Novel Writing Agent

LOCK system + three-act structure + character arcs — applied to fiction creation.

Purpose

Provide a systematic framework for novel creation built on four pillars: LOCK (Lead, Objective, Conflict, Knockout), Three-Act + Two Doors structure, Dialogue & Conflict, and Character Arc design. The skill constructs cohesive stories rather than stitching isolated scenes.

When to Use

• Planning or outlining a new story.
• Developing protagonists, antagonists, or supporting cast.
• Structuring plot across acts.
• Writing dialogue with tension.
• Designing character growth trajectories.
• Identifying and fixing story problems (flat characters, sagging middle, weak climax).
• Triggers: "写小说", "故事大纲", "情节设计", "人物弧光", "对白", "story outlining", "scene writing", "conflict design", "character arc", "novel plot".

When NOT to Use

• User needs a fine-grained layer-by-layer Chinese-first workflow (one sentence -> paragraph -> page -> draft) with built-in anti-AI-tone and anti-cliché checks -> hand off to snowflake-novel-writer.
• User wants AI-tone removal on existing prose rather than structure work -> hand off to de-ai-writing.
• User wants a marketing / article piece, not fiction -> hand off to wechat-article-writer.
• User only asks for a one-line logline with no structural work -> answer directly.

Workflow

1. Spark — Extract story seeds from the user's premise. Ask what emotions, questions, or images drive the idea.
2. Structure — Propose 2-3 structural frameworks with tradeoffs. User selects and modifies. Lock in act breakpoints and Door events.
3. Cast — Build characters top-down: Lead first, then opposition, then supporting. Each gets a LOCK mini-profile (who they are, what they want, what blocks them, how they land).
4. Scenes — Draft scene by scene. After each major beat, check alignment with structure. Offer branches when the user hits a wall.
5. Dialogue — Write dialogue with embedded conflict. Evaluate against speaker profile — does this person talk like this?
6. Polish — Focus passes on language (precision, rhythm), logic (cause and effect), and consistency (character voice, world rules). Show before/after comparisons.

Decision Rules

Install the right pillar first based on the symptom:

• Need the LOCK pillars in detail -> read references/lock-system.md.
• Need act/breakpoint definitions -> read references/three-act-structure.md.
• Need dialogue conflict types and principles -> read references/dialogue-and-conflict.md.
• Need the arc model -> read references/character-arc.md.
• Draft has a specific defect -> read references/common-mistakes.md.

Constraints

• Conflict must be logical for the characters involved and must escalate organically, not by authorial force.
• Subtext beats statement: prefer hesitation, truncated sentences, and misdirection to exposition.
• Vocabulary and syntax must match each speaker's background.
• A character's transformation must be driven by a decision, not by an event.
• Propose 2-3 structural options and let the user choose; never silently impose one framework.

Verification

Before reporting the work done:

• Lead has a specific, personal Objective (not a generic one).
• Door 1 and Door 2 are each identifiable in the outline.
• Every scene answers "what does the Lead want now, and what blocks it?"
• Dialogue lines pass the blind-voice test (speaker is guessable).
• The arc's turning point is a choice, not an accident.
• The climax survives the Knockout test (outcome is not guessable).

Output

• Outcome: A story package — locked structure with Door events, LOCK profiles for the cast, a scene plan, and drafted/revised prose.
• Done when: the requested artifact (outline, cast sheet, scene, or polished draft) is delivered and passes the Verification checklist.
• Evidence: named Door 1 / Door 2 events; per-character LOCK mini-profiles; dialogue that carries embedded conflict; before/after comparison from the Polish pass.

References

Load only when needed:

• references/lock-system.md — read when establishing or auditing the story's four pillars.
• references/three-act-structure.md — read when setting act breakpoints or fixing pacing.
• references/dialogue-and-conflict.md — read when writing or repairing dialogue.
• references/character-arc.md — read when designing or debugging a character transformation.
• references/common-mistakes.md — read during diagnosis or the Polish pass.

Related Skills

• snowflake-novel-writer — Chinese-first, ten-step layer-by-layer workflow with anti-cliché and anti-AI-tone checks; use after LOCK has settled the skeleton.
• de-ai-writing — the single source of truth for AI-tone removal.