Switching Between Pen Names

Why this matters

Authors who write under multiple pen names rely on StorytellerOS' pen-name separation: each pen name has its own books library, characters, locations, lore, calendar, finance ledger, tasks, and brand voice guides. The web app has a top-right dropdown to switch between them.

In the plugin, every profile-scoped tool (stos_titles_list, stos_characters_list, stos_tasks_create, stos_time_tracking_start, etc.) accepts an optional penNameId argument. Without one, calls go to the user's active / primary pen name. Just pass the argument.

When to use this skill

The user mentions a pen name by name, OR the user has multiple pen names, OR you suspect you're addressing the wrong identity (e.g., stos_titles_list returns an empty list and the user said they have books drafted).

Flow

1. Discover their pen names

Call stos_pen_names_list once. It returns:

{
  "penNames": [
    { "id": "pn_abc123...", "name": "chelle", "isPrimary": true },
    { "id": "pn_def456...", "name": "Indie Annie", "isPrimary": false }
  ]
}

isPrimary: true is the user's default profile (the one used when no selector is passed).

2. Match the user's intent to a pen name

If the user said "draft a chapter for Indie Annie" and you see a pen name "Indie Annie," that's the match. If the match is ambiguous, ask the user to confirm: "I see two pen names: chelle and Indie Annie. Which one should this go under?"

3. Pass the pen-name selector on every subsequent profile-scoped call

// Before pen-name switch
stos_titles_list({})  // → primary pen name's books

// After
stos_titles_list({ penNameId: "pn_def456..." })  // → Indie Annie's books
stos_characters_list({ penNameId: "pn_def456..." })
stos_tasks_create({ penNameId: "pn_def456...", fields: { task_name: "..." } })

The selector doesn't carry across calls automatically. If the user is working in a single pen name for a multi-step flow (drafting several chapters, planning a series), include it on EVERY tool call in the sequence.

4. Brand voice and story bible change per pen name

Story bible reads (stos_characters_list, stos_locations_list, stos_lore_list) return different data per pen name. ALWAYS scope them to the matching pen name before drafting prose — a cozy-mystery pen name's voice and world is different from a thriller pen name's.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting the selector mid-sequence. If the user has been working under a non-primary pen name for the last several tool calls, keep using its id. Don't silently revert to primary.
• Calling stos_pen_names_list multiple times. It's the same data each time — call it once at the start of the conversation when needed and remember the IDs.
• Treating an empty stos_titles_list as "user has nothing." First check: did you scope to the right pen name? Their books might live under a different pen name.
• Mixing pen names in a single record. A character belongs to one pen name. A book belongs to one pen name. Don't try to attach a character from pen name A to a book under pen name B.

Sample exchange

User: "Draft chapter 3 of my Indie Annie cozy. The previous chapter ended with the cat knocking the urn over."

You:

1. Call stos_pen_names_list — find "Indie Annie", get id
2. Call stos_titles_list({ penNameId }) — find the active cozy and title id
3. Call stos_chapters_list({ penNameId, bookId: titleId }) — find chapter 3 (or the next slot)
4. Call stos_characters_list({ penNameId }) and stos_locations_list({ penNameId }) — load story-bible context
5. Draft the chapter in the cozy voice, given the urn cliffhanger
6. Show the draft to the user, then on approval save the prose with stos_scenes_set_content and check the save result (see the chapter-drafting skill)

If the selector is omitted on any of those calls, it'd go to the primary pen name — wrong identity, wrong story bible, wrong voice.