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skills/storyboard-manager/references/character_development.md

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+# Character Development Reference
+
+This reference provides frameworks for creating compelling, multi-dimensional characters.
+
+## Core Character Elements
+
+### Basic Profile
+- **Name**: Full name, nicknames, name meaning
+- **Age**: Chronological and how they present
+- **Physical Description**: Distinguishing features, style, mannerisms
+- **Role**: Protagonist, antagonist, supporting, mentor, etc.
+- **Archetype**: Hero, mentor, trickster, everyman, etc.
+
+### Personality Dimensions
+- **Temperament**: Sanguine, choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic
+- **Traits**: 3-5 defining characteristics (both positive and negative)
+- **Quirks**: Unique habits or behaviors
+- **Speech Patterns**: How they talk, vocabulary, accent
+- **Sense of Humor**: Type and style
+
+### Motivation & Goals
+- **External Goal**: What they're trying to achieve (plot-level)
+- **Internal Goal**: What they're trying to become (character arc)
+- **Motivation**: Why they want these things
+- **Stakes**: What happens if they fail
+- **Misbelief/Lie**: False belief holding them back
+
+## Character Backstory Framework
+
+### The Ghost (Past Wound)
+- **Traumatic Event**: What happened in their past
+- **Age When It Occurred**: How it shaped their development
+- **Who Was Involved**: Other characters connected to trauma
+- **How It Changed Them**: Before and after personality
+- **Coping Mechanisms**: How they deal with the wound
+
+### Formative Relationships
+- **Family Dynamics**: Parents, siblings, family structure
+- **Key Friendships**: Influences from peers
+- **Romantic History**: Past relationships and their impact
+- **Mentors/Role Models**: Who shaped their values
+- **Enemies/Rivals**: Antagonistic relationships that defined them
+
+### Life History
+- **Childhood**: Key events, family situation, early personality
+- **Adolescence**: Identity formation, major choices, first loves/losses
+- **Young Adulthood**: Independence, career/path choices, relationships
+- **Current Situation**: Where story finds them
+
+## Character Arc Types
+
+### Positive Change Arc
+**Structure:**
+1. Lie they believe
+2. Want vs. Need established
+3. First glimpse of truth
+4. Rejection of truth (return to lie)
+5. Moment of truth (crisis)
+6. Choice to embrace truth
+7. New worldview demonstrated
+
+**Markers:**
+- Start: Incomplete, held back by misbelief
+- Midpoint: Glimpse growth but not ready
+- Climax: Must choose between lie and truth
+- End: Transformed, living truth
+
+### Flat Arc
+**Structure:**
+1. Truth known from beginning
+2. World believes lie
+3. Character tested on their truth
+4. Character demonstrates truth
+5. World begins to change
+6. Truth proven through action
+
+**Markers:**
+- Start: Strong in beliefs
+- Midpoint: Severely tested
+- Climax: Greatest test of faith
+- End: Changed the world, not themselves
+
+### Negative Arc
+**Structure:**
+1. Flaw/weakness established
+2. Temptation introduced
+3. Small compromises begin
+4. Point of no return crossed
+5. Descent accelerates
+6. Rejection of redemption
+7. Tragic conclusion
+
+**Markers:**
+- Start: Flawed but sympathetic
+- Midpoint: Questionable choices
+- Climax: Beyond redemption
+- End: Destroyed or becomes villain
+
+## Relationship Dynamics
+
+### Character Relationships Matrix
+For each significant relationship, define:
+- **Dynamic Type**: Mentor/student, rivals, allies, romance, family
+- **Conflict Source**: What creates tension
+- **Common Ground**: What bonds them
+- **Influence**: How they change each other
+- **Arc**: How relationship evolves
+
+### Protagonist-Antagonist Relationship
+- **Opposition**: How antagonist blocks protagonist's goal
+- **Mirror/Foil**: How they reflect/contrast each other
+- **Personal Stakes**: Why this matters beyond plot
+- **Symmetry**: Similar origins or opposite arc paths
+- **Respect Level**: Do they understand each other?
+
+## Character Voice Development
+
+### Dialogue Markers
+- **Vocabulary Level**: Formal, casual, slang, technical
+- **Sentence Structure**: Short and punchy vs. long and flowing
+- **Favorite Words/Phrases**: Repeated expressions
+- **Topics They Discuss**: What they talk about most
+- **What They Avoid**: Topics they don't address
+- **Lying Tells**: How they behave when dishonest
+
+### Internal Voice (POV Characters)
+- **Thought Patterns**: Analytical, emotional, scattered, focused
+- **Biases**: How they interpret events
+- **Blind Spots**: What they don't see about themselves
+- **Metaphors**: Types of comparisons they make
+- **Narrative Distance**: Close, intimate vs. distant, observational
+
+## Character Consistency
+
+### Behavioral Patterns
+- **Under Stress**: How they react to pressure
+- **When Happy**: How they express joy
+- **When Angry**: Explosive, cold, passive-aggressive
+- **Decision-Making**: Impulsive, analytical, avoidant
+- **Trust**: Quick or slow to trust others
+
+### Core Values
+- **Non-Negotiables**: Lines they won't cross
+- **Flexible Areas**: Where they compromise
+- **Value Hierarchy**: Ranking of priorities (family, honor, survival, etc.)
+- **Values Testing**: Scenes where values conflict
+
+### Growth Indicators
+- **Early Story**: How they handle situation type X
+- **Mid Story**: How handling of X begins to shift
+- **Late Story**: How they handle X after growth
+- **Demonstration**: Parallel scenes showing change
+
+## Character Roles in Ensemble
+
+### Ensemble Balance
+- **The Leader**: Drives action, makes decisions
+- **The Heart**: Emotional center, unifies group
+- **The Brain**: Strategy, knowledge, analysis
+- **The Warrior**: Action, protection, physical strength
+- **The Wildcard**: Unpredictable, challenges norms
+- **The Conscience**: Moral compass, voice of reason
+
+### Avoiding Character Redundancy
+- **Different Wants**: Each character pursuing different goals
+- **Different Methods**: Varied approaches to problems
+- **Different Worldviews**: Contrasting perspectives
+- **Different Skills**: Complementary abilities
+- **Different Arcs**: Each on unique journey
+
+## Character Development Questions
+
+### Surface Level
+- What do they look like?
+- How do they dress?
+- What's their job/role?
+- Where do they live?
+
+### Deeper Level
+- What do they fear most?
+- What do they desire more than anything?
+- What's their greatest secret?
+- What do they lie to themselves about?
+- What would they sacrifice everything for?
+
+### Behavioral Level
+- How do they treat people with less power?
+- What makes them laugh?
+- What makes them cry?
+- When do they lie, and why?
+- How do they handle failure?
+
+### Thematic Level
+- What do they represent in the story?
+- What question does their arc answer?
+- How do they embody or challenge the theme?
+- What truth do they discover?
+
+## Character Testing Scenarios
+
+To ensure character depth, test them against:
+
+1. **Moral Dilemma**: Force choice between two values
+2. **Loss**: Take away something they depend on
+3. **Temptation**: Offer something they want vs. need
+4. **Betrayal**: Test their trust and forgiveness
+5. **Sacrifice**: Force them to give up something important
+6. **Revelation**: Expose a truth they've been avoiding
+7. **Isolation**: Remove their support system
+8. **Power**: Give them control and see how they use it
+
+## Red Flags for Weak Characters
+
+### Avoid:
+- **Mary Sue/Gary Stu**: Too perfect, no real flaws
+- **Inconsistent Behavior**: Acts differently for plot convenience
+- **No Agency**: Things happen to them, they don't drive action
+- **Single-Note**: Only one personality trait
+- **No Growth**: Same at end as beginning (unless flat arc)
+- **Reactive Only**: Never makes proactive choices
+- **Exposition Puppet**: Exists to explain things
+- **Token Diversity**: Defined only by identity marker
+
+### Fix By:
+- Adding meaningful flaws and consequences
+- Establishing behavioral patterns and motivations
+- Giving them goals and plans they actively pursue
+- Layering contradictory traits and complexity
+- Planning clear arc with transformation
+- Creating scenes where they initiate action
+- Giving them purpose beyond information delivery
+- Developing full personality, backstory, and individual arc

skills/storyboard-manager/references/story_structures.md

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+# Story Structure Reference
+
+This reference provides common story structures and frameworks for planning narratives.
+
+## Three-Act Structure
+
+### Act One: Setup (25% of story)
+- **Hook**: Opening scene that grabs attention
+- **Inciting Incident**: Event that disrupts the protagonist's normal world
+- **First Plot Point**: Decision/event that propels protagonist into Act Two (typically at 25% mark)
+
+### Act Two: Confrontation (50% of story)
+- **Rising Action**: Series of obstacles and complications
+- **Midpoint**: Major revelation or reversal (at 50% mark)
+- **Pinch Points**: Moments that increase pressure on protagonist
+- **Second Plot Point**: Lowest point/crisis that leads into Act Three (at 75% mark)
+
+### Act Three: Resolution (25% of story)
+- **Climax**: Final confrontation or decision
+- **Falling Action**: Immediate consequences of climax
+- **Resolution**: New normal/equilibrium established
+
+## Hero's Journey (Joseph Campbell)
+
+1. **Ordinary World**: Hero's normal life
+2. **Call to Adventure**: Challenge or quest presented
+3. **Refusal of the Call**: Initial hesitation or fear
+4. **Meeting the Mentor**: Guidance or magical aid
+5. **Crossing the Threshold**: Commitment to the journey
+6. **Tests, Allies, and Enemies**: Learning the rules of the new world
+7. **Approach to the Inmost Cave**: Preparation for major challenge
+8. **Ordeal**: Greatest fear/challenge faced
+9. **Reward**: Achievement of goal or new knowledge
+10. **The Road Back**: Return journey begins
+11. **Resurrection**: Final test with everything at stake
+12. **Return with the Elixir**: Hero returns transformed
+
+## Save the Cat Beat Sheet (Blake Snyder)
+
+1. **Opening Image**: Snapshot of protagonist's world before change
+2. **Theme Stated**: Central question or theme introduced
+3. **Setup**: Establish protagonist's world, flaws, and stakes
+4. **Catalyst**: Event that starts the story (at 10% mark)
+5. **Debate**: Internal conflict about whether to act
+6. **Break into Two**: Protagonist commits to journey (at 20-25% mark)
+7. **B Story**: Subplot introduced (often romantic or thematic)
+8. **Fun and Games**: Promise of the premise delivered
+9. **Midpoint**: False victory or defeat (at 50% mark)
+10. **Bad Guys Close In**: External and internal pressure increases
+11. **All Is Lost**: Lowest point (at 75% mark)
+12. **Dark Night of the Soul**: Protagonist processes loss
+13. **Break into Three**: Solution discovered (at 80% mark)
+14. **Finale**: Climax and resolution
+15. **Final Image**: Parallel to opening showing change
+
+## Character Arc Templates
+
+### Positive Change Arc
+- **Lie Believed**: Character starts believing something false about themselves/world
+- **Want vs. Need**: What they think they want vs. what they actually need
+- **Ghost/Wound**: Past trauma influencing present behavior
+- **Moment of Truth**: Forced to choose between lie and truth
+- **Resolution**: Embraces truth and grows
+
+### Flat Arc
+- **Truth Known**: Character already knows the truth
+- **World's Lie**: The world around them believes a lie
+- **Testing**: Character's truth is challenged repeatedly
+- **Impact**: Character changes the world around them
+- **Affirmation**: Character's truth proven correct
+
+### Negative Arc
+- **Initial Weakness**: Character has a flaw or belief
+- **Escalation**: Flaw grows worse through choices
+- **Point of No Return**: Character chooses darkness
+- **Descent**: Consequences spiral
+- **Tragic End**: Character destroyed or becomes antagonist
+
+## Scene Structure
+
+### Scene Components
+1. **Goal**: What the POV character wants in this scene
+2. **Conflict**: Opposition to achieving the goal
+3. **Disaster**: Outcome (usually negative) that propels to next scene
+
+### Sequel Components (reaction to scene)
+1. **Reaction**: Emotional response to disaster
+2. **Dilemma**: Working through options
+3. **Decision**: Choice that leads to next goal/scene
+
+## Pacing Guidelines
+
+### Chapter Length by Genre
+- **Thriller/Mystery**: 2,000-3,000 words (faster pace)
+- **Fantasy/Sci-Fi**: 3,000-5,000 words (world-building needs)
+- **Romance**: 2,500-4,000 words (emotional beats)
+- **Literary Fiction**: 2,000-6,000 words (varies widely)
+- **YA**: 2,000-3,500 words (shorter attention span)
+
+### Tension Management
+- **High-tension scenes**: Action, conflict, revelations (shorter, punchier)
+- **Low-tension scenes**: Character development, world-building (can be longer)
+- **Rhythm**: Alternate between high and low tension
+- **Overall trend**: Tension should increase as story progresses
+
+## Plot Development
+
+### Conflict Types
+1. **Character vs. Character**: Antagonist opposition
+2. **Character vs. Self**: Internal struggle
+3. **Character vs. Society**: Against norms/systems
+4. **Character vs. Nature**: Environmental challenges
+5. **Character vs. Technology**: Man vs. machine
+6. **Character vs. Fate**: Against destiny/prophecy
+
+### Subplot Integration
+- **Mirror subplots**: Reflect main theme differently
+- **Contrast subplots**: Show opposite approach to theme
+- **Complication subplots**: Add obstacles to main plot
+- **Resolution rule**: Resolve minor subplots before climax, major ones during/after
+
+## Genre-Specific Structures
+
+### Mystery/Thriller
+- Introduction of crime/mystery
+- Investigation and clue discovery
+- Red herrings and misdirection
+- Escalating danger
+- Revelation and confrontation
+- Resolution and explanation
+
+### Romance
+- Meet-cute or introduction
+- Attraction develops
+- Barrier/conflict introduced
+- Relationship deepens despite obstacles
+- Black moment/breakup
+- Grand gesture/reconciliation
+- Happy ending or HEA (Happily Ever After)
+
+### Fantasy/Sci-Fi
+- Ordinary world establishment
+- Introduction to magical/sci-fi elements
+- Quest or mission defined
+- Journey and world exploration
+- Building towards prophesied/anticipated event
+- Final battle or confrontation
+- New world order established