How to use the Story Narrative Writing Rules agent skill

What does the Story Narrative Writing Rules skill make the agent do?

An agent skill is a set of instructions that an AI agent can load when it works on a task. This one covers story-style writing. Its source file gives four rules: start from a person with an action, relationship or conflict rather than an abstract lesson; organise the outline as scenes, where each scene changes the characters, the conflict or the main point; write with concrete actions, dialogue and setting details without adding details the source does not support; and end by echoing the opening scene, action or question instead of stating a slogan.

• Starts from a character with a goal, relationship or conflict
• Builds the outline as scenes that each cause a change
• Writes with concrete actions, dialogue and setting details
• Does not add details that have no source support
• Ends by returning to the opening instead of a slogan

How do you install the skill?

There are two ways to install it. The first is to download the ZIP file from the skill page and unzip it into your personal skills folder, ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill limited to one project. The second is to upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

The package contains one file, SKILL.md, so after unzipping you should find that file inside the skill's folder.

• Option A: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use across projects
• Option B: unzip into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for that project only
• Option C: upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills

How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?

You do not need special syntax. Describe the story you want in plain language and say what kind of output you need, such as a short story, a case-study narrative or a story-style article. The skill's rules then shape how the agent plans and writes the piece.

The source does not list specific trigger phrases, so the most reliable approach is to name the kind of writing task clearly and check that the output follows the four rules. If it does not, ask the agent to rework the outline by scenes or to start again from the main character.

• Say the format: short story, case study narrative or story-style article
• Name the main character and what they want or what stands in their way
• Ask for the outline by scenes if you want to review the structure first
• Ask for an ending that returns to the opening image or question

What do example requests look like?

Good requests give the agent a person, a conflict and a format. The examples below are illustrations of the kind of request the skill is built for, not outputs the skill is guaranteed to produce.

A weak request asks for a lesson. A stronger request asks for a scene with someone who wants something.

• "Write a short story about a warehouse supervisor who must tell her team about a cut in hours. Outline it as scenes and end by returning to the first scene."
• "Draft a case-study narrative about a small bakery owner deciding whether to keep a loss-making product line. Use dialogue and show the setting."
• "Turn this internal lesson about onboarding into a story-style article that starts with a new hire's first morning."

What does the skill need, and what are the safety notes?

The listing states that the skill requires nothing beyond itself, does not run scripts and does not use the network. It is a single instruction file. Because it changes only how the agent writes, there is nothing to configure beyond installing it.

The skill does not add research or fact checking. Its rules favour dramatic scenes, so an agent using it may write vivid detail that is not true. Do not use it for factual reports, technical documentation or legal writing where invented detail could cause harm. Check any names, figures and claims before you publish.

• Requirements: none listed
• Runs scripts: no
• Uses network: no
• Contains no sourcing or verification tools
• Verify every factual claim yourself before publishing

What tips help you get better stories?

Ask for the scene outline first and read it before the full draft. Each scene should change something; if one does not, ask the agent to cut or merge it. Provide your own facts, names and setting details in the request, since the skill tells the agent not to invent unsupported details, which means real information you supply is what it has to work with.

If you run several stories through a team, install the skill in the shared project's .claude/skills/ folder so everyone's output follows the same structure.

• Review the scene outline before the full draft
• Cut any scene that does not change a character, conflict or point
• Supply real names, facts and setting details yourself
• Use a project-level install to share the house style with a team