Style Skill Creator

Create style skills that teach Claude your writing style.

Critical: Audience is AI

This creates AI instructions (for Claude to read), NOT human documentation (for authors to read).

Step 1: Ask About Format

Always ask first:

Would you like me to create:

1. Simple markdown file (.md)
   - Quick, lightweight
   - Single file with style instructions
   
2. Full skill package (.skill)
   - Properly structured and validated
   - Can include reference files with examples
   - Better for complex styles

Which format would you prefer?

Simple Markdown Format

---
description: [What this style covers]
alwaysApply: false
---

# [Style Name]

[Brief intro]

## [Category]

[Directive instructions with examples]

Location: .cursor/rules/styles/[name].md or user-specified

Full Skill Package Format

Initialize

python /mnt/skills/examples/skill-creator/scripts/init_skill.py [skill-name] --path [output-dir]

Creates directory structure with SKILL.md, references/, scripts/, assets/

Customize

SKILL.md structure:

---
name: [skill-name]
description: Style skill for [specific writing type]
---

# [Style Name]

## Purpose
Teaches Claude to write [X] in the author's style.

## [Style Instructions]
[Directive instructions organized by category]

Add reference files if helpful:

• references/examples.md - Good/bad examples
• references/patterns.md - Detailed pattern library

Delete unused directories (scripts/, assets/ if not needed)

Package

python /mnt/skills/examples/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py [path-to-skill] [output-dir]

Creates validated .skill file ready to distribute.

Writing Style: Directive and Technical

Use imperative/command form:

✅ "Use short sentences during action"
✅ "Avoid dialogue tags"
✅ "Show emotion through action"
❌ "The author tends to use short sentences" (that's analysis, not instruction)

Always include examples:

**Emotional beats:**
- Use action instead of emotional labels
- Example: "Her hands trembled" not "She felt nervous"

Pattern + Example format:

**[Pattern name]:**
- [Instruction about the pattern]
- Example: [Concrete example]
- Avoid: [What NOT to do]

Common Style Skill Types

Master Prose: Overall writing voice, sentence structure, tone
Dialogue: Tag usage, action beats, subtext, character voice
Action: Sentence length, detail level, pacing
Description: Sensory detail, metaphors, level of detail
Character Voice: Per-character speech patterns and vocabulary
Formatting: Em dashes, ellipsis, scene breaks, thought formatting

Creation Process

1. Gather Input

From user description:

• "Describe your style to me"
• "What patterns should this cover?"

From existing prose:

• "Can I read some chapters to identify patterns?"
• Read 2-3 chapters if provided

2. Ask About Format

Simple .md or full .skill package?

3A. Simple Path

• Create markdown with sections
• Add directive instructions + examples
• Save to .cursor/rules/styles/ or specified location

3B. Full Skill Path

1. Run init_skill.py
2. Edit SKILL.md with style instructions
3. Add reference files if helpful
4. Delete unused directories
5. Run package_skill.py
6. Provide download link

Examples

Dialogue Style (Simple .md)

---
description: Dialogue writing conventions
alwaysApply: false
---

# Dialogue Style

## Dialogue Tags

**Minimize "said":**
- Use action beats instead
- Example: She crossed her arms. "Fine."
- When using tags, prefer "said" to fancy verbs

## Interruptions

**Use em dashes:**
- For interrupted speech: "I thought we could—"
- Example: "Wait, I—" He grabbed her arm.

## Subtext

**Characters avoid directness:**
- Show tension through what's NOT said
- Example: "That's nice." (flat, clearly upset)
- Avoid: "I'm angry!" (too direct)

Character Voice

---
name: character-amber-voice
description: Amber's voice and speech patterns
---

# Character Voice: Amber

## Speech Patterns

**Careful word choice:**
- Adult consciousness = measured speech
- Avoids contractions when stressed
- Example: "I do not want to go" not "I don't wanna go"

**Politeness as defense:**
- Overly formal when uncomfortable
- Uses "please" and "thank you" excessively

## Internal Monologue

**Analytical:**
- Observes and categorizes
- Example: "Dr. Fuji's hands trembled—stress response, possibly guilt."

Integration

The workflow:

1. User writes chapters naturally
2. This skill converts patterns into style skills
3. cw-prose-writing loads and follows those skills
4. Result: Consistent AI-written prose in user's style