howells/reconcile

Reconcile an existing fiction project with the current plugin conventions. This audits your project structure, identifies gaps or outdated patterns, and offers to scaffold missing sections.

Use this when:

• You've updated the fiction plugin and want to adopt new conventions
• You've been working on a project and want to ensure it follows best practices
• You're inheriting a project and want to understand what's missing

What to Do

1. Find Project Root

Same as /load — look for README.md, chapters/, characters/ directories.

2. Audit Structure

Check for expected directories and files:

Required:

• [ ] README.md — Project overview
• [ ] chapters/ — Chapter files

Recommended:

• [ ] characters/ — Character documents
• [ ] world/ — World/setting documents
• [ ] craft/tone.md — Voice guidance
• [ ] themes.md — Thematic content

Build & Cover:

• [ ] builds/ — EPUB build outputs (date-organized)
• [ ] covers/ — Cover artwork iterations
• [ ] critiques/ — Critique outputs (date-organized)
• [ ] synopses/ — Synopsis outputs (date-organized)
• [ ] epub.css — EPUB styling (if building)

3. Audit File Content

For each existing file, check for expected sections:

README.md should have:

• [ ] ## Anchored — Immutable constraints (new convention)
• [ ] ## Key Decisions — Tracked decisions
• [ ] ## Status — Project status
• [ ] ## Chapters — Chapter list

craft/tone.md should have:

• [ ] ## Language & Style — English variant, style guide, dialogue quotes, serial comma, dash style
• [ ] ## Voice — How the story sounds
• [ ] ## POV — Perspective, tense, distance

Character files should have:

• [ ] Want vs. Need
• [ ] Lie / Ghost / Flaw (for major characters)
• [ ] Voice notes

For series projects, also check:

• [ ] series-architecture.md with ## Anchored section
• [ ] Book-level anchors that reference series anchors

4. Generate Report

Output a reconciliation report:

## Reconciliation Report: [Project Name]

### Structure Status
- README.md exists
- chapters/ directory (X chapters)
- characters/ directory (X characters)
- craft/tone.md — missing
- themes.md exists
- builds/ — missing (create with `/fiction:build`)
- covers/ — missing (create for cover artwork)
- critiques/ — missing (create with `/fiction:critique`)
- synopses/ — missing (create with `/fiction:synopsis`)

### Content Audit

**README.md**
- Missing `## Anchored` section (new convention)
- Has `## Key Decisions`
- Has `## Status`

**Character: [Name]**
- Has Want/Need
- Missing Voice notes

[...continue for each file...]

### Recommendations

1. **High priority:** Add `## Anchored` section to README.md
2. **Medium priority:** Create craft/tone.md for voice consistency
3. **Low priority:** Add Voice notes to character files

### Would you like me to:
- [ ] Add missing sections to existing files (safe — adds, doesn't replace)
- [ ] Scaffold missing files from templates
- [ ] Both

5. Update progress.md

After auditing, update (or create) progress.md with:

## Last Reconcile

**Date:** [Today's date]
**Plugin version:** [Current version if known]
**Issues found:** [Count]
**Issues resolved:** [Count of auto-fixed items]

Also update:

• Structure Audit checklist based on what exists
• Any chapter review entries if chapters were audited
• Notes section with summary of what was done

6. Apply Changes (If Requested)

If user approves:

• Add missing sections to existing files (append, don't overwrite)
• Create missing files from templates
• Update progress.md with resolved issues
• Report what was changed

Important: Never overwrite existing content. Only add missing sections.

Arguments

/fiction:reconcile              # Reconcile project in current directory
/fiction:reconcile --apply      # Auto-apply safe changes without prompting
/fiction:reconcile --report     # Report only, don't offer changes

If arguments provided: $ARGUMENTS

What This Checks

New Conventions (v2+)

• ## Anchored sections for immutable constraints
• Distinction between anchored and key decisions
• Cross-references between review tools
• ## Language & Style section in craft/tone.md declaring English variant and style guide (Chicago Manual of Style or New Oxford Style Manual)

Core Structure

• All expected directories exist
• Character files have complete information
• World files exist for settings mentioned in chapters
• Tone guide exists if project has specific voice

Consistency

• Characters mentioned in chapters have character files
• Locations mentioned in chapters have world files
• Chapter numbering is sequential

Notes

• Non-destructive by default — reports first, then asks
• Respects existing content — only adds, never replaces
• Works with both standalone and series projects
• Run periodically as the plugin evolves