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.