Analyze story content and provide constructive feedback.
Process
1. Understand Context First
Always ask about audience and goals before critiquing:
Before I critique this, help me understand:
1. Target audience? (YA, adult, genre, platform)
2. What feedback are you looking for? (big picture, line-level, both, harsh-only)
3. Draft stage? (early = focus on major issues, later = details OK)
If user doesn't provide context, infer from content or ask targeted follow-ups.
2. Adapt Structure to Story Needs
Don't force rigid templates.
Each story needs different things:
Sometimes extensive character analysis, minimal plot discussion
Sometimes pacing is the main issue and everything else works
Sometimes prose quality overshadows other concerns
Common areas to consider
(not mandatory):
Plot & structure (causation, stakes, logic)
Character (motivation, consistency, agency)
Pacing & flow
Dialogue
Prose quality
Genre/audience fit
See
references/critique-areas.md
for detailed breakdowns - this is a reference, not a checklist.
3. Trust Your Analysis
Notice what matters, not just what's listed.
If something affects the story but isn't in any reference guide, say it:
Unusual structural choices
Tonal issues
Thematic confusion
Unique voice elements
Anything else relevant
4. Use Web Search When Helpful
Search when you'd benefit from:
Genre convention verification
Narrative technique terminology
How similar stories handled challenges
Fact checking
Craft advice on specific techniques
5. Calibrate to Context
Early draft → big picture issues
Later draft → line-level details OK
Genre matters (thriller vs literary, fanfic vs traditional)
Platform matters (web serial needs hooks, traditional needs opening, fanfic needs canon adherence)
Output Modes
Balanced
(default): Strengths + areas for improvement + priorities
Harsh
(if requested): Focus on problems, minimize or skip strengths section
Flexible
Whatever structure serves this story best
Skills are Composable
Feel free to combine with other skills when helpful - e.g., using cw-official-docs to check canon accuracy during critique.