sleep-story skill

---
name: sleep-story
description: Write stories designed to help listeners fall asleep. Use for bedtime podcasts, meditation content, calming narratives, or any content where the goal is gentle cognitive engagement that fades naturally into rest.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: jwynia
  version: "1.0"
  type: generator
  mode: generative
  domain: fiction
---

# Sleep Story: Calming Narrative Skill

You help writers create stories specifically designed to accompany listeners into sleep. These are verbal lullabies disguised as narratives—occupying the mind just enough to prevent racing thoughts while naturally fading as attention wavers.

## Core Principle: The Gentle Cognitive Load

Sleep stories occupy the mind just enough to prevent racing thoughts while naturally fading as attention wavers. The goal is not to entertain but to accompany someone into sleep. The best sleep story is one the listener never hears the end of.

## The Five Pillars

### 1. Momentum Without Urgency
Stories should move forward but never rush. Each sentence flows like a slow river.

**Instead of**: "Sarah rushed to the market before it closed."

**Write**: "Sarah walked along the cobblestone path toward the market square, her basket swaying gently with each step. The afternoon sun cast long shadows between the buildings."

### 2. Description Over Action
Paint scenes rather than chronicle events. Linger on sensory details without dramatic purpose.

### 3. Repetitive Comfort Patterns
Use recurring elements that create familiarity:
- Counting things (steps, breaths, items)
- Listing similar objects with slight variations
- Returning to the same sensory anchors
- Circular routes that end where they began

### 4. Present Tense Immersion
Present tense creates a dreamlike quality where the listener exists in the moment.

**Example**: "You are walking through the garden. The gravel crunches softly beneath your feet. To your left, lavender plants release their fragrance into the evening air."

### 5. The Fade Protocol
Structure stories to naturally decrease in interest and complexity.

- **Beginning**: Mildly intriguing setup
- **Middle**: Gentle exploration
- **End**: Infinite possibility for continuation without resolution

## Story Templates

### Template A: The Wandering Observer
1. Character arrives at a peaceful location
2. Slow exploration with detailed observations
3. Small, satisfying tasks performed
4. Gradual settling into rest

### Template B: The Gentle Routine
1. Character begins a calming routine
2. Each step described in loving detail
3. Sensory focus on textures, temperatures, sounds
4. Natural conclusion in rest or contemplation

**Example activities**: Making tea, tending houseplants, organizing a collection, preparing a reading nook

### Template C: The Infinite Journey
1. Travel through a peaceful landscape
2. No destination or arrival necessary
3. Focus on the journey itself
4. Can continue indefinitely

**Example**: "The train moves steadily through the countryside. Fields of wheat stretch to the horizon. Occasionally, a small farmhouse appears in the distance. The rhythmic sound of the rails: click-clack, click-clack."

## Language Techniques

### Softening Words
Use words with soft consonants and flowing sounds:
- Gentle, slowly, quietly, softly
- Drifting, floating, wandering, meandering
- Warm, smooth, peaceful, calm

### Avoid Harsh Sounds
Replace jarring words:
- "Crash" → "settle"
- "Bright" → "gentle glow"
- "Quick" → "unhurried"
- "Excited" → "content"

### The Power of "And"
Connect thoughts with "and" rather than "but" or "however":

"The path winds through the forest, and the trees create a canopy overhead, and somewhere a stream babbles over smooth stones, and the air carries the scent of pine."

## Sensory Layering Guide

### Visual
- Soft, warm lighting (amber, golden, gentle)
- Muted colors (dusty rose, sage green, warm gray)
- Gentle movement (swaying, drifting, floating)
- Comfortable distances (cozy, enclosed, intimate)

### Auditory
- Natural rhythms (rain, waves, breathing)
- Soft mechanical sounds (clock ticking, fan humming)
- Muffled distant sounds (faraway train, muted voices)
- Gentle nature sounds (rustling leaves, quiet birds)

### Tactile
- Soft textures (velvet, wool, smooth wood)
- Comfortable temperatures (warm but not hot)
- Gentle pressure (heavy blanket, soft cushion)
- Smooth surfaces (polished stone, worn leather)

### Olfactory
- Comforting scents (baking bread, lavender, vanilla)
- Natural aromas (rain, earth, wood)
- Subtle fragrances (old books, clean linen)

## Common Settings

### Indoor Sanctuaries
- Libraries after closing
- Cozy bookshops
- Quiet museums
- Empty cafes at dusk
- Candlelit churches
- Artist's studios
- Greenhouse conservatories

### Natural Spaces
- Moonlit gardens
- Misty forests
- Quiet beaches at dawn
- Mountain meadows
- Desert under stars
- Gentle riversides
- Snow-covered landscapes

### Transitional Spaces
- Night trains
- Boats on calm water
- Hot air balloons
- Cable cars
- Quiet airports at night
- Walking paths

## Pacing Guidelines

### Sentence Structure
- Mix medium and long sentences
- Avoid short, punchy statements
- Use flowing punctuation (commas over periods)
- Create natural breathing spaces

### Paragraph Flow
- 3-5 sentences per paragraph
- Each paragraph one complete micro-scene
- Gentle transitions between paragraphs
- No sudden scene changes

### Story Arc
- 10-15 minutes for complete stories
- No climax or resolution needed
- Can stop at any point without frustration
- Each section self-contained

### Reading Speed
Test at 120-140 words per minute (slower than normal reading)

## Example Opening

> The lighthouse keeper's cottage sits at the edge of the world, where the land meets the endless sea. You approach along the winding path, wild grasses brushing against your legs with each step. The late afternoon sun warms your shoulders while a gentle breeze carries the salt-sweet scent of the ocean.

> The cottage itself is small and sturdy, built from weathered gray stones that have stood against countless storms. Roses climb the eastern wall, their pink blooms nodding in the breeze. The red painted door stands slightly ajar, and through the gap, you can see the warm glow of lamplight.

## Writing Exercises

### Exercise 1: The Five-Sense Room
Describe a room using all five senses, at least two sentences per sense. Focus on comfort and safety.

### Exercise 2: The Infinite List
Create a list of collection items (shells, books, tea cups) with gentle variations. Aim for 10+ items without tension.

### Exercise 3: The Routine Ritual
Describe making tea in 300+ words, focusing on each micro-action and sensation.

### Exercise 4: The Journey Nowhere
Write about traveling through landscape with no destination. Focus on what passes, not where you're going.

## Quick Reference Checklist

- [ ] Present tense or second person perspective
- [ ] Soft consonants and flowing language
- [ ] Rich sensory details without drama
- [ ] Repetitive, predictable patterns
- [ ] No cliffhangers or mysteries
- [ ] Gentle pacing throughout
- [ ] Comfortable, safe settings
- [ ] Natural fade potential
- [ ] Tested at 120-140 wpm reading speed
- [ ] No sudden sounds or harsh words

## Output Persistence

### Output Discovery
1. Check for `context/output-config.md` in the project
2. If found, look for this skill's entry
3. If not found, ask user: "Where should I save sleep story drafts?"
4. Suggest: `stories/sleep/` or `explorations/stories/`

### Primary Output
- **Template used** - Wandering observer, gentle routine, or infinite journey
- **Setting choice** - Indoor sanctuary, natural space, or transitional
- **Sensory layers** - Visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory details
- **Story draft** - Complete narrative (10-15 minutes at 120-140 wpm)

### File Naming
Pattern: `{setting}-sleep-{date}.md`

## Verification (Oracle)

### What This Skill Can Verify
- **Pacing test** - Read at 120-140 wpm without rushing? (High confidence)
- **Language softness** - Harsh consonants/sudden words absent? (High confidence)
- **Stakes absence** - No tension, urgency, or mystery? (High confidence)

### What Requires Human Judgment
- **Calming quality** - Does it actually feel restful?
- **Sensory balance** - Are layers appropriate for sleep induction?
- **Personal resonance** - Will target audience connect with setting?

### Oracle Limitations
- Cannot assess whether story induces sleepiness
- Cannot predict individual response to calming content

## Feedback Loop

### Session Persistence
- **Output location:** See `context/output-config.md`
- **What to save:** Template, setting, sensory layers, final draft
- **Naming pattern:** `{setting}-sleep-{date}.md`

### Cross-Session Learning
- Check for prior sleep stories to avoid repetition
- Listener feedback on what worked/didn't
- Failed calming attempts inform anti-patterns

## Design Constraints

### This Skill Assumes
- Goal is sleep induction, not entertainment
- Listener is trying to fall asleep
- Audio or read-aloud delivery

### This Skill Does Not Handle
- **Meditation scripts** - Different structure and purpose
- **Regular fiction** - Route to: prose-style
- **Ambient soundscapes** - Not narrative-based

### Degradation Signals
- Hidden tension (deadline, mystery, stakes)
- Engagement habits (hooks, rising action)
- Resolution compulsion (need for ending)

## Reasoning Requirements

### Standard Reasoning
- Single template selection
- Basic sensory layer design
- Simple pacing check

### Extended Reasoning (ultrathink)
- **Full story development** - [Why: all elements must sustain calming quality]
- **Custom setting creation** - [Why: novel environments need complete design]
- **Series consistency** - [Why: multiple stories in same world]

**Trigger phrases:** "write the complete sleep story", "create a new setting", "design a series"

## Execution Strategy

### Sequential (Default)
- Template selection before setting
- Setting before sensory layers
- Layers before drafting

### Parallelizable
- Developing multiple settings
- Creating sensory layer lists for different environments

### Subagent Candidates
| Task | Agent Type | When to Spawn |
|------|------------|---------------|
| Setting research | general-purpose | When creating authentic real-world locations |
| Pacing analysis | general-purpose | When testing reading speed and flow |

## Context Management

### Approximate Token Footprint
- **Skill base:** ~2.5k tokens (pillars + templates + techniques)
- **With settings:** ~3.5k tokens
- **With exercises:** ~4k tokens

### Context Optimization
- Focus on active template and setting
- Sensory guide is reference
- Exercises optional for learning

### When Context Gets Tight
- Prioritize: Five pillars, active template
- Defer: Full settings list, all sensory layers
- Drop: Writing exercises, example opening

## Anti-Patterns

### 1. Disguised Drama
**Pattern:** Creating what appears to be a calming story but embedding subtle tension—a journey with an arrival deadline, a task with failure stakes, a mystery to solve.
**Why it fails:** The human brain detects narrative tension even when it's mild. Listeners engage to see the outcome, which is the opposite of what sleep requires. Any "will they/won't they" question activates alertness.
**Fix:** Eliminate all stakes. The journey has no destination. The task has no consequence. Nothing depends on anything. The story describes what is happening, not what might happen.

### 2. Engagement Habits
**Pattern:** Using techniques from regular fiction—plot hooks, character development, rising action—because they're what you know how to write.
**Why it fails:** Good fiction keeps readers awake to find out what happens. Sleep stories must deliberately avoid what makes regular fiction work. Writing on autopilot produces the wrong kind of story.
**Fix:** Consciously invert your instincts. If a sentence makes you want to know what happens next, that's a signal to revise. The best sleep story is one you'd never finish if you were trying to stay awake.

### 3. Sensory Jarring
**Pattern:** Including harsh sounds, sudden actions, or intense sensory descriptions even in otherwise calm narratives.
**Why it fails:** A single "the door slammed" or "bright light flooded" can trigger alertness. Harsh consonants and sudden verbs create acoustic and mental disruption.
**Fix:** Read aloud and listen for jarring moments. Replace every sudden word with a gradual one. Soften every hard consonant cluster. The acoustic texture should be as smooth as the content.

### 4. Speed Creep
**Pattern:** Unconsciously accelerating pacing as you write, sentences getting shorter, events moving faster.
**Why it fails:** Faster pacing signals importance, which signals attention needed. The listener's nervous system responds to rhythm even when content is calm.
**Fix:** Set a timer and read aloud. Aim for 120-140 words per minute—significantly slower than normal reading speed. If you're rushing, the listener's attention will follow.

### 5. Resolution Compulsion
**Pattern:** Feeling you must end the story properly, with conclusion and satisfaction.
**Why it fails:** Endings create a wake-point. The listener who's drifting realizes "oh, it's ending" and snaps back to attention. The goal is for the story to continue forever or fade imperceptibly.
**Fix:** Write stories that have no natural endpoint. The train journey continues. The garden walk goes on. The tea is always brewing. Structure the story so stopping at any point feels complete.

## Integration

### Inbound (feeds into this skill)
| Skill | What it provides |
|-------|------------------|
| prose-style | Sentence-level craft for flow and rhythm |
| worldbuilding | Calm, safe settings to describe in detail |

### Outbound (this skill enables)
| Skill | What this provides |
|-------|-------------|
| (specialized format - primarily terminal) | Sleep stories are end products rather than inputs to other skills |

### Complementary
| Skill | Relationship |
|-------|--------------|
| prose-style | Sleep-story applies prose techniques with specific constraints; prose-style provides the underlying craft |
| voice-analysis | Understanding voice patterns helps maintain consistent, calming tone throughout |