Novel Creator Skill

Transform story ideas into complete novels with EPUB output through an interactive RPG-style workflow.

Features

Interactive Story Building: Guide users through key plot decisions using an RPG-style choice system
Structured Writing Process: 5-phase workflow from concept to finished ebook
Professional EPUB Generation: Auto-converts markdown chapters to beautifully formatted ebooks
Chinese Novel Optimization: Built-in support for Chinese typography, poetry pairings, and literary styles
Customizable Writing Styles: Support for various genres and literary influences (e.g., 琼瑶, 张爱玲)

Workflow Overview

[Story Concept] → [Interactive RPG] → [Writing Plan] → [Chapters] → [EPUB]
     Phase 1           Phase 2           Phase 3        Phase 4     Phase 5

Phase 1: Story Setup

Gather core story elements through interactive questions:

Genre (穿越/Fantasy/Romance/Mystery)
Setting (Ancient palace/Modern city/Fantasy world)
Protagonist details
Story goals and length

Phase 2: Interactive RPG

Run 10-15 decision points where the user makes meaningful choices:

Present vivid scene descriptions
Offer 3-4 choices via AskUserQuestion
Track consequences and plot development
Weave in romance, conflict, and character growth

Phase 3: Writing Plan

Generate a comprehensive task_plan.md including:

Character profiles and arcs
Foreshadowing matrix
Chapter-by-chapter outline
Poetry/lyrics pairings (for Chinese novels)
Progress tracking table

Phase 4: Chapter Writing

Write each chapter (~4000-5500 words) with:

Opening and closing song lyrics/poetry
Vivid sensory descriptions
Character internal monologue
Proper pacing and chapter-end hooks
Consistent file naming: [##]_[章节标题].md

Phase 5: EPUB Generation

Auto-generate professional ebook with:

Cover page with title/author
Table of contents
Chinese typography CSS
Proper chapter formatting

Installation

Prerequisites

Python 3.7+
Claude Code CLI

Install from Marketplace

# Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add mave99a/novel-skill

# Install the plugin
/plugin install novel-creator

Manual Setup

# Install required Python package
pip install ebooklib

# Clone and add as local plugin
git clone https://github.com/mave99a/novel-skill.git
/plugin add ./novel-skill

Usage

Quick Commands

User Request	Action
`写一部小说` / `Write a novel`	Full workflow (Phase 1-5)
`根据大纲写小说` + outline	Start from Phase 3
`把章节转成epub`	Phase 5 only
`继续写下一章`	Resume Phase 4

Example Session

User: 写一部小说

Claude: [Asks about genre, setting, protagonist...]

User: [Makes choices]

Claude: [Runs interactive RPG scenes, user makes plot decisions]

Claude: [Creates writing plan, writes chapters, generates EPUB]

Output: novel_title.epub

EPUB Generator CLI

python3 scripts/create_epub.py [options]

Options:
    --title TITLE       Book title (auto-detects from task_plan.md)
    --author AUTHOR     Author name (default: "Claude AI")
    --path PATH         Chapter directory (default: current)
    --output OUTPUT     Output filename (default: [title].epub)
    --subtitle SUBTITLE Book subtitle/tagline

File Structure

novel-skill/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   ├── plugin.json        # Plugin manifest for Claude Code
│   └── marketplace.json   # Marketplace catalog
├── skills/
│   └── novel-creator/
│       ├── SKILL.md       # Skill definition
│       ├── scripts/
│       │   └── create_epub.py
│       └── references/
│           ├── personas.md
│           └── poetry_pairs.md
├── samples/               # Example novel outputs
├── README.md              # This file
├── LICENSE                # MIT License
├── CHANGELOG.md           # Version history
└── requirements.txt       # Python dependencies

Output Structure

When a novel is created, the following files are generated:

your-project/
├── task_plan.md           # Writing plan with outlines
├── 01_章节标题.md          # Chapter 1
├── 02_章节标题.md          # Chapter 2
├── ...
├── 10_章节标题.md          # Chapter 10
└── 书名.epub              # Final EPUB ebook

Writing Style Guidelines

The skill supports customizable writing styles:

Supported Influences

琼瑶 (Chiung Yao): Romantic, emotional dialogues, dramatic conflicts
张爱玲 (Eileen Chang): Rich imagery, psychological depth, subtle emotions
金庸 (Jin Yong): Martial arts, chivalry, intricate plots
Custom: Any style specified by user

Key Writing Elements

Long, flowing paragraphs (avoid excessive short sentences)
Deep psychological descriptions
Sensory-rich scene setting
Romantic tension in ambiguous scenes
Proper use of Chinese literary devices

Customization

Adding New Genres

Edit skill.md to add new genre options in Phase 1.

Modifying Chapter Structure

The default structure includes:

Opening lyrics/poetry quote
3 main scenes per chapter
Closing lyrics/poetry quote
Chapter-end hook

Modify skill.md Phase 4 section to customize.

Styling EPUB Output

Edit scripts/create_epub.py function get_css_style() to customize:

Fonts
Line spacing
Quote styling
Chapter heading appearance

Examples

Generated Novel Sample

Title: 《误入心扉》
Genre: Modern Urban Romance
Length: 10 chapters, ~50,000 words
Features: Office romance, family revenge, identity mystery, dramatic twists

Chapter Naming Convention

01_当女孩遇见男孩.md
02_月光下的三明治.md
03_流言蜚语飞满天.md
...

Troubleshooting

EPUB Generation Fails

# Ensure ebooklib is installed
pip install ebooklib

# Check chapter file naming (must match patterns):
# - XX_title.md (e.g., 01_chapter.md)
# - 第X章_title.md
# - chapter_X.md

No Chapters Found

Ensure your markdown files follow the naming convention and are in the correct directory.

Chinese Characters Display Issues

The EPUB uses fallback fonts. Ensure your ebook reader supports Chinese fonts:

Songti SC
SimSun
Noto Serif CJK SC

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Areas for improvement:

Additional genre templates
More reference materials (personas, poetry)
Enhanced EPUB styling
Multi-language support
Cover image generation

License

MIT License - Feel free to use and modify for your projects.

Credits

Created with Claude Code
EPUB generation powered by ebooklib