Story outlining
When to use
Use for a new opening, an upcoming chapter, a volume plan, or structural revision.
Inputs and assumptions
Read the premise, approved canon, ending intentions, and requested scale. Distinguish a scene plan from a series plan.
Portable workflow
- Establish the central question and the change this unit must cause.
- Choose a suitable structure. Do not force every story into three acts or a hero's journey.
- For each beat, record the viewpoint character's goal, pressure, available information, choice, and consequence.
- Track what the reader expects, when information becomes available, and which promises need later payoffs.
- At chapter and volume boundaries, balance local satisfaction with intentionally open questions.
- Mark uncertain beats and offer alternatives rather than claiming the outline is approved.
- Save the plan at the requested scope following the project workflow.
Safety and side effects
Outline changes can affect later canon. Ask before replacing approved structure; keep existing drafts intact.
Scripts, references, and dependencies
Use format guidance. No scripts or external dependencies.
Verification
A beat should change the situation, knowledge, relationship, or expectation. Check that transitions have causes and major payoffs have setup. Identify any intentional open ending.
Pi adapter
Use /writer outline --brief "Plan the next three chapters without resolving the identity mystery" or /writer new volume "The Winter Campaign".
