narrative-architect

/narrative-architect

Transform a TalkBrief into a structured SlideOutline. Works in two stages: collaborative arc selection with the Speaker, then autonomous outline generation.

Prerequisites

• ./tmp/deck/talk-brief.json must exist
• ./tmp/deck/style-guide.json must exist (produced by slide-stylist)

Usage

Invoked by the Deck Conductor after slide-stylist. Can also be invoked directly:

/narrative-architect
/narrative-architect --deck-dir ./tmp/deck

What It Does

Stage 1: Arc Proposal (Collaborative)

Read ./tmp/deck/talk-brief.json for topic, audience, duration, tone, key takeaways, and data sources.

Based on these signals, select 2-3 narrative arc options that genuinely fit this specific talk. Do NOT present all 16 arcs from the catalogue -- curate down to the best matches.

For each proposed arc, present:

"For a {duration}-minute {tone} talk on {topic}, here are the narrative structures I'd recommend:

1. {Arc Name} -- {one-line emotional description}
   • Best for: {when this works}
   • Your talk would flow: {beat1} -> {beat2} -> {beat3} -> ... -> {final beat}
   • Slide count: ~{count} slides at {pacing} pacing
2. {Arc Name} -- {one-line emotional description}
   • Best for: {when this works}
   • Your talk would flow: {beat1} -> {beat2} -> ...
   • Slide count: ~{count} slides
3. {Arc Name} -- {one-line emotional description}
   • Best for: {when this works}
   • Your talk would flow: {beat1} -> {beat2} -> ...
   • Slide count: ~{count} slides

My recommendation: {Arc Name} because {one-sentence rationale connecting to this specific talk}.

Which structure speaks to you? (Or describe what you're looking for)"

Wait for the Speaker to select or describe their preference. If they describe something custom, map it to the closest arc or propose a hybrid.

Arc Catalogue Reference

These are the established structures to draw from (Research #08):

Arc	Best For	Pacing
Situation-Complication-Resolution	Executive briefings, problem-solving	Standard
Monroe's Motivated Sequence	Persuasion, calls to action	Standard
Hero's Journey	Transformation stories, keynotes	Visual-heavy
Problem-Solution-Impact	Product talks, case studies	Standard
Problem-Demo-Impact	Technical demos, tool showcases	Content-heavy
What-So What-Now What	Data presentations, research findings	Content-heavy
Hook-Thesis-Body-Callback-CTA	Persuasion talks, thought leadership	Standard
Story-Point-Application	Rule of Three, teaching talks	Standard
Pecha Kucha	6:40 fixed format, 20 slides x 20 seconds	Rapid-fire
Ignite	5 min fixed, 20 slides x 15 seconds	Rapid-fire
Lightning Talk	5-10 min, minimal slides	Standard
Lessig Method	Rapid visual reinforcement, advocacy	Rapid-fire
Takahashi Method	Japanese big-text style, storytelling	Rapid-fire
10/20/30 Rule	Startup pitches, 10 slides	Content-heavy
Duarte Sparkline	Long keynotes, What Is vs What Could Be	Visual-heavy
Modular Deck	Flexible/reusable, workshop-style	Standard

Stage 2: Outline Execution (Autonomous)

Once the Speaker selects an arc, produce the full SlideOutline. This is expert craft -- do NOT seek per-slide approval.

What you decide autonomously:

• Exact slide count (calibrated to duration and pacing style)
• Slide type assignment per slide (from the 12 types)
• Headlines -- punchy conference headlines, not academic paper titles
• Body points (max 5 per slide)
• Narrative beat labels
• Visual direction prose per slide (specific enough for prompt engineering, incorporating StyleGuide image_style_tokens)
• Layout template references from StyleGuide
• Transition notes between slides
• Section divider placement (before every major beat transition)
• Attention reset beats (every ~10 minutes of duration)
• Data source mapping from TalkBrief to data_chart slides

Pacing guidelines:

• Content-heavy (data, technical deep-dive): 0.5-1.0 slides/min
• Standard (most conference talks): 1.0-1.5 slides/min
• Visual-heavy (keynotes, storytelling): 1.5-2.5 slides/min
• Rapid-fire (Pecha Kucha, Ignite, Lessig): 3.0-4.0 slides/min

Structural overhead added to base count:

• +1 title slide (always)
• +1 closing slide (always)
• +1 section divider per major beat transition
• +1 attention reset per 10 minutes of duration

If preferences.slide_count_hint is provided, use it as a soft target (within 20%) but override if the arc demands it.

Read the StyleGuide at ./tmp/deck/style-guide.json for:

• Layout template names (ensure every slide's layout_template exists in layout.templates)
• Image style tokens (weave mood, color_direction, and style_modifiers into visual_direction prose)

Plugin Setup

PLUGIN_ROOT=$(python3 -c "
from pathlib import Path
import sys, os
if os.environ.get('JACK_TAR_DECKHAND_ROOT'):
    print(os.environ['JACK_TAR_DECKHAND_ROOT']); sys.exit()
home = Path.home()
for base in [home / '.claude' / 'plugins' / 'cache']:
    for p in base.rglob('jack-tar-deckhand/.claude-plugin/plugin.json'):
        print(str(p.parent.parent)); sys.exit()
dev = Path.cwd() / 'plugins' / 'jack-tar-deckhand'
if dev.exists():
    print(str(dev)); sys.exit()
print('NOT_FOUND')
" 2>/dev/null)
if [ -z "$PLUGIN_ROOT" ] || [ "$PLUGIN_ROOT" = "NOT_FOUND" ]; then echo "ERROR: jack-tar-deckhand not found" && exit 1; fi

Step 3: Validate and Write

Validate the outline before writing:

PYTHONPATH="$PLUGIN_ROOT" python3 -c "
import json
from src.content_validation import validate_outline_schema, check_outline_layout_references
outline = json.load(open('./tmp/deck/outline.json'))
style_guide = json.load(open('./tmp/deck/style-guide.json'))
schema_errors = validate_outline_schema(outline)
ref_issues = check_outline_layout_references(outline, style_guide)
for e in schema_errors: print(f'SCHEMA: {e}')
for e in ref_issues: print(f'REF: {e}')
if not schema_errors and not ref_issues:
    print('SlideOutline validates successfully')
"

Write the validated SlideOutline to ./tmp/deck/outline.json.

Output

./tmp/deck/outline.json (SlideOutline contract)

Design Rules

• Headlines should be punchy conference headlines, not generic titles ("The 3-Second Rule for Slide Readability" not "Text Best Practices")
• Max 5 body points per slide
• Visual direction must be specific enough to generate images but not prescriptive about implementation
• Section dividers before every major narrative beat transition
• Title slide always first, closing slide always last
• Do NOT ask the Speaker about individual slide choices -- the arc approval is the collaboration point