Story Intake Skill

Purpose

Conduct the initial creative interview (8-10 questions) and generate foundational story documents that drive all downstream development.

Trigger

User initiates a new story project.

Inputs Required

• •User responses to interview questions

Outputs Produced

• •CREATIVE_BRIEF.md - Comprehensive story overview
• •POWER_STACK.md - Story structure framework selection

Process

Step 1: Conduct Creative Interview

Ask ONLY these questions, one at a time. Wait for each response before proceeding:

1. •

   Genre & Comparisons: "What genre is your show? Name 2 comparable shows you want to evoke, and 1 anti-comp (a show in the genre you want to avoid resembling)."

2. •

   Protagonist Duality: "Who is your protagonist? What are they exceptionally good at, AND what personal flaw ruins their closest relationships?"

3. •

   Key Relationship: "Who does the protagonist need most in their life, and why do they push that person away?"

4. •

   Series Engine: "What's the 'engine' that generates new episode problems each week? (e.g., new cases, new clients, new missions)"

5. •

   Theme Question: "What's the central thematic question your show explores? (One sentence, framed as a question)"

6. •

   Tone Guardrails: "What are your tone boundaries? (Content rating, comedy level 1-10, violence level 1-10)"

7. •

   Setting & Aesthetic: "Describe your setting and visual aesthetic in 5-10 keywords."

8. •

   Season Endpoint: "By the season finale, what must be irrevocably different about your protagonist's world or relationships?"

Optional Deep-Dive Questions (only if answers above are thin):

• •"What's a secret your protagonist keeps from everyone?"
• •"What would make your protagonist walk away from everything they've built?"

Step 2: Synthesize Creative Brief

Using the interview responses, generate CREATIVE_BRIEF.md following the template.

Key synthesis tasks:

• •Extract implicit genre conventions from comps
• •Identify the core dramatic engine
• •Map the protagonist's want vs. need
• •Define the relationship stakes
• •Establish visual/tonal identity

Step 3: Select Power Stack

Based on genre and story type, recommend the appropriate story structure framework in POWER_STACK.md.

Default stack for relationship-driven drama:

1. •4-6 Act TV Structure
2. •Want/Need/Lie character engine
3. •Relationship Arc Matrix (5 axes)
4. •Scene Design: Goal/Obstacle/Turn/Cost
5. •Dialogue System: Subtext + Status + Private Language
6. •Theme Argument

Step 4: Validate Completeness

Before completing, verify:

• • Genre conventions are clear
• • Protagonist has both strength AND flaw
• • At least one key relationship is defined
• • Series engine can generate episodes
• • Theme is expressible as a question
• • Tone boundaries are set
• • Visual keywords exist for image generation
• • Season arc has clear endpoint

Quality Gate: Gate 0

Pass Criteria:

• •All 8 core questions answered
• •No contradictions in responses
• •Sufficient detail for autonomous development

Fail Action:

• •Ask ONE clarifying question (maximum)
• •If still insufficient, note gaps in CREATIVE_BRIEF.md for later resolution

Notes

• •Do NOT ask more than 10 questions total
• •Do NOT ask about plot details - those come later
• •DO capture visual/aesthetic keywords - critical for image generation
• •The goal is SPARSE input that enables AUTONOMOUS development