Story Critique

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.