Narrative Nonfiction

Narrative Nonfiction Workshop

Workflow for self-help and prescriptive nonfiction using narrative elements and metaphors to guide reader transformation.

Core concept: Reader is protagonist; book is map and method; transformation is the contract.

Session Continuity

Book projects span weeks or months. Claude has no memory between sessions, so the project's blueprint document is your persistent state.

• At session start: Read book-blueprint.md (or whatever the project calls its blueprint) before doing any other work. Skim recent files in sessions/ for unresolved threads.
• At session end: Write a brief note at sessions/YYYY-MM-DD_topic-slug.md summarizing what was done, decisions made, and the stopping point. Two to five sentences is enough.
• When foundations shift: Update the blueprint immediately when promise, central metaphor, reader-arc stages, or reveal structure change. The blueprint is the source of truth, not a one-time template.
• Surface unresolved questions: At the start of new work, list questions left open from prior sessions and ask the user which to address before continuing.

When to Use

This skill is for:

• ✅ Self-help and prescriptive nonfiction books
• ✅ Memoirs with lessons or transformation arcs
• ✅ Books using extended metaphors or narrative framing
• ✅ Practical guides that include storytelling elements
• ✅ Reader journey design (before state → after state)
• ✅ Structural-argument nonfiction (books that reframe how readers understand a system or category)

When NOT to Use

This skill is NOT for:

• ❌ Pure fiction (novels, short stories) - use fiction-workshop instead
• ❌ Academic writing or research papers - different conventions
• ❌ Straight journalism or reporting - no transformation arc
• ❌ Technical documentation or how-to guides without story elements
• ❌ Business books focused purely on data/case studies without reader journey

Stage 1: Foundation Building

Goal: Establish promise, metaphor system, and transformation arc.

Initial Questions

1. Target reader? (Demographics + psychographics)
2. Transformation promise?
3. Central metaphor/framing?
4. Reader's "before" and "after" states?
5. Book's unique angle?
6. How much outlined vs. drafted?

Core Components

Promise: What reader gains. "This book will help you [transformation] by [method]"

Metaphor: Central metaphor, how it maps to advice, where it helps/misleads

Reader's Journey: Entry point (where they start), pain points, resistance, transformation stages, exit point (who they become)

Twist/Reveal (if applicable): What's revealed, setup needed, how to earn payoff

Use assets/book-blueprint-template.md if needed.

Exit condition: Clear grasp of reader, promise, metaphor, arc.

Stage 2: Chapter Development

Goal: Draft or refine chapters balancing advice, story, and exercises.

Chapter structure: Hook (story/question) → Setup (why this matters) → Content (teaching) → Evidence (stories/research) → Application (exercises) → Bridge (to next)

Writing Modes

Modes are primarily for Stage 2 (Chapter Development) and Stage 3 (Arc Integrity Check); Stage 1 is freeform foundation-building that does not require mode invocation. Switch between these as needed:

Load only the reference file matching the currently invoked mode. Do not preload all references at session start—it wastes context budget. If switching modes mid-session, load the new reference file and treat the prior one as out-of-scope unless the work explicitly bridges both.

For Reveal Engineer specifically: reveal-engineering.md is an index across four reveal patterns (permission-reframe, empirical, structural, conceptual). Read its "Choosing a Reveal Pattern" section first, identify which pattern fits the project, then load only that pattern's reference file. Don't preload all four.

See references/ for detailed guidance on each mode.

Creation Workflow

1. Purpose Check: Key takeaway? Where in arc? What must reader believe before next chapter?

1. Outline Beats: Hook options, teaching points (2-4), stories/examples, exercises, bridge

1. Draft: Write chapter. Use "write like you talk" voice.

1. Layer Metaphor: Present but not forced.

1. Add Exercises: Use references/exercise-design.md

1. Polish: Check voice, pacing, reader energy

Editing Workflow

1. Read as Target Reader: Engaged? Understand? Believe I can do this? Overwhelmed or ready?

1. Diagnose: Confusion → clarify | Boredom → add story | Resistance → address objections | Overwhelm → simplify

1. Invoke Mode: Load relevant reference file

1. Implement: Use str_replace

Stage 3: Arc Integrity Check

Goal: Verify book works as complete transformation journey.

Read full outline/manuscript for:

1. Promise Delivery: Book delivers promise? Transformation clear and achievable?
2. Pacing: Change speed appropriate? Integration plateaus? Energy builds?
3. Metaphor: Maintained throughout? Breaks or contradicts? Still serves at end?
4. Reveal (if applicable): Twist earned? Seeds planted? Reframe lands emotionally?
5. Exercise Progression: Build on each other? Difficulty matches stage? Variety?

Common Issues

Self-Check: Is This Working?

Use these checkpoints to verify you're following the workflow correctly.

After Foundation Building:

• [ ] Can you state the book's promise in one sentence?
• [ ] Can you describe the reader's "before" and "after" states clearly?
• [ ] Do you understand the central metaphor and how it maps to the advice?
• [ ] Can you outline the transformation arc stages without looking at notes?

After drafting a chapter:

• [ ] Does the chapter have all six elements: hook, setup, content, evidence, application, bridge?
• [ ] Is the metaphor present but not forced?
• [ ] Is the voice consistent with previous chapters?
• [ ] Would the target reader understand and believe they can apply this?

After designing an exercise:

• [ ] Does the exercise difficulty match where the reader is in their journey?
• [ ] Can the reader complete it with the knowledge they have so far?
• [ ] Is it specific enough to be actionable (not "improve your productivity" but "track your time for three days")?
• [ ] Does it build on previous exercises?

After invoking a mode:

• [ ] Did you explicitly request "Voice Editor" or "Metaphor Consultant" or specific mode?
• [ ] Is the feedback focused on that mode's domain?
• [ ] Did you avoid mixing concerns (voice + content + exercises all at once)?

Before claiming "done":

• [ ] Does the full arc deliver on the promise made in chapter 1?
• [ ] Is the metaphor consistent throughout (or intentionally evolved)?
• [ ] Do exercises progress logically from simple to complex?
• [ ] If there's a reveal/twist, are seeds planted in earlier chapters?

If you answered "no" to any checkpoint, return to that stage before proceeding.

Stopping Points