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Agent skill

Story Ideator

by ThomasHoussin in ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book

Generate original storylines from any universe bible without plagiarizing source material.

MITAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install Story Ideator

skills CLI
$ npx skills add ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book --skill story-ideator -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book story-ideator --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.claude/skills/story-ideator .claude/skills/story-ideator && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
story-ideator
GitHub stars
121
Token cost
~1.6k tokens
SKILL.md length
642 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
4
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Generate original storylines from any universe bible without plagiarizing source material.

  • Works in 6 steps: Load Universe Context → Brainstorm via Collision Techniques → Seed Selection & Development → …
  • Creating new adventures using established characters
  • SKILL.md covers Core Principle: Originality…, Input Requirements, Ideation Workflow and Output Language, plus 2 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Story Ideator is an agent skill from ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book. Generate original storylines from any universe bible without plagiarizing source material. Use when creating new adventures using established characters, locations, and style. Triggers on "invent a story", "create a new adventure", "generate synopsis", "brainstorm plot".

Its SKILL.md is about 1.6k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/ideation-techniques.md`).

It sits in Agent Workflows, covering Brainstorming. The repository describes itself as: A Multi-Agent Framework for Writing Novels with Claude Code. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Creating new adventures using established characters
  • Create a new adventure
  • Generate synopsis
  • Brainstorm plot

Example prompts

  • “invent a story”
  • “create a new adventure”
  • “generate synopsis”
  • “/story-ideator”

Workflow steps

6 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Load Universe Context
  2. Brainstorm via Collision Techniques
  3. Seed Selection & Development
  4. Anti-Plagiarism Check
  5. Synopsis Generation
  6. Chapter Plan

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 3fdebbb. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Story Ideator loads about 1.6k tokens when it runs, and up to ~3.4k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 71 tokens; SKILL.md has 642 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~71
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.6k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~3.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book at commit 3fdebbb, republished under its MIT licence (© ThomasHoussin). 642 words, ~1,630 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/story-ideator/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
story-ideator
description
Generate original storylines from any universe bible without plagiarizing source material. Use when creating new adventures using established characters, locations, and style. Triggers on "invent a story", "create a new adventure", "generate synopsis", "brainstorm plot".

Story Ideator Skill

Generate original storylines using an established universe bible. The goal is authentic stories that feel like they belong in the universe while being completely new.

Core Principle: Originality Over Imitation

NEVER:

  • Reuse plot structures from analyzed source books
  • Copy specific scenes, events, or mysteries
  • Recreate villain archetypes with minor changes
  • Mirror chapter-by-chapter progression patterns

ALWAYS:

  • Use only ELEMENTS (characters, locations, tone) from bible
  • Generate plots through COMBINATORIAL techniques
  • Verify originality against known source plots
  • Create NEW mysteries, conflicts, and resolutions

Input Requirements

Before ideation, verify these files exist:

  • bible/style.md - Writing constraints
  • bible/structure.md - Narrative arc patterns
  • bible/characters/*.md - Character profiles
  • bible/universe/*.md - Location files

If analysis/output/*/structure.md files exist, load them for anti-plagiarism checks.

Ideation Workflow

Phase 1: Load Universe Context

Read and extract from bible:

  1. Characters: List all from bible/characters/, extract:

    • Name, core traits, usual role in stories
    • Relationships between characters
    • Capabilities and limitations

  2. Locations: List all from bible/universe/, extract:

    • Name, atmosphere, typical story function
    • Connections between locations

  3. Structure constraints: From bible/structure.md:

    • Expected chapter count/length
    • Arc patterns, pacing expectations
    • Genre-specific mechanics (mystery, adventure, etc.)

  4. Style constraints: From bible/style.md:

    • Tone, vocabulary, forbidden elements
    • POV, tense, target audience

Output: Brief synthesis in .work/universe-context.md

Phase 2: Brainstorm via Collision Techniques

Generate 10-15 story seeds using these methods. Apply them to the SPECIFIC characters and locations found in Phase 1:

A. What-If Inversion Take a character's usual role and invert it:

  • "What if [leader character] had to follow instead of lead?"
  • "What if [protector character] needed protection?"
  • "What if [cautious character] had to take the biggest risk?"

B. Location Collision Combine two locations in unexpected ways:

  • "[Safe location] becomes dangerous"
  • "[Adventure location] becomes refuge"
  • "Mystery connects [location A] to [location B] unexpectedly"

C. External Pressure Introduce constraints the series hasn't explored:

  • Time pressure (deadline creates urgency)
  • Resource constraint (usual support unavailable)
  • Information asymmetry (one character knows what others don't)

D. Relationship Stress Test Create conflict BETWEEN protagonists:

  • Disagreement on moral choice
  • Competing loyalties
  • Temporary separation forcing independent action

E. Genre Blend Mix the series formula with adjacent elements:

  • Add ecological/environmental stakes
  • Add moral dilemma without clear villain
  • Add rescue mission to mystery
  • Add discovery that changes understanding of universe

Output: Numbered list of seeds in .work/story-seeds.md

Show full SKILL.md (276 more words)Show less
Phase 3: Seed Selection & Development

Present seeds to user. For selected seed:

  1. Expand to Logline (1-2 sentences)

    • WHO wants WHAT but OBSTACLE leads to STAKES

  2. Define MICE Type (Orson Scott Card)

    • Milieu: Story about exploring a place (ends when they leave/return)
    • Idea: Story about answering a question (ends when answered)
    • Character: Story about transformation (ends when character changes)
    • Event: Story about restoring order (ends when resolved)

  3. Map to Structure Template Use patterns from bible/structure.md:

    • Opening hook
    • Discovery/catalyst
    • Investigation/adventure
    • False victory/setback
    • Climax
    • Resolution

Output: Expanded seed in .work/selected-seed.md

Phase 4: Anti-Plagiarism Check

If analysis/output/*/structure.md files exist, compare generated plot:

Extract from each source structure.md:

  • Mystery/conflict type
  • Antagonist archetype
  • Discovery method (how protagonists learn about problem)
  • Resolution pattern (how it's solved)
  • Key location usage

Compare to generated plot:

ElementGeneratedSource 1Source 2...
Conflict type
Antagonist
Discovery
Resolution
Location role

Scoring:

  • 0-1 matches with any single source: ✅ Proceed
  • 2-3 matches with any single source: ⚠️ Modify overlapping elements
  • 4+ matches with any single source: ❌ Return to Phase 2, select different seed

Output: Comparison table in .work/plagiarism-check.md

Phase 5: Synopsis Generation

Write synopsis following structure:

markdown
# [Title]

## Logline
[1-2 sentences]

## Setup
[Initial situation, what triggers the adventure]

## Conflict
[Main obstacle, antagonist forces, stakes]

## Complications
[2-3 escalating problems]

## Climax
[Confrontation, how protagonists solve it]

## Resolution
[New equilibrium, character growth]

## Themes
[What the story explores beyond plot]

Output: story/synopsis.md

Phase 6: Chapter Plan

Create detailed chapter plan matching structure from bible/structure.md:

markdown
# Chapter Plan

## Chapter 1: [Title]
**Function**: [Setup/Catalyst/Development/Climax/Resolution]
**Location**: [From bible/universe/]
**POV focus**: [Which character(s)]
**Events**:
- [Beat 1]
- [Beat 2]
- [Beat 3]
**Ends with**: [Hook for next chapter]

[Repeat for all chapters per bible/structure.md chapter count]

Output: story/plan.md

Output Language

Match language of bible/style.md. Internal thinking/checks can be in English.

Interaction Style

  • Present options, don't decide alone
  • After each phase, ask for validation before proceeding
  • If user has specific ideas, integrate them as constraints
  • Explain reasoning for anti-plagiarism flags

Quick Commands

User can trigger abbreviated flow:

  • Ideate: [constraint] → Skip to Phase 2 with constraint
  • Develop seed N → Take seed N directly to Phase 3
  • Check plot: [description] → Run only Phase 4 on description

© ThomasHoussin, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in .claude/skills/story-ideator of ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/ideation-techniques.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 3fdebbb

Compare with similar skills

Story Ideator next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Story Ideator compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Story Ideator this skillThomasHoussin/Claude-Book121—~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Verbalized Samplinggnurio/nurijanian-skills124—~2kAutomated safety check: WarnMIT
Creative Thinking For ResearchOrchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs13k2 repos~5.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Light Idea CritiqueLight0305/Light-skills640—~4.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Idea Generation And Ideationsocial-media-skills/skills134—~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Divergebrycewang-stanford/Auto-Empirical-Research-Skills4.6k—~861Automated safety check: NotesCustom licence

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Categories

Questions about Story Ideator

What does Story Ideator do?

Generate original storylines from any universe bible without plagiarizing source material. Story Ideator is an agent skill from ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book. Generate original storylines from any universe bible without plagiarizing source material.

When should I use Story Ideator?

Story Ideator fits situations like: creating new adventures using established characters; create a new adventure; generate synopsis; brainstorm plot.

How do I install Story Ideator in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book --skill story-ideator -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/story-ideator in ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book) into .claude/skills/story-ideator in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Story Ideator in Codex?

Run `npx skills add ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book --skill story-ideator -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.claude/skills/story-ideator in ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book) into .agents/skills/story-ideator in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Story Ideator in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book --skill story-ideator -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/story-ideator, .gemini/skills/story-ideator, .github/skills/story-ideator and .opencode/skills/story-ideator in your project.

What does Story Ideator need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Story Ideator is instructions for the agent only.

Does Story Ideator access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Story Ideator safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Story Ideator use?

Story Ideator is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Story Ideator use?

About 1.6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.5k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 1.8k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Story Ideator?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Story Ideator: Verbalized Sampling (gnurio/nurijanian-skills, 124 stars), Creative Thinking For Research (Orchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs, 13k stars), Light Idea Critique (Light0305/Light-skills, 640 stars) and Idea Generation And Ideation (social-media-skills/skills, 134 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Story Ideator?

ThomasHoussin (a GitHub user) maintains it in ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book, which has 121 GitHub stars. The repository holds 4 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on January 22, 2026.

Source: ThomasHoussin/Claude-Book on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.