)
• Newton (1643)
• Faraday (1791)
• Tesla (1856)
• Marie Curie (1867)
• Rutherford (1871)
• Lise Meitner (1878)
• Einstein (1879)
• Chien-Shiung Wu (1912)
• Vera Rubin (1928)

Step 5: Add Grid Card to Stories Index

Edit docs/stories/index.md to add a card using MkDocs Material grid format:

- **[<Story Title>](<scientist-name>/index.md)**

    ![<Scientist Name>](./<scientist-name>/cover.png)
    <2-4 sentence compelling description emphasizing the story's theme>

Writing Guidelines

Target Audience

• High school students (grades 9-12)
• Age 14-18
• Introductory physics background
• Reading level: accessible but not dumbed down

Narrative Style

• Use active voice and vivid descriptions
• Include dialogue when historically appropriate
• Balance drama with educational accuracy
• Emphasize the human story behind discoveries
• Show struggles, failures, and persistence
• Connect historical events to modern technology

Theme Development

Choose a central theme that resonates with teenagers:

• Overcoming doubters and skeptics
• Persistence through failure
• Self-education and curiosity
• Fighting against discrimination
• Seeing what others couldn't see
• Staying humble despite success

Historical Accuracy

• Research key dates, events, and relationships
• Use historically accurate details in image prompts
• Note any creative liberties in the narrative prompt
• Include verifiable quotes when possible

Art Style Reference by Era

Checklist

After completing a story, verify:

• Story directory created: docs/stories/<name>/
• index.md has full narrative and all image prompts
• All image references use .png extension
• YAML frontmatter has title, description, and image paths
• Added to mkdocs.yml navigation in chronological order
• Grid card added to docs/stories/index.md
• 12-14 chapters with consistent structure
• Epilogue includes lessons table
• References section present (placeholders OK initially)
• Image prompts specify 16:9 format and period style