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home / skills / simhacker / moollm / scratchpad

scratchpad skill

/skills/scratchpad

This skill provides a simple scratchpad to capture thoughts, draft ideas, and store interim results for flexible thinking and planning.

npx playbooks add skill simhacker/moollm --skill scratchpad

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (6)
SKILL.md
2.5 KB
---
name: scratchpad
description: "Working memory for thinking out loud."
license: MIT
tier: 1
allowed-tools:
  - read_file
  - write_file
related: [play-learn-lift, research-notebook, planning, debugging, session-log, plain-text]
tags: [moollm, working-memory, notes, thinking, drafts]
---

# Scratchpad

> *Working memory for thinking out loud.*

The simplest skill. Just a place to write.

> [!TIP]
> **The PLAY surface.** Not everything needs structure. Sometimes just write.

---

## What This Is

A file where you can:
- Think through problems
- Draft before committing
- Store intermediate results
- Keep notes that don't belong elsewhere

No structure required. Just write.

---

## When to Use

- Exploring an idea before formalizing
- Working through a multi-step calculation
- Drafting text before placing it
- Temporary storage during complex tasks

---

## Structure

```
scratchpad/
├── SCRATCHPAD.md    # Main scratch area
└── archive/         # Old scratches (optional)
```

That's it. Minimal by design.

---

## Philosophy

> **"The simplest tool is often the most useful."**

Not everything needs structure. Sometimes you just need a place to write freely.

---

## Contents

| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| [SKILL.md](./SKILL.md) | Protocol documentation |
| [scratch.md.tmpl](./scratch.md.tmpl) | Scratchpad template |

---

## The Intertwingularity

Scratchpad is the PLAY stage — think freely before structuring.

```mermaid
graph LR
    SP[📝 scratchpad] -->|PLAY stage| PLL[🎮📚🚀 play-learn-lift]
    SP -->|structures into| PL[🗂️ planning]
    SP -->|structures into| RN[📓 research-notebook]
    
    PLL -->|freeform in| SP
```

---

## Dovetails With

### Sister Skills
| Skill | Relationship |
|-------|--------------|
| [play-learn-lift/](../play-learn-lift/) | Scratchpad IS the PLAY surface |
| [planning/](../planning/) | When you need structure |
| [research-notebook/](../research-notebook/) | For organized investigation |
| [session-log/](../session-log/) | Scratchpad is NOT logged (ephemeral) |

### Protocol Symbols
| Symbol | Link |
|--------|------|
| `PLAY-LEARN-LIFT` | [PROTOCOLS.yml](../../PROTOCOLS.yml#PLAY-LEARN-LIFT) |
| `IMPROVISE` | [PROTOCOLS.yml](../../PROTOCOLS.yml#IMPROVISE) — Write before structuring |

### Navigation
| Direction | Destination |
|-----------|-------------|
| ⬆️ Up | [skills/](../) |
| ⬆️⬆️ Root | [Project Root](../../) |
| 🗂️ Sister | [planning/](../planning/) |
| 📓 Sister | [research-notebook/](../research-notebook/) |

Overview

This skill is a minimal scratchpad for thinking out loud and capturing transient notes. It provides an unconstrained space to draft, explore ideas, and hold intermediate results before committing them to structured files. The design favors simplicity and immediacy over formal organization.

How this skill works

The scratchpad exposes a single writable area where you can jot thoughts, work through multi-step calculations, and store temporary outputs. There is no imposed structure—use it like a literal notepad. Optionally, archived entries can be moved into an archive folder to keep the main area focused and ephemeral.

When to use it

  • Exploring and iterating on an idea before formalizing it
  • Working through multi-step calculations or problem solving
  • Drafting text or examples before placing them in a final document
  • Collecting temporary outputs during longer tasks
  • Capturing quick notes that don’t belong in organized notebooks

Best practices

  • Treat the scratchpad as ephemeral: move polished content into structured notes or project files
  • Keep entries brief and focused—use headings or timestamps when helpful
  • Archive old or resolved scratches to the optional archive/ folder to avoid clutter
  • Use it for private, unreviewed thinking rather than canonical records
  • Combine freeform notes with small code or calculation snippets for reproducibility

Example use cases

  • Brainstorming feature ideas and jotting pros/cons without formal templates
  • Stepping through a math derivation or algorithm trace with interim results
  • Drafting a commit message, email, or paragraph before pasting into the target
  • Collecting investigation points while researching, then transferring organized findings elsewhere
  • Temporarily storing CLI outputs, sample data, or quick experiments

FAQ

Is content in the scratchpad permanent?

No. The scratchpad is designed to be ephemeral. Move important or final content into structured projects or the archive if you want to preserve it.

Should I use the scratchpad for collaborative work?

It’s best used as a personal working memory. For collaborative or canonical records, use a research notebook, planning files, or shared documents.