# Autonovel Foundation > Autonovel Phase 1 — build world.md, characters.md, outline.md, canon.md, voice.md from a seed concept. Iterates until foundation_score (from lib/slop_detect.py) meets the adaptive threshold. Reads $AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG/seed.txt; writes the five foundation files; updates state.json. Hands off to autonovel-drafting when foundation_score plateaus or threshold met. - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-duketwocan-autonovel-agent-skills-autonovel-foundation` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [DukeTwoCan](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/duketwocan) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [DukeTwoCan](https://github.com/DukeTwoCan) - **Source:** https://github.com/DukeTwoCan/autonovel-agent-skills/tree/main/skills/creative/autonovel-foundation ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-duketwocan-autonovel-agent-skills-autonovel-foundation ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Autonovel — Phase 1 (Foundation) Build the foundation of a novel: world, characters, outline, canon, voice fingerprint. ## When to use this skill - State.json shows `"phase": "foundation"` - User says "let's start a new novel" or "build the foundation" - Foundation files don't exist yet, OR they exist but foundation_score --count 30` ``` Generate `characters.md` — protagonist, 2-4 supporting cast, 1-2 antagonists, names chosen from the proposed pools. Each character: name, role, contradictions, voice signature, secret, arc. Then gate the major cast before accepting: ``` !`python3 ${HERMES_SKILL_DIR}/lib/namegen.py check ...` ``` Acceptance requires exit code 0 (no distinctiveness issues). Write to `$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG/characters.md`. Budget ~12k tokens. ### Step 3 — Generate outline.md (act-level) Read `${HERMES_SKILL_DIR}/references/outline-prompt.md`, seed, world, characters, `genre_context/compiled/outline.md`, and the story contract. Substitute the compiled packet as `{GENRE_OUTLINE_BLOCK}` plus all shared Step 0 values. Generate the architecture pass: 4-6 scalable act ranges and a title/primary-structure movement for every requested chapter. Write the temporary architecture draft to `$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG/outline.md`. Budget ~10k tokens. ### Step 4 — Expand outline to scene level Use the same prompt's scene-card pass. Read the architecture draft and expand every chapter into the exact labeled fields, reveal budget, and 2-5 row scene table required by the prompt. Replace `outline.md` with the single complete document; do not append a second set of chapter headings. Budget ~12k tokens. Gate the complete outline before generating canon or voice: ```powershell python ${HERMES_SKILL_DIR}/lib/validation.py outline "$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG" ``` On a nonzero exit, repair only the reported outline fields or act ranges and rerun this command. Do not continue to Step 5 until it exits zero. ### Step 5 — Generate canon.md Read `${HERMES_SKILL_DIR}/references/canon-prompt.md`, all prior foundation files, and the story contract. Substitute all shared Step 0 values. Canon uses the story contract as its genre source of truth; do not load generic pack files into this prompt. Generate canon: rules that MUST stay consistent — magic system limits, world-rule edge cases, character backstory anchors, timeline pins. Write to `canon.md`. Budget ~8k tokens. ### Step 6 — Generate voice.md (voice fingerprint) Read `${HERMES_SKILL_DIR}/references/voice-prompt.md`, seed, characters, and the story contract. Substitute all shared Step 0 values. Voice uses the story contract as its genre source of truth; do not load generic pack files into this prompt. Generate the voice fingerprint: narrative POV, tense, narrator distance, signature rhythms, dialogue style markers, sample paragraph in the target voice. Write to `voice.md`. Budget ~6k tokens. ### Step 7 — Evaluate and run the hard boundary Run: ``` !`python3 ${HERMES_SKILL_DIR}/lib/slop_detect.py "$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG/world.md" --genre-context "$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG/genre_context/resolved.json"` !`python3 ${HERMES_SKILL_DIR}/lib/slop_detect.py "$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG/characters.md" --genre-context "$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG/genre_context/resolved.json"` !`python3 ${HERMES_SKILL_DIR}/lib/slop_detect.py "$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG/outline.md" --genre-context "$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG/genre_context/resolved.json"` ``` Average the three scores into `foundation_score`, then hand that score to the deterministic validator. This command owns score recording, iteration changes, and the phase transition: ```powershell python ${HERMES_SKILL_DIR}/lib/validation.py complete-foundation "$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG" --score ``` Read the JSON result. Exit code nonzero means a hard artifact gate failed and `state.json` remained byte-identical. Exit code zero with `advanced: false` means the artifacts passed but the score remains below the current threshold. Exit code zero with `advanced: true` means the validated foundation moved to drafting atomically. ### Step 8 — Decide: continue, regenerate, or advance - If the validator returns issues: report their stable codes and paths, regenerate only the responsible artifact, and rerun Step 7. Never edit the phase by hand. - If `advanced` is true: commit the validated foundation files and hand off to `autonovel-drafting`. - If `advanced` is false and `iteration = 20`: report to the user and ask whether to lower the threshold or accept the current foundation despite its low score. The hard gates remain non-waivable. ### Step 9 — Commit ``` !`cd "$AUTONOVEL_WORKSPACE/$NOVEL_SLUG" && git add . && git commit -m "phase 1: foundation iteration $(python -c 'import json; print(json.load(open("state.json"))["iteration"])')"` ``` ## Handoff When phase complete, invoke `autonovel-drafting`. ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [DukeTwoCan](https://github.com/DukeTwoCan) - **Source:** [DukeTwoCan/autonovel-agent-skills](https://github.com/DukeTwoCan/autonovel-agent-skills) - **License:** MIT Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-duketwocan-autonovel-agent-skills-autonovel-foundation - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/duketwocan - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.