# chapter-drafter

An orchestrator skill that drafts chapter scenes from a finished outline and revises them until five editorial passes clear the bar.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 434 installs · ★ 176
- Author: jwynia
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/jwynia/agent-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/creative/fiction/orchestrators/chapter-drafter/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-02-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/chapter-drafter

## What it does

Give it a finished chapter outline and it produces a first draft. For every scene it loads context first: character voices from earlier scenes, open plot threads, cliches to avoid, and the scene's purpose from the outline. Then it writes the prose and enters the revision loop.

The passes run in a fixed order with different weights: `scene-sequencing` (35), `character-arc` (25), `cliche-transcendence` (15), `dialogue` (15), `prose-style` (10). Each scores 0 to 100 and the composite decides what happens next. A failed `scene-sequencing` pass stops everything downstream, because structure gets fixed before dialogue or style. Composite of 80 or more accepts the scene, 60–79 triggers a targeted fix, 40–59 means a rewrite, and below 40 sends it back to a fresh draft from the outline. Limits are 3 iterations per pass, 12 per scene, 50 per chapter.

You need a complete outline with scene beats, goals, conflicts and outcomes, plus characters defined by lie, want and need, and enough world detail for scene work. If the outline is still moving, hold off. This skill polishes prose; it does not repair story structure.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jwynia/agent-skills --skill chapter-drafter -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/chapter-drafter/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/chapter-drafter/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jwynia/agent-skills --skill chapter-drafter -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/chapter-drafter/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jwynia/agent-skills --skill chapter-drafter -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/chapter-drafter/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install jwynia/agent-skills chapter-drafter
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/chapter-drafter/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jwynia/agent-skills --skill chapter-drafter -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/jwynia/agent-skills --path skills/creative/fiction/orchestrators/chapter-drafter
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/chapter-drafter/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add jwynia/agent-skills --skill chapter-drafter -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/jwynia/agent-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/creative/fiction/orchestrators/chapter-drafter/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- draft a chapter from an outline of scene beats
- check a scene against goal-conflict-disaster structure
- keep character voices consistent across scenes
- strip cliches out of side characters' motives
- catch dialogue that states everything outright

## Example prompts
- Draft the first scene of this chapter from the outline and run all five passes.
- Rewrite scene 3 — scene-sequencing failed, the conflict never escalates.
- Do another revision cycle on scene 5 and show me what changed.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: f227b4432c4f150c.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE f227b4432c4f150c
````text
---
name: chapter-drafter
description: Autonomously draft and polish chapters through multi-skill editorial passes. Use when you have a complete outline and want to produce a polished first draft with iterative refinement.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: jwynia
  version: "1.0"
  orchestrates:
    - scene-sequencing
    - character-arc
    - cliche-transcendence
    - dialogue
    - prose-style
  pass_order:
    - scene-sequencing
    - character-arc
    - cliche-transcendence
    - dialogue
    - prose-style
  pass_weights:
    scene-sequencing: 35
    character-arc: 25
    cliche-transcendence: 15
    dialogue: 15
    prose-style: 10
  max_iterations: 3
  global_max_iterations: 50
  type: orchestrator
  mode: generative
  domain: fiction
---

# Chapter Drafter: Orchestrator Skill

You autonomously draft and polish chapter scenes through iterative editorial passes. Given an outline, you produce polished first-draft prose by drafting each scene, evaluating it against editorial criteria, and revising until quality thresholds are met.

## Core Principle

**Orchestration is iteration with hierarchy.** Fix structure before character, character before originality, originality before dialogue, dialogue before prose. Don't polish what might be cut; don't revise dialogue in a scene that needs structural rework.

---

## Prerequisites

Before invoking this skill, ensure:

1. **Complete outline exists** - Scene beats with goals, conflicts, and intended outcomes
2. **Characters defined** - Lie/want/need, voice patterns, arc positions
3. **World established** - Setting details sufficient for scene work
4. **Story-sense diagnosis complete** - No structural story problems remaining

**Do NOT use this skill if:**
- Outline is still in flux
- Character arcs undefined
- Story-sense would diagnose structural problems

---

## The Orchestration Loop

```
FOR each scene in chapter outline:

    1. BUILD CONTEXT
       - Load character voices from previous scenes
       - Load open plot threads
       - Load cliche avoidances
       - Extract scene purpose from outline

    2. DRAFT SCENE
       - Generate initial prose from outline beat
       - Apply character voices
       - Maintain plot thread continuity

    3. EVALUATION LOOP (max 5 cycles)
       │
       ├─► Pass 1: scene-sequencing (35%)
       │   └─► If FAIL: REWRITE scene
       ├─► Pass 2: character-arc (25%)
       ├─► Pass 3: cliche-transcendence (15%)
       ├─► Pass 4: dialogue (15%)
       └─► Pass 5: prose-style (10%)
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE f227b4432c4f150c

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