claude_skills/manuscript-analysis/SKILL.md

name, description

name	description
manuscript-analysis	Use when analyzing manuscript chapters for repeated phrases, continuity errors, and story craft quality. Invoke with book number and chapter range, e.g. /manuscript-analysis 1 1-5

Manuscript Analysis

Multi-agent pipeline for analyzing manuscript chapters. Invoke with book number and chapter range: /manuscript-analysis 1 1-5

On Invoke

Parse args: first arg = book number (BOOK), second arg = chapter range (XX-YY). If missing, ask the user.

Set XX = start chapter (zero-padded), YY = end chapter (zero-padded).

Validate

1. For each chapter in range, verify chapters/book{BOOK}/ch{NN}-final.md exists
2. If any are missing, report which and stop
3. Create notes/analysis/ directory if it doesn't exist

File Naming

All output files use: notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-{type}-ch{XX}-{YY}.md

Where {XX} and {YY} are zero-padded to 2 digits (e.g., ch01-05, ch16-21).

---

Phase 1: Phrase Analysis

Run two agents sequentially (1B depends on 1A's output).

Agent 1A — Phrase Indexer

Dispatch via Agent tool with subagent_type: "general-purpose":

prompt: |
  You are a phrase indexer for a manuscript analysis pipeline. Your job is to find repeated phrases across chapter files.

  **Target chapters:** Read these files fully:
  {list each chapters/book{BOOK}/ch{NN}-final.md in the range XX to YY}

  **Task:**
  1. Read all target chapter files
  2. Extract candidate phrases: multi-word expressions (2-4 words) that appear 3 or more times within the target range. Also flag distinctive single words used excessively (adverbs, specific adjectives — not common words like "the", "was", "had", "said").
  3. For EACH candidate phrase, use the Grep tool to count occurrences across ALL chapter files in chapters/book{BOOK}/ (not just the target range). Use: Grep with pattern="{phrase}" path="chapters/book{BOOK}/" output_mode="count"
  4. Record results in a markdown table with columns: Phrase | Count in Ch {XX}-{YY} | Count in Full Book | Chapters Found In
  5. Sort by full-book count descending
  6. Write the complete index to: notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-phrase-index-ch{XX}-{YY}.md

  **Important:**
  - Use Grep for counting — do NOT try to load all chapters into context
  - Include both the target-range count and the full-book count
  - Skip extremely common phrases ("he said", "I was", "it was") — focus on distinctive repeated expressions
  - Include a header noting the date, book number, and chapter range analyzed

  Do NOT use the Agent tool. Do all work directly. Write only research output, no code.

Agent 1B — Phrase Analyst

After Agent 1A completes, dispatch:

prompt: |
  You are a literary editor analyzing a fantasy manuscript for phrase repetition patterns.

  **Read these files:**
  - Target chapters: {list each chapters/book{BOOK}/ch{NN}-final.md in the range XX to YY}
  - Phrase index: notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-phrase-index-ch{XX}-{YY}.md (from prior analysis)
  - Voice guidelines: CLAUDE.md (sections 5 and 11 — Phelan's voice and style guide)

  **Task:**
  1. Read the target chapters with a literary editor's eye
  2. Using the phrase index as a starting point, analyze:
     - **Structural repetition**: Repeated sentence structures, paragraph openings, or narrative beats (not just repeated words)
     - **Crutch phrases**: Transitions, beats, or narration patterns that appear to be authorial habit rather than character voice
     - **Overused transitions**: Words/phrases used to connect scenes or ideas that have become repetitive
  3. Distinguish between:
     - **Intentional voice patterns**: Phelan's established mannerisms per CLAUDE.md (dry observations, ADD tangents, precise cataloguing) — these are FEATURES, not bugs
     - **Authorial habits**: Repetition that doesn't serve the voice or narrative
     - **Intentional callbacks**: Phrases repeated deliberately for thematic or narrative effect
  4. For each finding, provide: the phrase/pattern, example quotes with chapter references, frequency assessment, and whether it's voice vs. habit
  5. Write the complete analysis to: notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-phrase-analysis-ch{XX}-{YY}.md

  **Format the output as:**
  - Header with date, book, chapter range
  - Section 1: Crutch Phrases & Overused Expressions (highest priority)
  - Section 2: Structural Repetition Patterns
  - Section 3: Overused Transitions
  - Section 4: Intentional Voice Patterns (noted but not flagged as problems)
  - Section 5: Effective Callbacks & Deliberate Repetition

  Do NOT use the Agent tool. Do all work directly. Write only research output, no code.

---

Phase 2: Continuity Check

Determine agent count: if (YY - XX + 1) > 7, split into two agents (2A handles first half of range, 2B handles second half). Otherwise, use one agent.

Agent 2A — Continuity Checker

Dispatch via Agent tool with subagent_type: "general-purpose":

prompt: |
  You are a continuity editor for a fantasy manuscript. Your job is to find inconsistencies, timeline errors, and contradictions.

  **Read these files:**
  - Target chapters: {list each chapters/book{BOOK}/ch{NN}-final.md in the assigned range}
  - Story summary: world/story-summary-book{BOOK}.md
  - Timeline: world/timeline-book{BOOK}.md
  - Exploits log: world/magic/exploits-log.md
  - Magic rules: world/magic/runic-flow-rules.md
  - Economy: world/economy.md
  - All files in characters/ (use Glob to find them, then read relevant ones)
  - All files in world/locations/ (use Glob to find them, then read relevant ones)

  **Check for:**
  1. **Timeline consistency**: Do bell references, day-of-week mentions, and elapsed time match the timeline file? Flag any mismatches with specific quotes.
  2. **Character consistency**: Are names spelled consistently? Do characters know things they shouldn't (or forget things they should know)? Do physical descriptions match character files?
  3. **World-building facts**: Do currency amounts match economy.md? Do location descriptions match location files? Does magic usage follow runic-flow rules?
  4. **Plot threads**: Are threads from earlier chapters (per story summary) picked up appropriately? Are there dangling threads that seem forgotten?
  5. **Internal contradictions**: Do facts within the target range contradict each other? (e.g., a character described as tall in ch3 and short in ch5)

  **For each finding, provide:**
  - Category (Timeline / Character / World / Plot Thread / Internal)
  - Severity (Critical = plot hole or major contradiction, Important = notable inconsistency, Minor = nitpick)
  - The specific text with chapter and approximate location
  - What it contradicts (with reference to the source file)
  - Suggested resolution

  **Write the complete report to:** notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-continuity-ch{XX}-{YY}.md

  **Format:**
  - Header with date, book, chapter range
  - Summary of findings by severity
  - Detailed findings grouped by category
  - Each finding numbered for easy reference

  Do NOT use the Agent tool. Do all work directly. Write only research output, no code.

If the range was split, Agent 2B gets an identical prompt but with its half of the chapter range. After both complete, the orchestrator merges their outputs into a single book{BOOK}-continuity-ch{XX}-{YY}.md file.

---

Phase 3: Story Craft

Agent 3A — Story Craft Analyst

Dispatch via Agent tool with subagent_type: "general-purpose":

prompt: |
  You are a developmental editor analyzing a fantasy manuscript for story craft quality.

  **Read these files:**
  - Target chapters: {list each chapters/book{BOOK}/ch{NN}-final.md in the range XX to YY}
  - Story summary: world/story-summary-book{BOOK}.md
  - Book outline: outline/book{BOOK}-outline.md
  - Master instructions: CLAUDE.md (full file — contains voice guide, style rules, character bible)
  - Book-specific instructions: chapters/book{BOOK}/CLAUDE.md

  **Analyze the following 8 categories:**

  1. **Premise & Conflict**: Is the central conflict clear and advancing across these chapters? Are stakes escalating appropriately? Does each chapter have its own mini-conflict that serves the larger arc?

  2. **Character Arcs**: Is Phelan's growth visible (even if incremental)? Are supporting cast members serving their narrative functions as defined in CLAUDE.md? Are character motivations clear and consistent?

  3. **Foreshadowing**: Are seeds being planted for future payoffs? Are setups subtle enough to avoid telegraphing? Are earlier setups (from story summary) being paid off in these chapters?

  4. **POV Consistency**: Does every paragraph sound like Phelan? Are there slips into omniscient narration? Does Phelan observe/deduce information rather than magically knowing it?

  5. **Pacing**: How are action/investigation/quiet beats distributed? Are there stretches that drag or rush? Does chapter length vary appropriately with content?

  6. **World-Building Integration**: Is world detail woven into action and observation, or dumped as exposition? Does the world feel lived-in?

  7. **The Noise Convention**: Are parenthetical tangents (*like this*) at the right frequency (4-6 per chapter establishing, 3-5 ongoing)? Are they doing narrative work (revealing character, advancing plot, providing humor) rather than just being decorative?

  8. **What's Working Well**: Specific callouts of strong passages, effective techniques, great character moments, and well-executed craft. Be specific with quotes.

  **For each category, provide:**
  - Overall assessment for the chapter range
  - Specific examples with chapter references and quotes
  - Suggestions where applicable

  **Write the complete analysis to:** notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-storycraft-ch{XX}-{YY}.md

  **Format:**
  - Header with date, book, chapter range
  - Executive summary (2-3 sentences)
  - One section per analysis category (numbered 1-8)
  - Each section: assessment, examples, suggestions

  Do NOT use the Agent tool. Do all work directly. Write only research output, no code.

---

Phase 4: Aggregation

The orchestrator (you, the main session) performs this phase directly. Do NOT dispatch a subagent.

1. Read all intermediate reports:

   • notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-phrase-index-ch{XX}-{YY}.md
   • notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-phrase-analysis-ch{XX}-{YY}.md
   • notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-continuity-ch{XX}-{YY}.md
   • notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-storycraft-ch{XX}-{YY}.md

2. Write a consolidated report to notes/analysis/book{BOOK}-analysis-ch{XX}-{YY}.md with:

   Format:

   # Manuscript Analysis: Book {BOOK}, Chapters {XX}–{YY}
   **Date:** {today}
   **Chapters analyzed:** {count}
   **Analysis phases:** Phrase Analysis, Continuity, Story Craft
   
   ## Summary
   - Critical issues: {count}
   - Important issues: {count}
   - Suggestions: {count}
   
   ## Critical Issues
   {items from all reports rated Critical — plot holes, major continuity breaks, significant voice failures}
   
   ## Important Issues
   {items rated Important — repeated phrases needing attention, notable inconsistencies, craft improvements}
   
   ## Suggestions
   {lower-priority items — minor repetition, style polish, optional improvements}
   
   ## What's Working Well
   {positive findings from story craft report}
   
   ## Detailed Reports
   See individual analysis files for full details:
   - Phrase index: book{BOOK}-phrase-index-ch{XX}-{YY}.md
   - Phrase analysis: book{BOOK}-phrase-analysis-ch{XX}-{YY}.md
   - Continuity: book{BOOK}-continuity-ch{XX}-{YY}.md
   - Story craft: book{BOOK}-storycraft-ch{XX}-{YY}.md
   

3. Deduplicate: if multiple agents flagged the same issue, consolidate into one entry and note which analyses found it.

4. Present a brief summary to the user with the consolidated report path and top findings.