Workflow Brainstorm Capture

Purpose

This skill turns messy ideation into a structured artifact without turning it into canon.

It exists to:

• preserve alternatives (so you don’t “lock in” too early)
• keep uncertainty explicit (no invented facts)
• create a stable input for later extraction/backfill into spec/

Output

• A Markdown note in the project working directory drafts/brainstorm.md (or a file under project drafts/ if the project uses per-topic notes).
• The note MUST clearly distinguish:
  • confirmed constraints
  • open questions
  • options with trade-offs

Rules

• Do not write to spec/ during brainstorming (unless user explicitly confirms canon decisions).
• Do not write outline/fine-outline beats here.
• Keep it short and navigable; use bullets and headings.
• If you include AI suggestions, wrap them in <AI>...</AI>. Use <hidden>...</hidden> for author-only secrets (see references/GUIDE.md).
• Do not write brainstorming artifacts into this skill directory; assets/ is for templates only.

Do not use when

• The user is asking to finalize and commit canon (use workflow-extract-backfill / spec workflow instead).
• The user is asking to produce the actual outline/fine-outline/chapter as an output artifact (use the corresponding workflow skills).

References

• Minimal questions to clarify exploration: references/QUESTIONS.md
• Common pitfalls + fixes: references/PITFALLS.md
• Brainstorming capture guide (ported reference): references/GUIDE.md
• Chapter planning: references/chapter-planning.md
• Worldbuilding: references/worldbuilding.md
• Character development: references/character-development.md
• Continuity + timeline: references/continuity-timeline.md

Self-check

• Are confirmed vs hypothetical items clearly separated?
• Did you preserve multiple options rather than collapsing to one?
• Is there a short list of next decisions/questions for the user?