---
name: narrative-voice-coach
description: Deep analysis and coaching for developing a distinctive, consistent narrative voice across your manuscript
author: Writing Secrets
version: 1.0.0
triggers:
  - "voice coach"
  - "narrative voice"
  - "writing voice"
  - "voice analysis"
  - "style coaching"
  - "find my voice"
  - "voice consistency"
  - "prose style"
permissions:
  - file:read
  - file:write
---

# Narrative Voice Coach — Premium Skill

Your personal writing coach focused entirely on voice — the thing that makes YOUR writing unmistakably yours. Analyzes your prose at the sentence level, identifies your natural strengths, spots inconsistencies, and helps you develop a voice so distinctive that readers recognize you by paragraph two.

## The 47-Marker Voice Analysis

Goes far beyond basic readability scores. Analyzes 47 distinct markers of writing voice:

### Rhythm & Cadence (12 markers)
```
Voice Rhythm Analysis: "The Silent Hour"
Sample: Chapters 1-5 (22,000 words)

Avg Sentence Length:     14.3 words  (Genre avg: 16.2)
Sentence Length Variance: HIGH ✅     (Good — not monotonous)
Short Sentence Ratio:    23%         (Punchy when needed)
Fragment Usage:          8.4%        (Distinctive — intentional?)
Paragraph Length:        4.2 sentences (Tight, thriller-appropriate)

Rhythm Signature:
Long-Short-Short-Medium-Long (your natural pattern)
████░░░██░░████  ← Your rhythm
████████████████  ← Flat rhythm (what to avoid)

Cadence Score: 8.7/10
"Strong rhythmic instinct. Your short sentences hit hard
after long atmospheric setups. This is your superpower."
```

### Word Choice & Diction (10 markers)
- Latinate vs. Anglo-Saxon word preference
- Concrete vs. abstract noun ratio
- Active vs. passive voice percentage
- Verb strength index (strong verbs vs. was/were/had)
- Adjective density (sparse vs. lush)
- Adverb reliance (flagged with alternatives)
- Unique word ratio (vocabulary breadth)
- Jargon/technical language level
- Formality spectrum
- Sensory word frequency by type (visual, auditory, tactile, etc.)

### Sentence Architecture (8 markers)
- Opening word patterns (how you start sentences)
- Clause complexity (simple, compound, complex ratios)
- Subordinate clause placement (front, mid, end)
- Parallel structure usage
- List/series patterns (do you use Oxford comma? series of 3?)
- Sentence type ratio (declarative, interrogative, exclamatory)
- Embedded thought patterns
- Punctuation personality (em-dash lover? semicolon user? ellipsis addict?)

### Narrative Distance (7 markers)
- POV consistency and depth
- Psychic distance variation (close vs. distant)
- Interior monologue frequency
- Free indirect discourse usage
- Showing vs. telling ratio
- Emotional exposition patterns
- Reader address/breaking fourth wall

### Dialogue Voice (5 markers)
- Dialogue-to-narration ratio
- Attribution patterns ("said" vs. creative tags)
- Action beat frequency
- Character voice differentiation score
- Subtext density in conversations

### Signature Moves (5 markers)
- Recurring metaphor themes
- Characteristic transitions
- Opening/closing line patterns
- Humor style and frequency
- Thematic echoes

## Voice Report Card

```
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║          VOICE REPORT: Christopher Kokoski           ║
║          Sample: 45,000 words across 3 projects      ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║                                                      ║
║  STRENGTHS (Your Superpowers)                        ║
║  ✅ Rhythmic variety — natural ear for cadence       ║
║  ✅ Strong verbs — you rarely rely on "was"          ║
║  ✅ Sensory immersion — tactile details are vivid    ║
║  ✅ Dialogue feels natural and differentiated        ║
║  ✅ Short chapters — keeps pages turning             ║
║                                                      ║
║  GROWTH AREAS (Not weaknesses — opportunities)       ║
║  🔶 Adverb reliance in action scenes (+40% vs norm) ║
║  🔶 Paragraph openings repeat "She" pattern          ║
║  🔶 Psychic distance jumps in emotional scenes       ║
║  🔶 Metaphors cluster — 3 on one page, 0 on next    ║
║                                                      ║
║  SIGNATURE ELEMENTS (What makes you YOU)             ║
║  🖋️  Short punchy fragments after long builds        ║
║  🖋️  Sensory details grounded in touch/smell         ║
║  🖋️  Dialogue interrupted by action beats            ║
║  🖋️  Chapter endings on single-line paragraphs       ║
║  🖋️  Dark humor in tense moments                     ║
║                                                      ║
║  Voice Distinctiveness Score: 82/100                 ║
║  Consistency Score: 74/100                           ║
║  Genre Fit Score: 89/100 (Psychological Thriller)    ║
║                                                      ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
```

## Coaching Sessions

### Voice Warm-Up
Before a writing session, review your voice markers to get in the zone:
```
voice warm-up
```
Returns a quick summary of your voice signature plus 3 example passages from YOUR work that exemplify your best voice. Read them before you start writing.

### Consistency Check
Flag passages where your voice drifts:
```
voice consistency check chapter 12
```
Identifies paragraphs that don't sound like you — maybe you were tired, maybe the AI wrote that section, maybe you were copying another author's style unconsciously.

### Voice Match Score
Compare any passage to your established voice profile:
```
voice match "paste text here"
```
Returns a percentage match and identifies what's different.

### Style Experiment
Want to try writing differently? Get coached through it:
```
voice experiment "more literary" chapter 3
```
Takes your chapter and shows you how it would read with specific voice adjustments — without losing what makes it yours.

### Before/After Revision
See how your voice changed between drafts:
```
voice compare draft1.md draft2.md
```
Shows which voice markers shifted and whether the changes strengthened or weakened your voice.

## Voice Profile Export

Generate a portable voice profile that other AuthorClaw skills use:
- Ghostwriter Pro uses it to write in your voice
- Dictation Cleanup uses it to preserve your patterns
- Deep Write Mode matches its output to your markers
- Sensitivity Reader adjusts for your narrative distance

## Progressive Learning

The more you write with AuthorClaw, the better it knows your voice:
- First 10,000 words: Basic voice profile
- 25,000 words: Reliable voice markers established
- 50,000+ words: Full 47-marker profile with high confidence
- Cross-project: Tracks how your voice evolves over time

## Commands
- `voice analysis` — Full 47-marker voice analysis
- `voice report` — Generate voice report card
- `voice warm-up` — Pre-writing session voice review
- `voice consistency [chapter]` — Check voice consistency
- `voice match [text]` — Score text against your voice profile
- `voice experiment [style] [chapter]` — Try a style variation
- `voice compare [file1] [file2]` — Compare voice between drafts
- `voice export` — Export voice profile for other skills
