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:

Idea (idea.md) - Capture rewrite intent (WHAT/WHY)
Clarify (clarify.md) - Ask up to 5 questions to reduce ambiguity
Plan (plan.md) - Create structural blueprint (HOW)
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):

Target & scope (which episodes/scenes exactly?)
Intended outcome (what should feel different?)
Non-negotiables (constraints beyond checklist?)
Continuity details (time/place/who's present?)
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

Element Changes
- Which elements files need updates? (characters/, plot.md, outline.md, etc.)
- What specific changes to each?
Content Changes
- Scenes to add/edit/delete/reorder
- Episode structure modifications
Directory Changes
- Folders to create/rename/delete in content/
- File renaming/numbering changes
Sequence of Work
- Step-by-step execution order
- What must happen first, second, etc.
Dependencies
- What requires what (e.g., "character file update before scene edit")
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.