Narrative

Develop the story and message before thinking about slides. This skill converts rough presentation ideas into validated narrative documents through collaborative dialogue.

Prerequisites

• User has a presentation idea, topic, or goal, OR
• A PptxGenJS generation script exists from a previous import or creation (edit mode)

Process

Edit Mode Check

Before starting, check: does a deck folder in decks/ contain a PptxGenJS generation script (a .js file containing require("pptxgenjs"))?

• If no: This is a new presentation. Follow the standard process below.
• If yes: This is an edit. Read the generation script to understand the current slides, then:
  1. Summarize the narrative you see in the deck — audience, purpose, key message, and story arc as you interpret them from the slide content and speaker notes
  2. Present this to the user as your interpretation:

     "Based on the current deck, here's the narrative I see:

     • Audience: [inferred]
     • Key message: [inferred]
     • Arc: [slide-by-slide summary of the story flow]

     What would you like to change about the story?"

  3. Focus questioning only on what the user wants to change — skip settled topics
  4. Produce a narrative document as usual, noting which parts are unchanged vs. reworked

1. Understand the Context

Before asking questions, review any existing context:

• User's initial request and goals
• Any documents, data, or materials they've shared
• Prior conversation context

2. Sequential Questioning

Ask ONE question at a time. Favor multiple-choice when possible.

Core questions to explore (adapt based on context):

1. Audience: Who will see this? What do they already know? What do they care about?
2. Purpose: What should the audience think, feel, or do after seeing this?
3. Key message: If they remember only ONE thing, what should it be?
4. Constraints: Time limit? Existing template or brand guidelines?
5. Content: What evidence, data, or examples support the message?
6. Sources: What source materials, documents, reports, or data back up the claims?

Stop questioning when you have enough clarity to propose a narrative arc.

3. Explore Story Frameworks

Present 2-3 narrative frameworks that fit the content. Lead with your recommendation.

For detailed framework guidance, read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/narrative-frameworks.md.

Quick reference (full details in the reference above):

Framework	Best for
Problem → Solution → Impact	Pitches, proposals
Situation → Complication → Resolution	Strategic updates, analysis
What → So What → Now What	Data presentations, reports
Before → After → Bridge	Transformations, case studies
Hook → Build → Payoff	Persuasive, storytelling

Discuss trade-offs conversationally. Get user agreement before proceeding.

4. Present the Narrative

Once the framework is chosen, present the narrative in 200-300 word sections:

1. Opening hook - How will you grab attention in the first 30 seconds?
2. Core argument - What's the logical flow of your message?
3. Supporting evidence - What proof points back up each claim?
4. Conclusion & call-to-action - What do you want them to do next?

After each section, pause for validation:

"Does this capture what you're going for? Anything to adjust?"

5. Track Source References

Throughout the narrative process, actively build a source list. Sources are critical — they carry forward through craft, design, and into the final .pptx and .pdf as clickable links.

Push for research. When the user makes claims without backing data, proactively search for supporting evidence — statistics, studies, reports, benchmarks. Offer what you find:

"You mentioned adoption is growing fast. I found [specific stat] from [source with URL] — want to use that?"

Every source must include a URL where possible. For every claim, data point, or key argument in the narrative:

• URLs to articles, reports, research, or data sources (preferred — these become clickable links in the final output)
• Documents or files the user shared (note the filename and relevant page/section)
• Internal data or metrics (note the system or report they come from)
• Quotes with attribution and source URL

If a claim has no source, flag it:

"This claim doesn't have a source yet. Should we find one, or mark it as the presenter's own assertion?"

Include all sources in the narrative document so they carry forward into slide creation.

6. Document the Narrative

Save the validated narrative to decks/<name>/narrative.md (create the deck folder if it doesn't exist).

Document format:

# [Presentation Title] - Narrative

> **Next step:** Use **/deckwright:craft** to structure this narrative into a content outline.

## Overview
- **Audience**: [who]
- **Purpose**: [what they should think/feel/do]
- **Key message**: [one sentence]
- **Framework**: [chosen framework]

## Narrative Arc

### Opening
[Hook and context-setting]

### Core Argument
[Main points in logical sequence]

### Evidence
[Supporting data, examples, proof points]

### Conclusion
[Summary and call-to-action]

## Source References
- [Short label](https://url) — brief description of what this supports
- [Gartner 2025 Report](https://example.com/report) — market size and growth projections (slides 3-4)
- [Internal Q3 data] — revenue figures, no public URL (presenter's source)

## Notes
[Any constraints, open questions, or considerations for downstream phases]

Handoff

After narrative approval, offer next steps. Explicitly state the session mode so downstream skills inherit the correct context:

If this was edit mode (a generation script existed):

"Your narrative is ready. Edit session — the existing deck will be updated, not rebuilt from scratch.

• Use /deckwright:craft to restructure the content outline
• Or refine this narrative further"

If this was a new presentation:

"Your narrative is ready. New presentation — the full workflow will build from this narrative.

• Use /deckwright:craft to structure this into a content outline
• Or refine this narrative further"

Principles

• One question at a time - Don't overwhelm
• Multiple-choice when possible - Reduces cognitive load
• Ruthless focus - Cut anything that doesn't serve the key message (YAGNI for presentations)
• Validate incrementally - Check understanding after each section
• Stay flexible - Revisit earlier decisions if new information emerges
• Cite sources with URLs — Every claim needs a source. Proactively research backing data.