cc-agentic-framework 1.14.1

package/framework/modules/writer/skills/writer/writing-prose/SKILL.md

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+---
+id: writing-prose
+module: writer
+name: managing-fantasy-prose-style
+description: Define and enforce fantasy writing style blending Tolkien's rich world-building with Zelazny's tight pacing, using third-person omniscient narration and accessible English
+scope: project-specific
+applicable-projects: asterra
+capabilities-provided:
+  - style-enforcement
+  - prose-generation
+  - world-building
+---
+
+# Managing Fantasy Prose Style
+
+A writing style framework blending J.R.R. Tolkien's layered world-building (70%) with Roger Zelazny's tight pacing (30%), using **third-person omniscient** narration for accessible modern readers (Grade 10-12 reading level).
+
+## Project-Specific Settings
+
+| Setting | Value |
+|---------|-------|
+| **POV Style** | Third-person omniscient |
+| **Primary POV** | Aisha (90% of narrative) |
+| **Supporting POVs** | Maxen, villains, others as needed |
+| **Style Balance** | 70% Tolkien / 30% Zelazny |
+| **Chapter Length** | 3,000-5,000 words |
+| **Violence Level** | YA-appropriate with minor blood/injuries |
+| **Romance** | None in Book 1 |
+| **Exposition** | Moderate (accessible, not cryptic) |
+| **Thought Depth** | Balanced (character interiority + narrator observation) |
+| **Prologue** | Iron Peace signing (Apex Order official POV) |
+| **Time Span** | 4 years (age 13→17) |
+| **Time Skip Approach** | Episodic chapters (weeks/months between) |
+| **Power Unlock** | Emotional trauma catalyzes abilities |
+
+## When to Use This Skill
+
+Use this skill when:
+
+- **Generating prose** for fantasy fiction that balances action and atmosphere
+- **Enforcing voice consistency** across chapters or between writing sessions
+- **Reviewing narrative sections** to ensure they match the established style
+- **Creating character dialogue** that differentiates voices naturally
+- **World-building** without exposition dumps or reader fatigue
+- **Balancing pacing** between action, introspection, and description
+- **Adapting classic fantasy patterns** for contemporary accessibility
+
+Do NOT use this skill for:
+
+- Non-fiction writing (use appropriate documentation standards)
+- Hard science fiction (different voice requirements)
+- Contemporary/literary fiction (style mismatch)
+- Children's literature (different reading level needs)
+- Poetry or verse (different structural rules)
+
+## Style Philosophy
+
+### The Tolkien-Zelazny Synthesis (70/30)
+
+This framework prioritizes Tolkien's immersive world-building with Zelazny's pacing discipline:
+
+**From Tolkien (70% - Primary Influence):**
+- Rich, layered world with visible history
+- Formal speech patterns for gravitas
+- Nature descriptions carrying emotional weight
+- Multiple cultures with distinct identities
+- Heroic journey structure
+- Good and evil as real forces
+- Third-person narration with depth and scope
+- Narrator can provide context characters lack
+
+**From Zelazny (30% - Pacing Discipline):**
+- Economy in action scenes (short, visceral)
+- Tight pacing that maintains momentum
+- Philosophical depth delivered lightly
+- Modern sensibility in mythic setting
+- Wit and personality in character voice
+- No unnecessary padding or repetition
+
+**Third-Person Omniscient Adaptation:**
+- Narrator observes all, reveals strategically
+- Can hint at what characters don't know
+- Balanced thought depth (inside character heads, but not trapped there)
+- Multiple POVs possible for strategic reveals
+- Narrator voice is warm but not intrusive
+
+**Accessible Adaptation:**
+- High school reading level (Grade 10-12)
+- Modern vocabulary as baseline, archaic for flavor
+- Clear sentence structure (subject-verb-object default)
+- Short paragraphs (3-5 sentences maximum)
+- No nested clauses beyond 2 levels
+- Moderate exposition (explain enough to be accessible)
+
+### Core Principles
+
+1. **Voice Over Description**
+   - Character perception filters all details
+   - What the POV notices reveals who they are
+   - Internal monologue has personality
+   - Description serves character, not catalog
+
+2. **Show Through Action**
+   - Physical movement reveals world layout
+   - Dialogue beats exposition in most cases
+   - Characters demonstrate values, don't state them
+   - Combat is character revelation
+
+3. **Iceberg World-Building**
+   - Show 10%, imply 90%
+   - History emerges through artifacts and references
+   - Never explain what characters take for granted
+   - Mysteries deepen as knowledge grows
+
+4. **Tension Through Simplicity**
+   - Short sentences build urgency
+   - Long sentences create breathing room
+   - Paragraph rhythm controls pacing
+   - White space has meaning
+
+5. **Accessibility Without Dumbing Down**
+   - Complex ideas in clear language
+   - Sophisticated themes, straightforward prose
+   - Readers work for meaning, not vocabulary
+   - Grade 10-12 comfortable, college readers engaged
+
+## Quick Reference for Prose
+
+### Sentence Length by Scene Type
+
+| Scene Type | Average Length | Paragraph Length | Purpose |
+|------------|----------------|------------------|---------|
+| **Action** | 8-12 words | 1-3 sentences | Drive urgency, build tension |
+| **Dialogue** | 10-15 words | Short exchanges | Natural conversation flow |
+| **Introspection** | 12-18 words | 3-5 sentences | Deepen character, explore theme |
+| **Description** | 12-16 words | 3-5 sentences | Establish setting, mood |
+| **Transition** | 8-10 words | 1-2 sentences | Move between scenes cleanly |
+
+### Vocabulary Guidelines
+
+**Preferred:**
+- Anglo-Saxon root words (strong, clear, visceral)
+- Concrete nouns over abstract concepts
+- Active verbs without adverbs
+- Sensory details (sight, sound, touch prioritized)
+- One precise word over three generic ones
+
+**Use Sparingly:**
+- Latinate vocabulary (formal, distant, intellectual)
+- Archaic forms (thee, thou, hath) - only for specific characters
+- Made-up fantasy words - earn each one
+- Adverbs ending in -ly - prefer action beats
+- Adjectives beyond one per noun
+
+**Avoid:**
+- Cliches and tired fantasy phrases
+- Modern slang that breaks immersion
+- Technical jargon without world justification
+- Purple prose (overwrought description)
+- Nested subordinate clauses (readability killer)
+
+### Point of View (Third-Person Omniscient)
+
+**Strengths:**
+- Narrator can provide world context characters lack
+- Strategic reveals through POV shifts
+- Balanced intimacy (in thoughts but not trapped)
+- Rich description without filtering through naive character
+- Prologue and historical framing natural
+
+**Primary POV (Aisha - 90%):**
+- Deep access to her thoughts and feelings
+- Narrator observes her experience closely
+- Can hint at things she doesn't understand yet
+- Emotional journey is central focus
+
+**Supporting POVs (10%):**
+- Maxen: Adult perspective, business world, history with Antonian
+- Villains/Others: Strategic reveals, tension building
+- Use sparingly for maximum impact
+- Clear scene breaks when switching POV
+
+**Thought Depth (Balanced):**
+- Inside character heads for emotional moments
+- Narrator observation for context and world-building
+- Mix of "She felt..." and "Aisha watched..." constructions
+- Not pure limited (trapped in one head) nor pure distant
+
+**Narrator Voice:**
+- Warm but not intrusive
+- Occasionally omniscient (knows more than characters)
+- Provides context naturally through observation
+- Doesn't lecture; shows and implies
+
+## Character Voice Principles
+
+### Voice Differentiation
+
+**Aisha (Primary POV):**
+- Observant, curious, determined
+- Young but not naive (trained by master researchers)
+- Grief underlies her observations
+- Notices details her parents taught her to see
+- Internal questions she's afraid to ask aloud
+- Guarded with strangers, warmer with trusted figures
+
+**Maxen (Supporting POV):**
+- Practical, direct, problem-solver
+- Warmth expressed through action not words
+- Business-minded observations
+- Resilience without self-pity
+- Sees echoes of Antonian in Aisha
+
+**Ancient Beings / Apex Figures (Tolkien-style):**
+- Formal speech patterns
+- Mythic resonance in word choice
+- Patient, measured delivery
+- Archaic constructions earned through age
+- Weight behind every word
+
+**Common Folk:**
+- Colloquial, regional flavor
+- Informal contractions
+- Direct, practical concerns
+- Superstition and folklore
+- Less formal education apparent
+
+**Antagonists:**
+- Precise, economical language
+- Threatening through implication
+- No wasted words
+- Power demonstrated, not stated
+- Cold logic or hot passion, rarely mixed
+
+### Dialogue Rules
+
+1. **Tags:** Use "said" as default, action beats preferred
+2. **Subtext:** Characters don't state the obvious
+3. **Interruption:** People talk over each other naturally
+4. **Silence:** Not answering is an answer
+5. **Rhythm:** Vary sentence length for natural flow
+6. **Dialect:** Suggest through word choice, not phonetic spelling
+7. **Exposition:** Never explain what both speakers know
+8. **Conflict:** Even allies have friction
+
+## World-Building in Prose
+
+For detailed world-building guidance, see the **building-worlds** skill. This section covers only how world-building appears in prose.
+
+### The Prose Writer's World-Building Rule
+
+**Show the world through story, not through explanation.**
+
+| Instead Of | Use |
+|------------|-----|
+| Exposition paragraphs | Character discovery |
+| "As you know" dialogue | Conflict-driven revelation |
+| Narrator lectures | Environmental details |
+| Info-dumps | Artifacts and objects |
+
+### Moderate Exposition Principle
+
+For accessible reading:
+- Narrator can provide context characters take for granted
+- Reader shouldn't be confused about basics
+- Mysteries are intentional, not accidental confusion
+- World-building serves story, not puzzle-solving
+
+**For world design, magic systems, cultural logic, and consistency principles, see the `building-worlds` skill.**
+
+## Narrative Time Management
+
+This book spans **4 years** (age 13→17) with strategic time compression. We focus on **pivotal moments**, not daily life.
+
+### Time Skip Philosophy
+
+**Core Principle**: Real life happens between chapters. We skip the mundane to show the meaningful.
+
+| Time Scale | Treatment | Example |
+|------------|-----------|---------|
+| Hours/Days | Scene-by-scene | Crisis, confrontation, key decisions |
+| Weeks | Within-chapter jumps | Training montage, travel |
+| Months | Chapter breaks | Semesters, seasons |
+| Years | Part transitions | Part 1 covers 2 years (age 13→15) |
+
+### Conveying Skipped Time
+
+**Method 1: Narrator Summary**
+```
+The months that followed blurred together in a rhythm of lessons
+and practice. By the time the first snows fell, Aisha could cast
+spells that had taken her parents years to master.
+```
+
+**Method 2: Character Memory/Reflection**
+```
+She remembered that first disastrous attempt at ward-breaking—
+three months ago now, though it felt like yesterday. The burn
+marks on her fingers had long since healed.
+```
+
+**Method 3: Dialogue (Telling Someone)**
+```
+"You've been here a year," Maxen said. "I barely recognize you."
+She smiled. "I barely recognize myself."
+```
+
+**Method 4: Environmental/Physical Markers**
+```
+Her old robes no longer fit. The growth had crept up on her—
+two inches taller since arriving in Nexus, her face losing
+the roundness of childhood.
+```
+
+### What We Skip vs. Show
+
+**SKIP (Summarize or imply):**
+- Routine lessons (unless something goes wrong)
+- Daily meals, sleep, travel logistics
+- Repetitive training (after first demonstration)
+- Administrative/bureaucratic processes
+- Ordinary conversations
+
+**SHOW (Scene by scene):**
+- First time doing something significant
+- Moments of crisis or decision
+- Relationship-defining interactions
+- Discoveries and revelations
+- Emotional turning points
+- Power manifestations
+
+### Episodic Chapter Structure
+
+Each chapter is a **self-contained episode** in the larger story:
+- Chapters can be weeks or months apart
+- Opening establishes time passage naturally
+- Each chapter has complete narrative arc
+- Reader trusts unseen life continues between chapters
+
+**Opening Line Time Markers:**
+```
+"Three weeks later, Aisha stood before the examination board..."
+"By midwinter, the theory lessons had grown more challenging..."
+"The spring term brought changes she hadn't expected..."
+```
+
+## Power Unlock and Emotional Catalysts
+
+### Trauma Unlocks Ability (The Trope)
+
+Aisha's initial power surge stems from **emotional crisis**, not training. This follows the established fantasy pattern: great loss can open pathways to power.
+
+**The Mechanism (In-World):**
+- Magic responds to emotional state
+- Grief and loss create intense focus
+- The crystal amplifies whatever state she's in
+- Crisis strips away mental blocks that limit power
+
+**Her First Surge (Caravan Scene):**
+- Parents just collapsed, grief raw
+- Simple spell (light) she's done countless times
+- Emotional intensity + crystal = explosive result
+- Others attribute it to "grief affecting control" (true, but incomplete)
+
+### Emotional States and Power Expression
+
+| Emotional State | Power Effect | Example Scene |
+|-----------------|--------------|---------------|
+| **Grief** | Uncontrolled amplification | First surge on caravan |
+| **Fear** | Defensive surge | Crisis in Part 4 |
+| **Determination** | Focused precision | Training breakthroughs |
+| **Anger** | Destructive potential | TBD in later books |
+| **Calm** | Controlled, measured | After mastery |
+
+### Writing Emotional Power Scenes
+
+**Build the emotional foundation FIRST:**
+```
+WRONG: She cast the spell and it exploded with power.
+
+RIGHT: The grief hit her like a wave—Mother's empty eyes,
+Father's last words. The spell formed without thought.
+Light blazed. Someone screamed. Maybe her.
+```
+
+**Connect power to emotion, not just plot:**
+- The reader should feel why the power surged
+- Physical sensation accompanies emotional state
+- Crystal warmth/response as physical anchor
+- Eyes turning blue = visible external marker
+
+### The "Explain Away" Pattern
+
+When Aisha's powers manifest unusually, others rationalize:
+- "Grief affecting her control" (true, incomplete)
+- "Natural talent from famous parents" (partially true)
+- "Stress of the journey" (cover story)
+- "Some people are just gifted" (dismissive)
+
+This pattern allows her to hide in plain sight while building dramatic irony—we know the truth, most characters don't.
+
+## Pacing and Structure
+
+### Scene Rhythm
+
+**Fast Pacing (Action):**
+```
+Short sentences. Sharp verbs.
+Minimal description. Movement constant.
+One action per sentence. Build to climax.
+```
+
+**Medium Pacing (Dialogue):**
+```
+Natural back-and-forth. Beats between exchanges.
+Characters move while talking. Subtext underneath.
+Questions and answers. Tension in what's unsaid.
+```
+
+**Slow Pacing (Introspection/Description):**
+```
+Longer sentences with room to breathe. Sensory details
+accumulate gradually. The character observes and reflects.
+Themes emerge through meditation on the concrete. The world
+reveals itself through careful attention to the moment.
+```
+
+### Chapter Structure
+
+Each chapter should have:
+- **Opening Hook** - Immediate engagement (question, conflict, change)
+- **Development** - Escalation or exploration
+- **Turning Point** - Something changes or is revealed
+- **Closing Hook** - Reason to continue reading
+
+### Part/Arc Structure
+
+- **Setup** - Establish situation, introduce tension
+- **Complication** - Obstacles emerge, stakes rise
+- **Crisis** - Point of no return, must act
+- **Climax** - Confrontation and resolution
+- **Denouement** - Consequences settle, new normal
+
+## Prose Generation Workflow
+
+When generating prose using this framework:
+
+1. **Establish POV and Narrator Balance**
+   - Which character's POV for this scene? (Aisha 90%, others 10%)
+   - How deep into their thoughts? (balanced: not trapped, not distant)
+   - Does narrator need to provide context here?
+   - Review character voice template (see CHARACTER-VOICE.md)
+
+2. **Determine Scene Type**
+   - Action, dialogue, introspection, description, or transition?
+   - Select appropriate pacing (see PACING-STRUCTURE.md)
+   - Choose sentence/paragraph rhythm
+   - Target: 3,000-5,000 words per chapter
+
+3. **Apply Style Patterns**
+   - Use prose patterns from PROSE-PATTERNS.md
+   - Follow dialogue rules from DIALOGUE-GUIDE.md
+   - Implement description techniques from DESCRIPTION-TECHNIQUES.md
+   - Prioritize Tolkien richness (70%) with Zelazny pacing (30%)
+
+4. **Check World-Building**
+   - Verify consistency with WORLD-BUILDING-RULES.md
+   - Moderate exposition (reader should understand, not be confused)
+   - Narrator can provide context naturally
+   - Preserve mysteries intentionally
+
+5. **Review Accessibility**
+   - Reading level Grade 10-12
+   - Clear sentence structure
+   - No nested clauses > 2 levels
+   - Vocabulary modern with archaic accents
+   - Violence: YA-appropriate with minor blood/injuries
+
+6. **Polish Narrative Voice**
+   - Does narrator voice stay warm but not intrusive?
+   - Is thought depth balanced? (inside heads for emotion, outside for context)
+   - Does pacing match scene needs?
+   - Are POV shifts clearly marked with scene breaks?
+
+## Quality Checks
+
+Before finalizing any prose section:
+
+- [ ] POV clear and consistent within scene (Aisha primary, others strategic)
+- [ ] Narrator voice warm but not intrusive
+- [ ] Thought depth balanced (interiority + observation)
+- [ ] Reading level appropriate (Grade 10-12 comfortable)
+- [ ] Moderate exposition (accessible, not confusing)
+- [ ] Action scenes economical and visceral (Zelazny pacing)
+- [ ] Description rich but purposeful (Tolkien depth)
+- [ ] Chapter length on target (3,000-5,000 words)
+- [ ] Violence YA-appropriate (minor blood/injuries okay)
+- [ ] No romance content (Book 1)
+- [ ] Paragraph length under 5 sentences
+- [ ] No nested clauses beyond 2 levels
+- [ ] Dialogue differentiated by character voice
+- [ ] Pacing matches scene type and story needs
+- [ ] POV shifts marked with clear scene breaks
+
+## Common Anti-Patterns to Avoid
+
+**Exposition Dumps:**
+```
+BAD: "As you know, the Pattern of Amber grants us the power to
+walk between shadows, which are infinite reflections of the one
+true city, created when Dworkin inscribed the Pattern with the
+blood of the Unicorn, giving our family the ability to..."
+
+GOOD: "The Pattern," she said.
+"You've walked it?"
+"Three times."
+I filed that away. Three times meant something.
+```
+
+**Purple Prose:**
+```
+BAD: The resplendent orb of incandescent solar glory descended
+majestically behind the far-distant, snow-capped peaks of the
+ancient, primordial mountains.
+
+GOOD: The sun set behind the mountains. Snow caught the last
+light and held it, turning the peaks to fire.
+```
+
+**As-You-Know Bob:**
+```
+BAD: "As you know, Father was killed by Benedict in the great
+war that we both fought in together."
+
+GOOD: "Benedict killed him."
+"I was there. I remember."
+```
+
+**Info-Dumping:**
+```
+BAD: Aisha walked through the streets of Nexus, which had been
+founded as the ocean gate to Caldris and served as the primary
+trade hub for the entire Arcane state for centuries...
+
+GOOD: Nexus had grown from a harbor into something more. Aisha
+could see it in the layers—old stone foundations beneath newer
+brick, ancient wards glowing faintly above modern street lamps.
+The city remembered its past even as it reached for the future.
+```
+
+**Passive Voice Without Purpose:**
+```
+BAD: The sword was drawn by Corwin, and the enemy was struck
+down by his blade.
+
+GOOD: Corwin drew. The blade took the enemy in the throat.
+```
+
+## See Also
+
+**Supporting Documentation:**
+- [PROSE-PATTERNS.md](./PROSE-PATTERNS.md) - Narrative techniques from Zelazny and Tolkien
+- [DIALOGUE-GUIDE.md](./DIALOGUE-GUIDE.md) - Character voice in conversation
+- [DESCRIPTION-TECHNIQUES.md](./DESCRIPTION-TECHNIQUES.md) - Sensory details and setting
+- [CHARACTER-VOICE.md](./CHARACTER-VOICE.md) - Voice templates and archetypes
+- [PACING-STRUCTURE.md](./PACING-STRUCTURE.md) - Scene rhythm and arc structure
+- [examples/zelazny-style.md](./examples/zelazny-style.md) - Annotated Zelazny examples
+- [examples/tolkien-style.md](./examples/tolkien-style.md) - Annotated Tolkien examples
+- [examples/blended-accessible.md](./examples/blended-accessible.md) - Target style examples
+
+**Related Skills:**
+- `building-worlds` - World design, magic systems, cultures, consistency (framework-level)
+- `organizing-books` - Book project structure and file organization
+
+---
+
+**Version:** 2.0.0
+**Skill Type:** Project-Specific (Asterra)
+**POV Style:** Third-Person Omniscient
+**Style Balance:** 70% Tolkien / 30% Zelazny
+**Reading Level Target:** Grade 10-12
+**Chapter Length:** 3,000-5,000 words
+**Primary Influences:** J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings), Roger Zelazny (Chronicles of Amber)