edit

Edit Skill

Style-preserving prose revision with three edit levels.

Arguments

• --level=light|medium|heavy — edit intensity (required)
• --chapter=N — which chapter to edit (default: current active chapter)
• --focus=area — focus area: pacing, dialogue, description, consistency, grammar

Workflow

Step 1: Load Context

Load in order:

1. data/{projectId}/chapters/{n}.md — the chapter to edit
2. data/{projectId}/style-profile.json — voice constraints
3. data/{projectId}/characters.json — character consistency
4. data/{projectId}/world.json — world consistency
5. data/{projectId}/outline.json — chapter goals and key events

Step 2: Read the Chapter

Read the full chapter content and analyze:

• Current word count
• Scene structure (how many --- scene breaks)
• Dialogue-to-narration ratio
• Description density
• POV consistency
• Tense consistency

Step 3: Apply Edit Level

--level=light

Polish without restructuring:

• Fix grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors
• Tighten wordy sentences
• Eliminate repeated words/phrases
• Smooth awkward transitions
• Ensure POV consistency
• Verify character name consistency throughout

Do NOT rewrite paragraphs or restructure scenes.

--level=medium

Improve quality with targeted changes:

• Everything from light level
• Strengthen weak openings and endings
• Deepen dialogue (make it more distinct per character)
• Add or trim description where pacing demands
• Improve scene transitions
• Ensure emotional beats land
• Check for "telling vs showing"

Avoid wholesale rewrites. Target specific paragraphs, not the entire chapter.

--level=heavy

Structural revision:

• Everything from medium level
• Restructure scenes if pacing demands it
• Rewrite underperforming sections
• Strengthen thematic resonance
• Ensure each scene has a clear purpose
• Verify the chapter meets its outline goals

Heavy edits require user confirmation before proceeding with major rewrites.

Step 4: Style Preservation

Read style-profile.json and enforce:

• Sentence length variation (don't homogenize to one rhythm)
• Dialogue tag frequency (don't change established patterns)
• Description density (match the original)
• Favorite words — do not remove them unless they are errors
• Opening/closing techniques — preserve
• POV and tense — absolutely maintain

Step 5: Write Changes

Update chapters/{n}.md with the revised prose.

Update outline.json:

• Set chapter status to revision during editing
• Set back to draft when complete

Step 6: Edit Report

Provide a structured report:

## Edit Report: Chapter N — "{title}"

### Changes Made
| Type | Count | Example |
|------|-------|---------|
| Grammar fixes | X | ... |
| Sentence tightens | X | ... |
| Dialogue improvements | X | ... |
| Description changes | X | ... |
| Structural changes | X | ... |

### Word Count
Before: X words → After: Y words (ΔZ)

### Style Compliance
[✓] Sentence length preserved
[✓] POV consistent
[✓] Character voices consistent

### Remaining Issues
- None / [list any unresolved issues]

Error Cases

• If chapter file does not exist → error, suggest /novel:chapter --num=N first
• If style-profile.json does not exist → proceed without style constraints, note this
• If user requests --level=heavy — always confirm before major rewrites