Short Story / Novelette Writing Skill

A disciplined pipeline for producing finished short fiction. Optimized for ghostwriting in a defined style, set in a defined world, across a reasonable word count (flash to ~40k novella). Emphasizes multi-agent handoff so no single agent has to hold the whole book in its head at once.

When to use

• User asks for a short story, novelette, novella, or in-world fiction deliverable.
• A word count target is given or can be inferred (flash: <1.5k; short story: 2-7k; novelette: 7-20k; novella: 20-40k).
• A voice/style reference is named (author X meets author Y) or implicit.
• Worldbuilding material exists (research dossier, design docs, canon) that the fiction must respect.

The Pipeline — four agent roles

You orchestrate these roles as subagents (Agent tool). Brief each one with everything it needs — they do not share memory.

1. Project Manager (PM)

Produces: chapter outline, character bible, scene-by-scene beats, canon checklist. Inputs: user intent, research dossier, style brief, word count target. Output file: outline.md. Rules: every scene has a POV, a location, a dramatic question, and a canon obligation. Every chapter has a target word count so the total lands on budget.

2. Author

Produces: full chapter prose. Inputs: outline.md, research dossier, style brief, prior chapters. Output file: draft.md or per-chapter files. Rules: write in scene, not summary. Respect voice brief. Weave canon obligations naturally. Hit the chapter’s word count ±20%.

3. Editor (developmental)

Produces: editorial memo + revised draft. Checks: structure, pacing, character arc, thematic payoff, voice consistency, canon compliance. Cuts or rewrites aggressively. Flags plot holes. Output: draft-edited.md + editor-memo.md.

4. Copyeditor (line)

Produces: polished final prose. Checks: line clarity, rhythm, dialogue punctuation, tense/POV consistency, repetition, continuity of names and facts. Output: final.md.

Orchestrator workflow

1. Confirm scope — word count, style, POV, tense, format.
2. Research — produce or reuse a dossier. Never write against a world you haven’t read.
3. Brief PM with dossier + style + word count + canon obligations + POV.
4. Review the outline. Does it earn its ending? Revise before prose.
5. Brief Author, chunked by chapters for longer works.
6. Spot-check for voice, canon, pacing.
7. Brief Editor with assembled draft — ask for rewrites, not just notes.
8. Brief Copyeditor with edited draft.
9. Assemble final .docx via the docx skill.
10. Write synopsis.md alongside.

Voice-matching checklist

When the user names reference authors, include in the style brief:

• 2-3 concrete prose techniques per author.
• Do/don’t list.
• One or two paragraph-length pastiche calibrations.

Word-count arithmetic

Budget before you write. Novelette at 15k: 6 × 2,500 or 8 × 1,875. Don’t let the author freestyle length.

Canon integration rules

• Treat in-world elements as obligations, not Easter eggs. Map each to a scene.
• Each element is used, not just mentioned.
• Lift jargon and sensory detail from source. Never contradict canon.
• Space obligations across the arc.

Red flags

• Outline has no ending.
• POV drifts without reason.
• Author summarizes scenes instead of writing them.
• Canon elements appear only in dialogue.
• Editor produces only notes.
• Final word count >20% off target.

Deliverable

.docx manuscript with title page, chapter breaks, 12pt serif, 1.5 line spacing, indented paragraphs, * * * scene breaks. Companion synopsis.md.