---
name: co-write
description: "Run a co-writing session and generate titles and high-volume options with Pat Pattison's methods — the No-Free-Zone co-write protocol and feedback discipline, the Title Game (chained vowel-cascade title generation), title generation from an idea, and high-volume brainstorm dumps for ONE line or ONE section. Use when: 'co-write tonight', 'co-write rules', 'no-free-zone', 'Title Game', '10 titles fast', 'title candidates for X', 'give me 30 options for this line', 'brainstorm the whole chorus'. For blank-page/idea/fragment starts use /songwriting:workflow; for rhyme dumps use /songwriting:rhyme."
argument-hint: "[action] [args] (e.g., /songwriting:co-write, /songwriting:co-write title-game, /songwriting:co-write line-brainstorm \"...\") — full actions in body"
user-invocable: true
disable-model-invocation: false
---

## Mandatory pre-flight — Response Filter

Before emitting titles, line/section option dumps, or co-write feedback, run **§5 Title + hook**
and **§2 Line-writing** of [response-filter](../../context/pat-pattison/research/response-filter.md)
(add **§4 Coaching posture** when facilitating a live session). NAME each box's pass / fail /
skip-with-reason; correct before emission. Skips are valid; silent skips are not.

## Purpose

Collaborative generation: running a co-write with feedback discipline, generating titles (including
the Title Game), and dumping high-volume labeled options for a single line or section so the writer
has raw material to choose from.

Method content is Pat Pattison's, under `context/pat-pattison/`. A future author's method plugs in
at `context/<author>/` without changing this skill.

## Action Router

`/songwriting:co-write <action> [args]`. Parse `$ARGUMENTS`: first token = action when it matches a listed action, remainder = args; otherwise treat all of `$ARGUMENTS` as payload for the default.
No action → open the co-write protocol (No-Free-Zone session opener).

| Action | Use when the user asks for | Load |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `co-write` (default) | co-writing session rules, feedback discipline, No-Free-Zone opener | [co-writing](../../context/pat-pattison/research/co-writing.md), [templates/co-write-session-opener](../../context/pat-pattison/templates/co-write-session-opener.md), [process](../../context/pat-pattison/research/process.md) |
| `title-game` | "Title Game", "Pat's title cascade", "10 titles fast", "vowel-chain titles", co-write warmup | [title-game](../../context/pat-pattison/research/title-game.md), [templates/title-game-prompt](../../context/pat-pattison/templates/title-game-prompt.md), [co-writing](../../context/pat-pattison/research/co-writing.md) |
| `title` | title candidates from an idea, title generation | [hook](../../context/pat-pattison/research/hook.md) "title generation", [idea-to-title](../../context/pat-pattison/research/idea-to-title.md), [templates/title-generation-prompt](../../context/pat-pattison/templates/title-generation-prompt.md) |
| `line-brainstorm` | "30 alternatives for this line", "more end-line words", "lots of swaps" — HIGH VOLUME dump for ONE line | [line-brainstorm](../../context/pat-pattison/research/line-brainstorm.md), [templates/line-brainstorm-prompt](../../context/pat-pattison/templates/line-brainstorm-prompt.md), [mosaic-rhyme](../../context/pat-pattison/research/mosaic-rhyme.md) |
| `section-brainstorm` | "more options for the chorus", "high volume options for this section" — line-brainstorm per line + stability profile + hot-spot map | [line-brainstorm](../../context/pat-pattison/research/line-brainstorm.md) Scope B, [box-model](../../context/pat-pattison/research/box-model.md), [audit-checklist](../../context/pat-pattison/research/audit-checklist.md) |

## Handlers

- **Pre-flight ALWAYS:** run response-filter §5 + §2 (+ §4 when facilitating) before output.
- Co-write facilitation is coaching, not monologue: keep the No-Free-Zone discipline — no idea is
  free, every suggestion earns its place; surface choice points, do not decide for the writers.
- Line/section brainstorm writes each option to a labeled menu (per the `variations`/`worksheets`
  persistence convention), not an inline dump.

## Persistence and template overrides

Write generated files to the paths in
[artifact-persistence](../../context/pat-pattison/research/artifact-persistence.md), and honor a
consuming project's own songwriting layout when it defines one. Line/section brainstorm output goes
to `variations/` or `worksheets/` as a labeled menu (not inline). Before loading any bundled
`templates/<name>.md`, check `${CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR}/songwriting/templates/pat-pattison/<name>.md`
first — a project-level override wins over the bundled default.

## Related skills

- Blank page, an idea/seed, or a stuck fragment → `/songwriting:workflow`
- Rhyme partners for the swaps → `/songwriting:rhyme`
- Pre-lock audit of the chosen line/section → `/songwriting:diagnose audit`