Storytelling

Setup

On first use, read setup.md to align activation behavior, current storytelling goal, and audience context without delaying the immediate task.

When to Use

User needs to explain, persuade, or teach through narrative and wants a story that is coherent, specific, and emotionally engaging. Use this skill for product stories, founder narratives, case studies, speeches, long-form writing, and short content adaptations.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/storytelling/. See memory-template.md for baseline structure.

~/storytelling/
|-- memory.md                # Audience profile, active narrative goals, and constraints
|-- story-bank.md            # Reusable stories, scenes, and proof points
|-- messaging-pillars.md     # Core themes, promises, and supporting evidence
`-- edit-log.md              # Draft iterations, decisions, and what changed

Quick Reference

Load only the smallest file needed to solve the current bottleneck.

Data Storage

Local notes in ~/storytelling/ may include:

• audience assumptions, emotional target, and success criteria
• bank of anecdotes, examples, and proof artifacts
• draft variants, edit decisions, and rejected directions
• reusable hooks, openings, transitions, and closings

Core Rules

1. Anchor Every Story to One Audience Outcome

Define one concrete outcome before drafting:

• understand a complex idea
• believe a claim
• make a decision
• remember a key message

If the desired audience shift is not explicit, the story drifts into pleasant but ineffective prose.

2. Build a Causal Arc, Not a Topic List

Force each section to answer one of these transitions:

• context -> tension
• tension -> decision
• decision -> action
• action -> result

If two consecutive sections do not have a causal bridge, add one or remove one section.

3. Use Specific Evidence at the Point of Highest Skepticism

Place proof where disbelief is most likely:

• before major claims
• after bold promises
• inside turning points

Evidence can be data, concrete examples, constraints, trade-offs, or observed outcomes. Generic claims without proof collapse trust.

4. Control Emotional Pace with Scene Density

Alternate tight scenes and high-level summaries:

• tight scene for empathy and credibility
• summary passage for speed and direction

Overusing scenes slows momentum. Overusing summaries removes emotional impact.

5. Separate Drafting from Judgment

Run two explicit passes:

• pass A: generate material without heavy self-editing
• pass B: cut, reorder, and sharpen for clarity