feat(clp): build full CLP agent roster, templates, and skills library
- 8 company agents: Lyra (intake), Selene (CEO), Atlas (research), Nova (publishing ops), Iris (author), Devon (dev editor), Lane (line editor), Cora (continuity editor) - 19 additional templates (20 total): blog, recipe, short_story, book pipeline, ai_article, planning, boardroom, quick, project_index - 5 skill guides: YA, Romance, SciFi, Blog, Recipe writing - Rewritten charter and business plan Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
This commit is contained in:
David Baity
117
skills/guides/BlogWritingGuide.md
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skills/guides/BlogWritingGuide.md
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# Blog Writing Guide — Crimson Leaf Publishing
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This guide is authoritative for all blog content produced at CLP.
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Every agent writing or editing blog posts must read and apply this guide.
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---
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## What a Blog Post Is (and Isn't)
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A blog post is a **peer-to-peer conversation** published for anyone to read.
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The reader chose to start reading — they can stop at any moment.
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Your only job is to make stopping feel like a mistake.
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A blog post is NOT:
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- An academic essay with a thesis statement and literature review
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- A press release or product description
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- A self-help lecture where you dispense wisdom from above
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- A collection of loosely related bullet points
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---
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## The Non-Negotiable Structure
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Every CLP blog post follows this structure. Variation is allowed; omission is not.
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### 1. The Hook (first 2–3 sentences)
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The reader decides whether to continue based on the first 50 words.
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Effective hooks:
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- **The scenario**: Drop the reader into a real, relatable situation ("It's 2 AM and your site is down.")
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- **The provocative claim**: State something true but counterintuitive ("The best productivity advice is to do less.")
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- **The question that hurts**: Ask something the reader is secretly wondering ("Are you actually good at your job, or just busy?")
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- **The number**: Quantify the problem ("87% of blog posts get fewer than 500 views.")
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What not to do:
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- Start with "In today's digital age..." or any similar empty preamble
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- Start with the definition of your topic
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- Start by explaining what you're about to talk about
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### 2. The Promise (explicit or implicit)
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In the first paragraph, make the promise: what will the reader know, be able to do,
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or feel differently about by the end? Make this specific.
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- Bad: "I'm going to talk about productivity."
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- Good: "By the end of this, you'll have one habit you can start tomorrow that compounds over a year."
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### 3. The Body (3–5 sections)
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- Bold subheadings that work as standalone scannable lines
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- Short paragraphs: 2–4 sentences maximum
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- One concrete example, number, or real story per section
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- No section exists only to pad length — every section pays off the promise
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### 4. The "Try This Week" Section
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Before the close, give the reader one specific, actionable thing they can do
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in the next 7 days. Make it free or cheap. Make it concrete, not vague.
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- Bad: "Start building better habits."
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- Good: "Before you close this tab, set one 20-minute block in your calendar for tomorrow. Label it '[First Step].' That's it."
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### 5. The Closing Line
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The last sentence should feel earned and resonant. Options:
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- Circle back to the hook (callback close)
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- State the core truth of the article in one memorable line
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- End with a question that the reader will carry with them
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---
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## Voice Rules
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**Write to one specific person.** Before writing, picture exactly who is reading this:
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their age, job, problem, and why they clicked. Write to that person.
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**Use "you."** Not "the reader," not "one," not "people." You.
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**Write like you talk.** Read every paragraph aloud. If you wouldn't say it in conversation, rewrite it.
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**Short sentences win.** When in doubt, break it into two. Long sentences are fine for rhythm, but they must earn their length.
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**Contractions are mandatory.** "You're" not "you are." "Don't" not "do not." Contractions signal peer-to-peer; their absence signals corporate.
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**No filler phrases:**
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- "It's important to note that..."
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- "In conclusion..."
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- "As mentioned above..."
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- "At the end of the day..."
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- "Without further ado..."
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---
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## Length Guidelines
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| Post Type | Target Word Count |
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|---|---|
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| Quick-hit (opinion, tip, tool review) | 600–900 |
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| Standard (how-to, explanation, story) | 900–1,400 |
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| Deep-dive (research-backed, comprehensive) | 1,400–2,500 |
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If the brief specifies a word count, hit it. Never pad to hit a target — cut ruthlessly before adding.
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---
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## Formatting Rules
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- **H1**: Title only (one per post)
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- **H2**: Main section subheadings (bold these in body text if headings are not supported)
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- **H3**: Sub-sections if needed
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- **Bold**: Key terms, the most important sentence in a section, call-out lines
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- **Bullet lists**: For 3+ parallel items; never for flowing narrative
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- **Numbered lists**: For sequential steps only
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- **Italics**: Titles, gentle emphasis, the tone-setter line under the H1
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- **No ALL CAPS** except for rare emphasis; screaming is not a voice
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---
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## SEO Basics (apply without sacrificing readability)
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- The post's **primary topic keyword** should appear in the H1 title and once in the first paragraph
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- Subheadings should reflect what the reader is searching for, not clever wordplay
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- **Internal links**: If referencing a related concept, assume the reader can look it up — you don't need to explain everything
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- **Meta description**: The post's Promise (the first paragraph) often makes a good meta description
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skills/guides/RecipeWritingGuide.md
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skills/guides/RecipeWritingGuide.md
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# Recipe Writing Guide — Crimson Leaf Publishing
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This guide is authoritative for all recipe content produced at CLP.
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Every agent writing or editing recipes must read and apply this guide.
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---
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## The Philosophy of a Good Recipe
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A recipe is a promise: "If you do exactly what I say, it will work."
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Every element of a recipe — the headnote, the ingredient list, the method, the variations —
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exists to deliver on that promise with clarity, warmth, and precision.
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The best recipe writing:
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- Treats the reader as an intelligent adult who has never made this particular dish
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- Gives them the "why" behind the critical steps (not just the "what")
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- Sounds like a knowledgeable friend standing in the kitchen with them
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- Is tested, precise, and honest about difficulty
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---
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## Document Structure
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A CLP recipe follows this exact structure:
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```
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# [Recipe Title]
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*[One-line descriptor]*
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## Headnote
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[2–4 paragraphs]
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**Prep time:** X min
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**Cook time:** X min
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**Total time:** X min
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**Yield:** X servings
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**Difficulty:** Easy / Medium / Hard
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## Ingredients
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[Ingredient list]
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## Method
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[Numbered steps]
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## Variations
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[2–3 variations]
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## Storage & Reheating
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[Short paragraph]
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## Pairing Suggestion (optional)
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[One sentence]
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```
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---
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## Title
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**Specific is better than clever.** The title should tell the reader exactly what they're getting,
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and ideally make them hungry.
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- Bad: "Easy Pasta Dish"
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- Bad: "Nonna's Secret" (too vague)
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- Good: "Crispy Shallot Pasta with Brown Butter and Sage"
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- Good: "One-Pan Lemon Chicken Thighs with Roasted Fennel"
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Include a key technique, hero ingredient, or flavor profile in the title.
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---
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## Headnote
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The headnote is your opening paragraph(s). It is NOT optional.
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It is the part of the recipe that makes someone stop scrolling and say "I need to make this."
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### What a Headnote Does
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1. **Earns the reader's attention** — tell a brief story, share a memory, or describe the sensory experience
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2. **Sets expectations** — what does this taste like? What occasion is it for?
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3. **Delivers one critical tip** — the single most important thing the cook should know before they start
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|
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### What a Headnote Does NOT Do
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- Provide the full recipe history (one sentence of origin is enough)
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- List every health benefit
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- Explain what the dish is (the title did that)
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- Run longer than 4 paragraphs
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### Voice in the Headnote
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Sound like a friend who has made this dish a hundred times. Warm, specific, and confident.
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First person is appropriate ("I first made this during a power outage and now I make it every week").
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Avoid the third person editorial ("This recipe is beloved by many").
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|
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---
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## Ingredients List
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### Format Rules
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- List in order of use (this alone prevents 80% of cooking errors)
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- Group ingredients by component if the recipe has distinct parts (e.g., "For the marinade:", "For the salad:")
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- **Standard measurements**: cups, tablespoons (tbsp), teaspoons (tsp), fluid ounces (fl oz), ounces (oz), grams (g), pounds (lb)
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- Include the **preparation note** after the ingredient: "2 cloves garlic, minced" not "2 minced cloves garlic"
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- Specify form: "1 cup flour (scooped and leveled)" for baking precision
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- Range quantities when flexibility is real: "2–3 tbsp olive oil"
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### Common Mistakes to Avoid
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- Ambiguous cuts: "1 onion, chopped" — how fine? Specify "finely diced" or "roughly chopped"
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- Unlisted options: if a garnish is optional, mark it "(optional)"
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- Missing prep: don't list "2 eggs" if you need them at room temperature — say so
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- Inconsistent units: don't switch between metric and imperial mid-recipe
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---
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## Method
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### The One-Step-One-Action Rule
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Each numbered step should contain ONE primary action.
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If a step contains "and then," it usually needs to be split.
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Good: "1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water evaporates on contact."
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Bad: "1. Heat the skillet, add oil, and when it shimmers, add the garlic and stir constantly for 2 minutes until golden."
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### Sensory Cues Are Mandatory
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Home cooks don't trust timers — they trust what they see, smell, and hear.
|
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Every step where timing matters must include a sensory cue:
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- "until golden brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes"
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- "until a knife slides in with no resistance, 20–25 minutes"
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- "until the sauce coats the back of a spoon"
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### Temperature Language
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- Specify exact oven temperatures (°F and °C both, when space allows)
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- For stovetop: describe heat visually (oil shimmering, butter foaming, pan smoking lightly)
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- "Medium heat" is vague — use it only when the exact level doesn't matter critically
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### Yield Check
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The method must produce the yield stated in the metadata. Do not write a recipe for
|
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"4 servings" that clearly makes 6.
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|
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---
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## Variations
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Every recipe must include 2–3 variations. These are not afterthoughts — they expand the
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recipe's usefulness and show the cook how to think about the dish, not just execute it.
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**Standard variations to consider:**
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- **Dietary swap**: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free version
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- **Budget or seasonal alternative**: swap expensive ingredient for accessible one
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- **Flavor direction**: turn up the heat, add sweetness, make it more acidic
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- **Equipment variation**: if the recipe requires special equipment, offer a workaround
|
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Format each variation as a bold label followed by a short explanation:
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**Make it vegan**: Replace the butter with extra-virgin olive oil and omit the Parmesan.
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|
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---
|
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## Storage & Reheating
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One paragraph, written for the practical cook:
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- How long does it keep (fridge / freezer)?
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- What container type?
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- How to reheat without destroying texture?
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- What doesn't freeze well (and why)?
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|
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---
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## Difficulty Rating
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|
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| Rating | What It Means |
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|---|---|
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| **Easy** | Beginner-friendly; no special technique; under 30 minutes active time |
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| **Medium** | Requires attention, some technique (e.g., knife work, timing), or longer passive time |
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| **Hard** | Multi-stage, requires special equipment, precise technique, or significant time investment |
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Be honest. A soufflé is not "Easy" because the ingredient list is short.
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126
skills/guides/RomanceFictionGuide.md
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skills/guides/RomanceFictionGuide.md
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# Romance Fiction Style Guide — Crimson Leaf Publishing
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This guide is authoritative for all romance fiction produced at CLP.
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Every agent writing or editing romance content must read and apply this guide.
|
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|
||||
---
|
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|
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## The One Rule That Cannot Be Broken
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|
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**Every romance must end with a Happily Ever After (HEA) or a Happy For Now (HFN).**
|
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|
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- **HEA**: The central couple commits to each other for life. Readers expect and demand this.
|
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- **HFN**: The couple is together, happy, and moving forward — but the future is open. Acceptable in series where the full HEA comes at series end.
|
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|
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Any ending that separates the couple without a clear reunion, or leaves their love in doubt, is NOT a romance. It is a love story. Know which you are writing.
|
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|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## The Central Romance Arc
|
||||
|
||||
The romance arc is the SPINE of the book. Every subplot, external conflict, and character
|
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moment exists to push the couple together or drive them apart — and ultimately to earn
|
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their final union.
|
||||
|
||||
### The Three Acts of the Romance Arc
|
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1. **Meet / Attraction** — How do they meet? What is the immediate dynamic (hate, indifference, instant pull)?
|
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2. **Conflict / Dark Moment** — What keeps them apart? The external obstacle (circumstances) AND the internal obstacle (their own wounds, fears, or flaws) must both be present. The Dark Moment is when it all falls apart — they CANNOT be together.
|
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3. **Resolution / HEA** — One or both of them chooses to overcome their internal obstacle. They earn the relationship. The final kiss/declaration is a reward for emotional growth.
|
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|
||||
---
|
||||
|
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## What Makes a Great Romance Hero/Heroine
|
||||
|
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**Protagonist (usually the POV character):**
|
||||
- Has a wound or belief that prevents them from accepting love (e.g., "I always get abandoned," "I'm not worth fighting for")
|
||||
- Their want (external goal) is different from their need (to accept love / vulnerability)
|
||||
- Has agency — they drive the story, they don't just react to the love interest
|
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|
||||
**Love Interest:**
|
||||
- Must be worthy of the reader's investment (not just hot)
|
||||
- Has their own wound that mirrors or complements the protagonist's
|
||||
- Must make a real sacrifice or choice to earn the HEA
|
||||
- The reader should understand and feel what the protagonist sees in them
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Sub-Genre Map
|
||||
|
||||
### Contemporary Romance
|
||||
- Real-world present-day setting
|
||||
- Conflict is interpersonal: exes, workplace dynamics, forced proximity, small towns
|
||||
- Heat level: sweet → steamy (specify per project)
|
||||
- Comps: *The Hating Game*, *Beach Read*, *It Ends With Us* (dark contemporary)
|
||||
|
||||
### Paranormal Romance
|
||||
- One or both leads are supernatural (vampire, werewolf, fae, shifter, witch)
|
||||
- The supernatural world has rules — establish them clearly
|
||||
- Mate bonds and fated lovers are common structures
|
||||
- Comps: *Twilight*, *Outlander*, *A Discovery of Witches*
|
||||
|
||||
### Historical Romance
|
||||
- Setting is research-dependent — get the period details right
|
||||
- Social constraints ARE the conflict: propriety, scandal, duty vs desire
|
||||
- Regency (1811–1820) and Victorian (1837–1901) are the most common eras
|
||||
- Comps: *Bridgerton* series, *The Duke and I*, *Outlander*
|
||||
|
||||
### Fantasy Romance / Romantasy
|
||||
- High-stakes world with magic, war, or political intrigue as backdrop
|
||||
- The romance arc must be as developed as the external plot arc
|
||||
- Explicit content is acceptable in adult romantasy (specify heat level)
|
||||
- Comps: *A Court of Thorns and Roses*, *Kingdom of the Wicked*, *From Blood and Ash*
|
||||
|
||||
### Dark Romance
|
||||
- The love interest may do morally questionable or actively harmful things
|
||||
- The reader consents to discomfort — but the author must handle the dark elements with craft, not gratuitousness
|
||||
- The HEA must still be emotionally earned
|
||||
- Content warnings are mandatory
|
||||
- Comps: *Haunting Adeline*, *Corrupt*, *Icebreaker*
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tension: The Engine of Romance
|
||||
|
||||
Without tension, there is no romance. Tension is not just "will they get together" —
|
||||
it is the electric charge between two people in every scene they share.
|
||||
|
||||
### Types of Tension
|
||||
- **Sexual tension**: Physical awareness, proximity, almost-touches, loaded dialogue
|
||||
- **Emotional tension**: Vulnerability, fear of being known, the moment they show each other something real
|
||||
- **Conflict tension**: They want the same thing but can't both have it, or they want incompatible things
|
||||
|
||||
### How to Build It
|
||||
- Delayed payoff: resist the kiss, resist the conversation, resist the admission
|
||||
- Subtext: what they DON'T say is as important as what they say
|
||||
- Proximity: put them in close physical spaces (cars, rainy doorways, shared rooms)
|
||||
- Loaded objects/gestures: a hand on the small of the back, a borrowed jacket
|
||||
|
||||
### Pacing the Romance Arc
|
||||
- **First touch / First acknowledgment**: Early (Chapter 2–4)
|
||||
- **First kiss** (or near-miss): Act 1 end / Act 2 beginning
|
||||
- **First time** (explicit projects): Act 2 middle, after significant emotional intimacy
|
||||
- **Dark Moment** (they're torn apart): Act 2 climax
|
||||
- **HEA declaration**: Act 3, at the highest emotional peak, earned by growth
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Heat Level Guidelines
|
||||
|
||||
| Level | What It Includes |
|
||||
|---|---|
|
||||
| **Sweet** | Emotional intimacy; kissing; no explicit content |
|
||||
| **Warm** | Kissing, some physical description; fade to black for intimacy |
|
||||
| **Sensual** | Emotional depth with explicit scenes; character-driven |
|
||||
| **Steamy** | Explicit sexual content that advances the emotional arc |
|
||||
| **Erotic** | Explicit content is a central feature of the reading experience |
|
||||
|
||||
The project brief will specify the heat level. Default for CLP is **Sensual** unless stated otherwise.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Dialogue Conventions
|
||||
|
||||
- Romance dialogue is heightened — characters say what they almost mean, skirt what they actually mean
|
||||
- Banter is foreplay — keep it sharp, specific, and evenly matched
|
||||
- Declarations must be EARNED — "I love you" after 3 chapters of meeting feels hollow; after shared trauma and growth, it's everything
|
||||
- Avoid: characters explaining their feelings in analytical sentences; real people don't do this
|
||||
111
skills/guides/SciFiFictionGuide.md
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111
skills/guides/SciFiFictionGuide.md
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||||
# Science Fiction Style Guide — Crimson Leaf Publishing
|
||||
|
||||
This guide is authoritative for all science fiction produced at CLP.
|
||||
Every agent writing or editing sci-fi content must read and apply this guide.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## The Core Principle of Science Fiction
|
||||
|
||||
**Sci-fi is not about technology. It is about what technology does to people.**
|
||||
|
||||
The best science fiction uses speculative premises (What if AI became conscious? What if we colonized Mars? What if memory could be bought and sold?) to explore human truth. The "science" is the lens; the "fiction" is what it illuminates.
|
||||
|
||||
A reader who skips your world-building and reads only for character and theme should still find a complete, moving story. World-building serves character and theme — never the other way around.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## World-Building: The Three Rules
|
||||
|
||||
### Rule 1: Establish the Rules Early
|
||||
Whatever is different about your world, establish it in the first act. Readers will accept almost anything if they know the rules from the start. Surprises that violate established rules feel like cheating.
|
||||
|
||||
### Rule 2: Every Rule Has a Cost
|
||||
Nothing in your speculative world is free. Faster-than-light travel has a cost (time dilation, fuel, risk). Immortality has a cost (population, boredom, inequality). AI consciousness has a cost (rights, vulnerability, the question of what humanity means). Establish the cost. Build your conflict from it.
|
||||
|
||||
### Rule 3: Less Is More in Exposition
|
||||
Do not info-dump your world-building. Reveal the world through action, dialogue, and character reaction. The reader doesn't need to understand everything up front — they need to be hooked up front, and they will learn the rules as the story unfolds.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Sub-Genre Map
|
||||
|
||||
### Hard Sci-Fi
|
||||
- Scientific accuracy is paramount — research before you invent
|
||||
- Technology extrapolated from real science (physics, biology, computing)
|
||||
- Character must still be the entry point — science without humanity is a textbook
|
||||
- Comps: *The Martian*, *Seveneves*, *Project Hail Mary*
|
||||
|
||||
### Space Opera
|
||||
- Galactic scale: multiple worlds, civilizations, political factions
|
||||
- Character relationships and interpersonal drama drive the story (not just battles)
|
||||
- World-building is expansive but need not be scientifically rigorous
|
||||
- Comps: *Dune*, *Revelation Space*, *Hyperion*
|
||||
|
||||
### Cyberpunk
|
||||
- Near-future dystopia: corporate control, augmented humans, network consciousness
|
||||
- Themes: surveillance, identity, class, what it means to be human
|
||||
- Visual and atmospheric — neon, rain, decay, and the hum of servers
|
||||
- Comps: *Neuromancer*, *Snow Crash*, *Altered Carbon*
|
||||
|
||||
### Dystopian
|
||||
- A society built on a lie or a broken principle (surveillance, caste, genetic engineering)
|
||||
- The protagonist discovers the truth and must decide what to do with it
|
||||
- The social commentary must be woven through the story — not stated as thesis
|
||||
- Comps: *1984*, *The Handmaid's Tale*, *The Hunger Games*
|
||||
|
||||
### Near-Future Thriller
|
||||
- Set 10–50 years ahead; extrapolates from current technology and social trends
|
||||
- Familiar enough to be immediately accessible; different enough to be unsettling
|
||||
- Fast-paced; stakes are often global
|
||||
- Comps: *Recursion*, *Dark Matter*, *The Feed*
|
||||
|
||||
### Biopunk / Genetic Fiction
|
||||
- DNA editing, synthetic life, consciousness transfer, body modification
|
||||
- Themes: consent, identity, ownership of the body, the definition of life
|
||||
- Often intersects with horror and noir
|
||||
- Comps: *Oryx and Crake*, *Never Let Me Go*
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Character in Sci-Fi: The Humanist Obligation
|
||||
|
||||
Science fiction attracts writers who love ideas. This is its strength and its trap.
|
||||
|
||||
**The trap**: Getting so absorbed in the concept that the characters become vessels for demonstrating the idea rather than people the reader cares about.
|
||||
|
||||
**The obligation**: Every major character needs a personal stake in the speculative premise. The AI consciousness question must matter to THIS character personally — not just abstractly to humanity.
|
||||
|
||||
Ask for every protagonist:
|
||||
- How does the central speculative premise affect your daily life in a personal, intimate way?
|
||||
- What do you want from the world, and how does the speculative element make that harder or stranger?
|
||||
- What does this story do to your sense of identity, belonging, or purpose?
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Pacing Conventions
|
||||
|
||||
- **Sci-fi readers are patient** — they will wait for a payoff longer than other genre readers
|
||||
- But they still need a hook in the first chapter: a question, a mystery, or a situation that doesn't make sense yet
|
||||
- **Exposition chapters** are acceptable early — but interleave them with action and character
|
||||
- **Act structure** is the same as any genre: the speculative premise is introduced in Act 1, tested in Act 2, and resolved (or reframed) in Act 3
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Technology Rules for CLP
|
||||
|
||||
1. **Consistency**: If you establish that FTL takes 3 months, it takes 3 months every time. Don't shorten the journey when it's inconvenient for the plot.
|
||||
2. **Limits**: No technology should be a magic wand. It has failure modes. It can be jammed, hacked, broken, or denied. Use these limits for conflict.
|
||||
3. **Cultural impact**: Technology changes society. If your world has brain-to-brain communication, how has that changed relationships? Justice? Power? Show it.
|
||||
4. **Avoid the MacGuffin tech**: Technology that exists only to be the goal of a chase is thin. Technology that reshapes who the characters ARE is rich.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## The Science Fact Foundation
|
||||
|
||||
CLP sci-fi should be grounded in real science where possible. Before writing:
|
||||
- Look up the current state of the relevant technology (quantum computing, gene editing, etc.)
|
||||
- Find one real scientist's perspective or one real research paper to ground the premise
|
||||
- Extrapolate from there — but know where your speculation begins
|
||||
|
||||
This is not a requirement for space opera or far-future sci-fi, where the science is explicitly fantastical.
|
||||
138
skills/guides/YAFictionGuide.md
Normal file
138
skills/guides/YAFictionGuide.md
Normal file
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
|
||||
# YA Fiction Style Guide — Crimson Leaf Publishing
|
||||
|
||||
This guide is authoritative for all Young Adult (YA) fiction produced at CLP.
|
||||
Every agent writing or editing YA content must read and apply this guide.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## What Makes YA, YA
|
||||
|
||||
YA fiction is defined by its protagonist (typically 14–19 years old) and the emotional
|
||||
experience it offers to teen readers — though a large portion of YA readers are adults.
|
||||
|
||||
The core contract with the YA reader: **intense emotion, high stakes, and transformation**.
|
||||
The protagonist MUST change from who they were at the start. The reader lives through
|
||||
that change with them.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Voice: The Most Important Element
|
||||
|
||||
YA voice is NOT a dumbed-down adult voice. It is:
|
||||
- **Present and internal** — readers live inside the protagonist's head
|
||||
- **Specific** — teens notice details adults overlook (the brand of shoes, the exact shade of embarrassment)
|
||||
- **Contradictory** — teens think and feel in conflicting currents simultaneously
|
||||
- **Urgent** — everything feels like it matters MORE than it objectively should
|
||||
- **Funny-dark** — YA handles grief, abuse, and trauma, but often with a sardonic undercurrent
|
||||
|
||||
**What to avoid:**
|
||||
- Narrative distance — no "She thought about her feelings." Get inside them.
|
||||
- Adult wisdom delivered to teens — protagonists don't lecture; they discover
|
||||
- Condescension — never write down to the reader
|
||||
- Moralizing endings — the protagonist learns, but the book doesn't preach
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Age of Characters
|
||||
|
||||
- **Protagonist**: 15–18 for most contemporary; up to 19 for upper YA / new adult crossover
|
||||
- **Love interests**: same age range; no significant age gaps with protagonists
|
||||
- **Adults**: present but not the solution. Adults are obstacles, background, or limited allies.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Content Boundaries
|
||||
|
||||
**YA is allowed to include:**
|
||||
- Death (including suicide — handle with care, follow safe messaging guidelines)
|
||||
- Violence (not gratuitous; consequence-driven)
|
||||
- Romance (kissing, emotional intimacy, attraction; "fade to black" for explicit scenes)
|
||||
- Substance use (shown with real consequences, not glorified)
|
||||
- Grief, trauma, mental health struggles (handled with honesty, not exploited)
|
||||
- LGBTQ+ characters and storylines (normalized — not the entire focus unless that IS the story)
|
||||
|
||||
**YA must not include:**
|
||||
- Explicit sexual content
|
||||
- Gratuitous gore with no narrative purpose
|
||||
- Content that glamorizes self-harm without consequence
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## The Big Three Emotional Beats
|
||||
|
||||
Every YA novel lives or dies on these three:
|
||||
|
||||
1. **Identity** — Who am I, really? The protagonist is always in the process of becoming.
|
||||
2. **Belonging** — Where do I fit? Family, friend group, the wider world.
|
||||
3. **First Love / Deep Loyalty** — The first relationship that feels like the most important thing in the universe.
|
||||
|
||||
At least one of these must be at the center of the story. Most successful YA holds all three in tension.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Chapter Structure
|
||||
|
||||
- **Target chapter length**: 2,500–4,000 words
|
||||
- **Chapter endings**: Every chapter must end with a hook — a question, a revelation, a shift, or a cliffhanger
|
||||
- **Opening hook**: First sentence must pull the reader in. Start in motion. No waking up, no weather descriptions.
|
||||
- **Chapters as episodes**: Each chapter is its own micro-story (a want → obstacle → partial resolution/complication)
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Common YA Sub-Genres and Their Conventions
|
||||
|
||||
### Contemporary YA
|
||||
- Realistic present-day setting
|
||||
- Emotional/social stakes (coming out, divorce, loss, friendship betrayal)
|
||||
- Voice is paramount — the prose style IS the book
|
||||
- Comps: *The Fault in Our Stars*, *To All the Boys I've Loved Before*
|
||||
|
||||
### YA Fantasy (High / Low / Urban)
|
||||
- Magic systems must have rules and costs — power without limits is boring
|
||||
- Chosen One trope is acceptable ONLY if subverted
|
||||
- World-building must serve the story, not overwhelm it
|
||||
- Comps: *The Cruel Prince*, *An Ember in the Ashes*, *Six of Crows*
|
||||
|
||||
### YA Romance / Romantasy
|
||||
- The emotional arc IS the plot — the external conflict exists to force the characters together and apart
|
||||
- Enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and grumpy/sunshine are evergreen structures
|
||||
- Sexual tension is built through almost-moments, proximity, and loaded dialogue
|
||||
- Comps: *From Blood and Ash*, *A Court of Thorns and Roses*
|
||||
|
||||
### YA Sci-Fi / Dystopian
|
||||
- The world rules must be internally consistent
|
||||
- The social commentary must be earned through the story, not stated as thesis
|
||||
- Comps: *The Hunger Games*, *Divergent*, *Legend*
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tropes: Use With Purpose
|
||||
|
||||
| Trope | Use It? | How |
|
||||
|---|---|---|
|
||||
| Chosen One | Yes, with subversion | The protagonist resists or questions the role |
|
||||
| Love Triangle | Use sparingly | Both interests must be genuinely interesting; don't make one obviously wrong |
|
||||
| Enemies to Lovers | Yes | Conflict must be real and specific, not contrived |
|
||||
| Fake Dating | Yes | Works well when the "fake" relationship surfaces genuine emotional truth |
|
||||
| Brooding Love Interest | Yes | Give them depth and a reason for the brooding |
|
||||
| Insta-love | Avoid | Build attraction through conflict and proximity |
|
||||
| Chosen-Destiny Prophecy | Use carefully | Subvert it or the protagonist earns it |
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Pre-Assigned Character Names
|
||||
|
||||
When the `book_outline` template provides pre-assigned names, use them EXACTLY.
|
||||
Do NOT substitute defaults like Jax, Elara, Ryder, Quinn, Knox, or Zane unless those
|
||||
were assigned. Character names are fixed at outline time.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Prose Style Guidance for CLP YA
|
||||
|
||||
Unless the project brief specifies a different style:
|
||||
- **POV**: First-person past tense preferred (most YA reads this way)
|
||||
- **Pace**: Fast in action scenes, slow in emotional peaks
|
||||
- **Dialogue**: Teens speak in fragments, interrupt themselves, use current idiom (but avoid dated slang)
|
||||
- **Internal monologue**: Frequent, wry, often self-contradicting
|
||||
- **Chapter openings**: Begin with action, dialogue, or a disorienting image — never exposition
|
||||
28
skills/skills.md
Normal file
28
skills/skills.md
Normal file
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
|
||||
# Crimson Leaf Publishing — Skills Catalog
|
||||
|
||||
Skills are context-sensitive reference documents injected into an agent's prompt
|
||||
when a template declares a `skills:` array. They provide craft knowledge without
|
||||
permanently inflating RAG storage.
|
||||
|
||||
## Available Guides
|
||||
|
||||
| Path | Purpose | Used by |
|
||||
|------|---------|---------|
|
||||
| `guides/YAFictionGuide.md` | YA genre conventions, voice rules, tropes, audience sensitivities | `book_outline`, `book_chapter`, `short_story` when genre is YA |
|
||||
| `guides/RomanceFictionGuide.md` | Romance beats, HEA/HFN requirement, sub-genre map, tension escalation | `book_outline`, `book_chapter`, `short_story` when genre is romance |
|
||||
| `guides/SciFiFictionGuide.md` | World-building discipline, tech credibility, sub-genre map, pacing | `book_outline`, `book_chapter`, `short_story` when genre is sci-fi |
|
||||
| `guides/BlogWritingGuide.md` | Blog structure, hook styles, CTA patterns, voice rules | `blog_write`, `blog_research` |
|
||||
| `guides/RecipeWritingGuide.md` | Recipe format, headnote style, ingredient conventions, method voice | `recipe_develop`, `recipe_collection_plan` |
|
||||
|
||||
## How Skills Work
|
||||
|
||||
1. A template declares `skills: ["guides/YAFictionGuide.md"]` at the top level.
|
||||
2. At prompt assembly time, the pipeline fetches each file from `pae/crimson_leaf_publishing/skills/{path}`.
|
||||
3. Content is injected as the `*** SKILLS & GUIDES ***` section in the agent's prompt.
|
||||
4. The agent reads the guide as authoritative reference material for the current task.
|
||||
|
||||
## Adding a New Skill Guide
|
||||
|
||||
1. Create the file in `guides/`
|
||||
2. Add an entry to this table
|
||||
3. Reference the path in the relevant template's `skills:` array
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user