novel-template

A Claude Code harness for writing novels — from blank page to finished manuscript.

What This Is

A structured Claude Code harness designed to guide you through every phase of novel writing: ideation, outlining, drafting, revision, and final polish. The harness provides 10 specialized AI agents, 16 slash commands, 9 craft skill knowledge bases, automated workflow hooks, and 5 ideation worksheets.

Critical: This harness does not write your novel. It helps you write better by asking the right questions, tracking continuity obsessively, enforcing structural discipline, and routing craft problems to specialist agents.

Who it's for: Writers who want structured support without losing their voice. Novelists who think in outlines and patterns. Anyone willing to ideate thoroughly before drafting.

Quick Start

1. Copy This Template

# Option A: Clone and rename
git clone https://github.com/[you]/novel-template.git your-novel-project
cd your-novel-project
rm -rf .git && git init

# Option B: Manual copy
cp -r novel-template your-novel-project
cd your-novel-project

2. Initialize Git & Branches

git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit: novel harness scaffold"
git branch draft/v1

3. Open in Claude Code

Open the your-novel-project/ directory in Claude Code. The harness initializes automatically.

4. Fill Premise Discovery

Complete ideation/01-premise-discovery.md with your core story idea.

5. Start Ideation

/ideate

This walks you through premise → characters → world → structure → theme (2-4 hours, non-skippable).

6. Write Chapter 1

/new-chapter 1

Agents brief you. You write.

How It Works

The Agent Team

All 10 agents respond to your direct address. Example: "Acting as the Story Architect, does my Act Two need more escalation?"

Agent	Specialty	Invoke When
Story Director	Session management, workflow routing, keeping momentum	Starting a session, unsure where to begin
Idea Excavator	Ideation, premise, emotional core, buried themes	Early stage, creatively stuck, premise unclear
Story Architect	Structure, beats, act breaks, pacing blueprints	Outlining, structural problems, Act II sag
Character Weaver	Character depth, arcs, voice, Ghost/Lie/Want/Need	Building characters, arc design, voice consistency
World Tender	Setting, rules, history, lore, power structures	World-building, rule consistency, sensory detail
Scene Crafter	Scene function, structure, late entry/early exit, tension	Scene-level work, "this scene isn't working"
Dialogue Surgeon	Voice, subtext, conflict, said vs. unsaid	Flat dialogue, on-the-nose exposition, voice blending
Continuity Keeper	Timeline, canon, character consistency, details	Before committing chapters, after major changes
Developmental Editor	Macro feedback, theme coherence, structure, arcs	After a full draft, complete act, major revision
Line Editor	Prose quality, rhythm, word choice, showing vs. telling	After macro problems resolved, final polish

The Commands

Organized by writing phase.

Ideation & Planning — Lay the foundation

/ideate — Full five-part ideation session (premise → characters → world → structure → theme)
/premise — Develop or refine your core premise using the "What if" framework
/writers-room — Convene all agents around a story problem; each agent contributes their lens
/theme-discover — Mine the thematic core; what is this story asking beneath the plot?

Manuscript Work — Build the draft

/new-chapter [n] — Start chapter n; agents brief you on POV, goal, conflict, scene purpose
/chapter [n] — Review or continue chapter n; pick up where you left off
/outline — View current outline or propose updates; your living story document
/beat-check — Check where you are in the story against your structure template
/pacing-check — Analyze chapter and scene-level pacing; are scenes the right length?
/word-count — View word count per chapter and total

Characters & World — Build story assets

/character [name] — Open or create character sheet; fill Ghost/Lie/Want/Need, voice, arc, relationships
/world [aspect] — Document or explore a world-building element; rules, history, power, culture, sensory palette

Revision — Refine and perfect

/continuity-check — Flag timeline, character, and detail inconsistencies before major commits
/dev-edit [n] — Developmental edit chapter n; macro feedback on structure, character, scene function, plot logic
/line-edit [n] — Line-edit chapter n; prose quality, word choice, rhythm, showing vs. telling

Session — Close and commit

/end-session — Commit progress, summarize changes, leave breadcrumbs for next session

Workflow Overview

graph LR
    A["Blank Page"] --> B["Ideation Phase<br/>/ideate /premise<br/>/writers-room"]
    B --> C["Outline<br/>/outline /beat-check"]
    C --> D["Draft<br/>/new-chapter /chapter"]
    D --> E{Continuity OK?}
    E -->|No| F["Dev Edit<br/>/dev-edit /continuity-check"]
    E -->|Yes| G["Revision Phase<br/>/line-edit /pacing-check"]
    F --> G
    G --> H{Notes for<br/>Polish?}
    H -->|Yes| I["Line Edit<br/>/line-edit"]
    H -->|No| J["Finished Manuscript"]
    I --> J
    
    B -.->|Reference| K["Craft Patterns<br/>story-structures<br/>character-craft<br/>scene-craft<br/>dialogue-craft"]
    D -.->|Reference| K
    G -.->|Reference| K
    
    style A fill:#f9f,stroke:#333
    style J fill:#9f9,stroke:#333
    style K fill:#ccf,stroke:#333
    style E fill:#ffc,stroke:#333
    style H fill:#ffc,stroke:#333

Agent Architecture

graph TD
    Writer["You (The Writer)"] -->|"Ask directly"| SD["Story Director<br/>Session Hub"]
    
    SD -->|"Route creative problems"| IE["Idea Excavator<br/>Ideation & Premise"]
    SD -->|"Route structure problems"| SA["Story Architect<br/>Structure & Beats"]
    SD -->|"Route character problems"| CW["Character Weaver<br/>Character & Arc"]
    SD -->|"Route world problems"| WT["World Tender<br/>Setting & Rules"]
    
    SA -->|"For scene-level work"| SCf["Scene Crafter<br/>Scene Function & Tension"]
    SA -->|"For dialogue issues"| DS["Dialogue Surgeon<br/>Voice & Subtext"]
    
    Writer -->|"Major revision"| DE["Developmental Editor<br/>Macro Feedback<br/>(Stop-the-line authority)"]
    Writer -->|"Final pass"| LE["Line Editor<br/>Prose Quality"]
    
    Writer -->|"Before committing"| CK["Continuity Keeper<br/>Timeline & Canon<br/>(Stop-the-line authority)"]
    
    CW -.->|"Updates"| timeline["Timeline & Character State"]
    WT -.->|"Updates"| timeline
    SCf -.->|"Updates"| timeline
    CK -->|"Validates"| timeline
    
    style SD fill:#fff4e6,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style DE fill:#ffe6e6,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style CK fill:#ffe6e6,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style IE fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#333
    style SA fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#333
    style CW fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#333
    style WT fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#333
    style SCf fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#333
    style DS fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#333
    style LE fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#333
    style timeline fill:#f0f0f0,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

A Typical Writing Session

graph LR
    A["Open Claude Code"] --> B["SessionStart Hook<br/>Shows chapter count<br/>& word count"]
    B --> C["Run /outline<br/>Review current structure"]
    C --> D["Run /new-chapter [n]<br/>Agents brief you<br/>on scene purpose"]
    D --> E["You Write<br/>Ask agents as needed<br/>for craft guidance"]
    E --> F{Major Changes?}
    F -->|Yes| G["/continuity-check<br/>Flag contradictions"]
    F -->|No| H["Stop for Session"]
    G --> H
    H --> I["/end-session<br/>Commit + summarize"]
    I --> J["SessionEnd Hook<br/>Verifies commit<br/>shows breadcrumbs"]
    
    style A fill:#f0f0f0
    style J fill:#f0f0f0
    style G fill:#ffc,stroke:#333
    style I fill:#e6f9e6,stroke:#333

Project Structure

your-novel/
├── CLAUDE.md                          # Agent reference & commands (main config)
├── README.md                          # This file
│
├── ideation/                          # Ideation worksheets (filled once, referenced always)
│   ├── 01-premise-discovery.md        # "What if" seed → premise → central question
│   ├── 02-character-genesis.md        # Ghost/Lie/Want/Need for each character
│   ├── 03-world-building.md           # Rules, history, power structures, culture
│   ├── 04-structure-blueprint.md      # Chosen framework + act/sequence breakdown
│   └── 05-theme-discovery.md          # Thematic core (found, not imposed)
│
├── manuscript/                        # Your actual novel
│   ├── outline.md                     # Living outline (update constantly)
│   └── chapters/
│       ├── ch-01.md                   # Your prose (one file per chapter)
│       ├── ch-02.md
│       └── ...
│
├── characters/                        # Character assets
│   ├── template.md                    # Template: copy for each character
│   └── [character-name].md            # One sheet per major character
│
├── world/                             # World-building assets
│   ├── template.md                    # Template: copy for world elements
│   └── [aspect].md                    # Lore, rules, history, power, culture
│
├── notes/                             # Scratchpad & research
│   ├── research.md                    # Research notes
│   └── [session-notes].md             # Session summaries from /end-session
│
├── patterns/                          # Craft reference (read-only, don't edit)
│   ├── story-structures.md            # 3-Act / Hero's Journey / Save the Cat / Sequence
│   ├── character-craft.md             # Voice, arc, Ghost/Lie/Want/Need framework
│   ├── scene-craft.md                 # Scene function, late entry, early exit, tension
│   └── dialogue-craft.md              # Subtext, voice differentiation, said vs. unsaid
│
├── exports/                           # Generated outputs (git-ignored)
│   ├── manuscript.epub
│   ├── manuscript.pdf
│   └── manuscript.docx
│
└── .claude/                           # Claude Code harness (read-only)
    ├── agents/                        # 10 agent definitions
    ├── commands/                      # 16 slash commands
    ├── skills/                        # 9 craft knowledge bases
    ├── hooks/                         # SessionStart, PreToolUse, PostToolUse, SessionEnd
    └── settings.json                  # Configuration

The Ideation Process

The foundation of everything. Don't skip this.

Phase 1: Premise Discovery

What is this story about? What's the emotional core?

Start with a "What if" question:

"What if a woman discovered her memories were implanted?"
"What if two enemies were forced to work together?"
"What if a heist had to happen in reverse?"

From that seed, develop:

Premise: A clear one-sentence statement of character + situation + stakes
Genre & conventions: What audience expectations must you meet?
Central question: The story asks and answers a single fundamental question
Emotional truth: What does this story feel like? What is it really about?

Phase 2: Character Genesis

Who are your people? What do they want? What's the lie they believe?

For each major character, use the Ghost/Lie/Want/Need framework:

Element	Definition	Example
Ghost	Wound from the past that shapes behavior	Elena watched her father's ambition destroy the family
Lie	False belief the character holds about themselves	"Success requires sacrificing everyone I love"
Want	Surface goal (plot-driven)	Elena wants to build the perfect business
Need	True goal (character-driven); what will heal the wound	Elena needs to learn that ambition + love aren't mutually exclusive

Character arc = character realizes the lie, accepts the need, changes how they act.

Phase 3: World Building

What are the rules? What doesn't work? What's the texture?

Define:

Surface: Geography, climate, architecture, technology level
Rules: What is possible? What isn't? Magic systems, laws, social codes
History: What happened before the story? What changed?
Power structures: Who has authority? How is it maintained?
Culture & sensory palette: Values, rituals, food, music, art, language patterns

Phase 4: Structure Blueprint

Which structure fits your story? Where are your beats?

Choose one (or hybrid):

Three-Act Structure: Setup (Act I) → Confrontation (Act II) → Resolution (Act III)

Hero's Journey: 12 stages: Call → Refusal → Mentor → Threshold → Tests → Approach → Ordeal → Reward → Road Back → Resurrection → Return

Save the Cat: 15 beats: Opening Image → Theme Stated → Break into Two → B Story → Fun and Games → Midpoint → Bad Guys Close In → All Is Lost → Dark Night → Break into Three → Finale → Final Image

Sequence Method: 8 sequences of 10-15 pages each; each sequence has setup, confrontation, resolution

Map your story's key moments to your chosen structure.

Phase 5: Theme Discovery

What is this story really asking? Not imposed; found.

Theme is not a lesson. It's the question underneath the plot.

Plot: "Can Elena build a successful business?" (surface)
Theme: "Can you have ambition without cruelty?" (the real question)

Identify:

Thematic question: What does the story explore?
Thematic argument: What answer does the story propose?
Thematic evidence: Which scenes, characters, and plot points argue for this theme?

Story Structure Frameworks

The Three-Act Structure

The classic, timeless frame: Setup → Confrontation → Resolution.

graph LR
    A["Act I<br/>SETUP<br/>Introduce character,<br/>world, stakes"] -->|"Inciting Incident<br/>Page 10-15"| B["Act II<br/>CONFRONTATION<br/>Character pursues goal,<br/>faces obstacles<br/>Escalation → Midpoint"]
    B -->|"Midpoint Twist<br/>Page 50-60<br/>Raise stakes"| C["Act II.B<br/>Darkening<br/>Bad guys close in<br/>All seems lost"]
    C -->|"All Is Lost<br/>Page 70-80<br/>Lowest point"| D["Act III<br/>RESOLUTION<br/>Character faces<br/>final challenge<br/>Climax → Resolution"]
    
    style A fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#333
    style B fill:#fff4e6,stroke:#333
    style C fill:#ffe6e6,stroke:#333
    style D fill:#e6ffe6,stroke:#333

Typical chapter breakdown (100-page manuscript):

Act I (Chapters 1-5): Pages 1-20
Act II.A (Chapters 6-12): Pages 21-50 (Midpoint at ~35)
Act II.B (Chapters 13-18): Pages 51-80 (All Is Lost at ~70)
Act III (Chapters 19-25): Pages 81-100

The Skills Knowledge Base

Your agents reference 9 craft skill areas. Each is a deep reference document:

story-structure — Three-Act, Hero's Journey, Save the Cat, Sequence Method frameworks
character-craft — Voice, arc, Ghost/Lie/Want/Need, relationships, transformation
scene-craft — Scene function, structure, tension curves, late entry, early exit, sensory grounding
dialogue-craft — Subtext, voice differentiation, "said" vs. "unsaid", conflict in conversation
continuity-tracking — Timeline management, character consistency, detail tracking, contradiction catching
pacing-analysis — Chapter length, scene duration, information density, reader momentum
developmental-editing — Macro structure, theme coherence, character arcs, plot logic, story function
line-editing — Prose quality, word choice, rhythm, showing vs. telling, redundancy, clarity
world-building — Rules, history, sensory detail, power structures, cultures, magic systems

When you ask agents for help, they reference these skill areas to give specific, craft-grounded feedback.

Workflow Hooks

The harness includes four automated hooks that run at key moments:

SessionStart

Fires when you open Claude Code. If the project already has chapters:

Displays current chapter count
Shows total word count
Reminds you of last session's /end-session note

PreToolUse

Fires before you run any command. Reminder:

Commit format: type(scope): description
Never push directly to main; use feature branches and PRs

PostToolUse

Fires after you run /new-chapter, /chapter, or /dev-edit. Reminder:

Consider running /continuity-check before committing major changes
Consistency is a force multiplier in revision

SessionEnd

Fires after /end-session. Verifies:

Changes are committed
Breadcrumbs (session notes) are left for next session
Warns of uncommitted changes before you close Claude Code

Git Workflow

Never commit chaos to main. Use branches to organize work.

Branch Strategy

Stable branches:

main — Stable manuscript versions only. Merge here after developmental edit pass.
draft/v1, draft/v2, draft/v3 — Major draft versions. Accumulate chapters here.

Feature branches:

chapter/[chapter-name] — Chapter-specific work. Merge to draft/v1 when done.
worldbuild/[aspect] — World-building research and documentation.
revision/[type] — Revision passes. Types: dialogue, pacing, line-edit, continuity.

Commit Format

type(scope): description

Types:

chapter — New or revised chapter
outline — Outline changes
character — Character sheet updates
world — World-building updates
revision — Revision passes (prose polish, structural changes)
notes — Session notes, research
structure — Structural/beat changes

Examples:

chapter(ch-03): elena enters the tavern and meets royce
character(elena): complete ghost/lie/want/need framework
revision(dialogue): chapter 12 subtext pass—remove exposition
outline(act-two): escalation beats and midpoint restructure
world(magic-system): rules of transmutation and costs
notes: session-2026-05-15—act one pacing notes

Before every commit to main: Run /continuity-check first.

Tips for Writing with AI Agents

Be specific. "This scene feels flat" is vague. "The dialogue doesn't reveal conflict; characters are agreeing too much" is actionable.
Ask for options, not answers. "Show me three ways to structure the Midpoint" beats "How should I structure the Midpoint?"
Use agents to test ideas. "Would it work if the antagonist was actually the mentor?" Agents love stress-testing your story.
Request patterns, not prose. "Show me how to make a scene that enters late and leaves early" — then you write it in your voice.
Bounce between agents. Story problem? Convene /writers-room. Different agents see different things.
Trust continuity checks. Run /continuity-check before merging to main. Consistency is free confidence.
Revision is where the magic lives. First draft is discovery. Revision is craft. Use agents hard in revision.
Every scene must change something. If a scene doesn't move the story forward or reveal character, cut it.
Conflict in every conversation. Dialogue reveals wants in tension. Agree too much? Characters want incompatible things.
Sensory ground everything. Use 3+ senses in establishing scenes. Specificity is the enemy of vague prose.

Contributing & Feedback

Found a bug? Have a craft question? Want to share what you're writing with this harness?

Start a Discussion

We'd love to hear:

What agents or commands you found most useful
Craft questions that come up often
Ideas for new patterns or worksheets
Stories you've written with this harness

License

MIT. Use, modify, and share freely. Credit is appreciated but not required.

Now: Copy this directory into your project. Complete ideation/01-premise-discovery.md. Run /ideate. Write your novel.

The agents are here to help. Ask them questions. They'll make you a better writer.

Write well.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 4 Commits
.claude		.claude
characters		characters
exports		exports
ideation		ideation
manuscript		manuscript
notes		notes
patterns		patterns
world		world
.gitignore		.gitignore
CLAUDE.md		CLAUDE.md
README.md		README.md

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Latest commit

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novel-template

A Claude Code harness for writing novels — from blank page to finished manuscript.

What This Is

Quick Start

1. Copy This Template

2. Initialize Git & Branches

3. Open in Claude Code

4. Fill Premise Discovery

5. Start Ideation

6. Write Chapter 1

How It Works

The Agent Team

The Commands

Workflow Overview

Agent Architecture

A Typical Writing Session

Project Structure

The Ideation Process

Phase 1: Premise Discovery

Phase 2: Character Genesis

Phase 3: World Building

Phase 4: Structure Blueprint

Phase 5: Theme Discovery

Story Structure Frameworks

The Three-Act Structure

The Skills Knowledge Base

Workflow Hooks

SessionStart

PreToolUse

PostToolUse

SessionEnd

Git Workflow

Branch Strategy

Commit Format

Tips for Writing with AI Agents

Contributing & Feedback

License

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