About cw-story-critique
cw-story-critique is a constructive feedback skill for story writers. It first considers audience, feedback goals, and draft stage, then adapts its analysis to the work, covering areas such as plot, character, pacing, dialogue, and prose.
Key features
- 01Establish audience and feedback goals
- 02Adapt critique structure to the story
- 03Analyze plot, character, and pacing
- 04Assess dialogue and prose
- 05Calibrate feedback to draft stage
Use cases
- 01Get big-picture feedback on an early draft
- 02Review line-level details in a later draft
- 03Check character motives and plot logic
- 04Adapt critique to genre and platform
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/ / github.com/ haowjy/ creative-writing-skills --skill cw-story-critiqueAfter installing, type/cw-story-critiquein Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled filesreferences/critique-areas.md
Details
From the project READMEStory 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.