SSML Generation Skill

The Script Is the Blueprint

This skill handles the technical generation of SSML scripts that will be converted to voice audio.

Purpose

Transform journey concepts into properly-formatted SSML that produces natural, hypnotic voice output.

Critical Rules

Voice Rate: ALWAYS 1.0

<!-- CORRECT: Always use rate="1.0" -->
<prosody rate="1.0" pitch="-2st">
  Text content here... <break time="2s"/>
</prosody>

<!-- WRONG: Never slow the rate -->
<prosody rate="0.85" pitch="-2st">
  This sounds robotic with Neural2 voices
</prosody>

Why: Google TTS Neural2 voices sound unnatural at reduced rates. Achieve pacing through <break> tags instead.

Speech Profiles by Section

| Section | Pitch | Break Range | Purpose | |---------|-------|-------------|---------| | pre_talk | 0st | 700ms-1.0s | Normal, grounded | | induction | -2st | 1.0s-1.7s | Calming, deeper | | deepening | -2st | 1.7s-2.5s | Very calm | | journey | -1st | 1.0s-2.0s | Immersive | | helm_deep_trance | -2st | 2.0s-3.0s | Deepest state | | integration | -1st | 1.5s-2.0s | Returning | | emergence | 0st | 700ms-1.0s | Alert, grounded |

Break Duration Guidelines

| Context | Duration | |---------|----------| | Between phrases | 700ms-1.0s | | After sentences | 1.0s-1.7s | | Breathing cues | 2.0s-3.0s | | Visualization moments | 3.0s-4.0s | | Major transitions | 4.0s-5.5s |

Section Header Template

<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
<!-- SECTION: [SECTION_NAME] -->
<!-- Duration: [X] minutes | Pitch: [X]st | Purpose: [PURPOSE] -->
<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ -->

<prosody rate="1.0" pitch="[X]st">
    [Content...]
</prosody>
<break time="[X]s"/>

Sound Effect Markers

Place SFX cues on their own lines in script_production.ssml:

[SFX: Deep ceremonial bell tone, resonant, 4 seconds with natural decay]

<prosody rate="1.0" pitch="-2st">
  The sound fades into silence...
</prosody>

Important: SFX markers are stripped out for script_voice_clean.ssml before TTS generation.

Two-File System

| File | Purpose | Contains SFX? | |------|---------|---------------| | script_production.ssml | Full production script | Yes | | script_voice_clean.ssml | TTS-ready script | No |

Workflow:

Write script_production.ssml with all SFX markers
Generate script_voice_clean.ssml by stripping [SFX:...] lines
Feed script_voice_clean.ssml to TTS

Section Duration Targets

| Section | Target Duration | Word Count (~150 WPM) | |---------|-----------------|----------------------| | Pre-Talk | 2-3 min | 300-450 words | | Induction | 4-5 min | 600-750 words | | Deepening | 3-4 min | 450-600 words | | Journey | 10-14 min | 1500-2100 words | | Helm (Deepest) | 2-3 min | 300-450 words | | Integration | 2-3 min | 300-450 words | | Emergence | 2-3 min | 300-450 words | | Total (25 min) | | ~3,750 words |

SSML Validation

Before TTS generation, always validate:

python3 scripts/utilities/validate_ssml.py sessions/{session}/working_files/script.ssml

Common Validation Errors

| Error | Cause | Fix | |-------|-------|-----| | "Unclosed tag" | Missing </prosody> | Add closing tag | | "Invalid break time" | time="2" (missing unit) | Use time="2s" | | "Rate outside range" | rate="2.5" | Keep 0.5-2.0 | | "Unknown SSML tag" | Using <emphasis> wrong | Check supported tags |

Integration with Tier 1

All SSML content must follow Tier 1 rules:

| Tier 1 Skill | SSML Requirement | |--------------|------------------| | hypnotic-language/validation/forbidden-patterns.md | No forbidden phrases | | hypnotic-language/emergence/reorientation.md | Complete emergence sequence | | symbolic-mapping/theological-filters/ | Christian-safe imagery only |

Command Reference

Generate Script

/generate-script {session}

Strip SFX for TTS

grep -v "^\[SFX:" script_production.ssml > script_voice_clean.ssml

Validate

python3 scripts/utilities/validate_ssml.py sessions/{session}/working_files/script.ssml

Output Files

| File | Location | |------|----------| | Production script | sessions/{session}/working_files/script_production.ssml | | Voice-clean script | sessions/{session}/working_files/script_voice_clean.ssml |

Related Resources

Skill: tier1-neural-core/hypnotic-language/ (language patterns)
Serena Memory: script_production_workflow
Serena Memory: voice_pacing_guidelines
Doc: prompts/hypnotic_dreamweaving_instructions.md