petrogurcak/knowledge-book

Knowledge Book

Write compact, visually distinctive non-fiction books that package expertise into memorable, actionable formats.

Announce: "Using knowledge-book skill in [setup/chapter] mode."

Two Modes

| Mode | When | Output | |------|------|--------| | setup | Starting a new book project | book-blueprint.md | | chapter | Writing content | chapters/XX-slug.md |

If book-blueprint.md exists in project root, default to chapter mode. Otherwise, start with setup.

---

Mode 1: Setup

Walk the author through 6 steps. Ask one question at a time. Save output as book-blueprint.md.

Step 1: Core Positioning

Three questions (Levin):

1. Who is the niche audience? — One specific reader, not "everyone"
2. What should they DO after reading? — The transformation
3. What knowledge causes that action? — The content scope

Synthesize into North Star: "I will teach [AUDIENCE] about [KNOWLEDGE] so they can [ACTION]."

Step 2: Archetype

Present table. Author picks one:

| Archetype | Example | Words | Unit Size | |-----------|---------|-------|-----------| | Minimalist | Steal Like an Artist, Anything You Want | 15-35K | 10 principles or 40 micro-lessons | | Manifesto | Rework | 25-30K | 60-90 micro-essays in sections | | Process | Sprint, Make Time | 50-65K | 5-10 sequential steps or tactics menu | | Maximalist | Zluta kniha budovani znacky | 80-120K | 10-15 principles in 3-4 phases |

Step 3: Knowledge Sources

Ask where content comes from (can combine):

• NotebookLM — Provide notebook ID. Query per chapter via MCP.
• Local files — Folder path. Read relevant docs per chapter.
• Author's head — Interview-style discovery per chapter.

Step 4: Voice Calibration

1. Get a writing sample — 500+ words of author's natural writing. If none, ask 3 questions and use answers.
2. Analyze voice — Formality (1-5), sentence rhythm, humor, pronoun preference
3. Reference tone — Which is closest? Kleon (zine energy) / Fried (provocative brevity) / Sivers (radical simplicity) / Pressfield (confrontational intensity) / Pastier (systematic depth) / Knapp (step-by-step clarity)
4. Language — CZ / EN / other
5. Generate anti-patterns list — Banned AI-isms. Always ban: "Let's dive in", "In today's fast-paced world", "It's worth noting", "Moreover/Furthermore", "At its core", "powerful and transformative", "In this chapter we will discuss"

Step 5: Visual Identity

Descriptive only (for future designer):

• Dominant color, illustration style (hand-drawn / sketchnotes / diagrams / photos / none)
• Visual density per chapter (0 / 1-2 / 3-5 / 5+)
• Medium-is-the-message test: How does the book's form demonstrate its content?

Step 6: Outline

Generate chapter structure based on archetype. For each chapter:

• Title — Imperative or contrarian. Never descriptive.
• Commander's Intent — One sentence: what must the reader take away?
• Anchor story — What grounds this chapter?
• Target words — Based on archetype

Structural options (Barry Fox): Presenting the New Idea / Smashing the Paradigm / "We've Got Trouble!" / Story-Fable / Borrowing from Other Fields / Encyclopedic / Topic 101

Save blueprint as book-blueprint.md in project root.

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Mode 2: Chapter

Pre-Writing

1. Load book-blueprint.md
2. Select chapter — Ask which, or continue sequentially
3. Gather knowledge:
   • NotebookLM: query notebook for this chapter's topic
   • Local files: read relevant documents
   • Author's head: ask 3-5 targeted questions (Scribe interview method)
4. Load adjacent context — Previous chapter's ending + next chapter's Commander's Intent

Writing: The Chapter Formula

Generate section-by-section (1,000-2,000 words per section, assemble into chapter).

Structure — Brooks 4-part arc:

| Phase | % | Content | |-------|---|---------| | Setup | 0-25% | Problem framing, reader's current reality | | Response | 25-50% | Failed approaches, conventional wisdom | | Attack | 50-75% | Your solution, framework, core insight | | Resolution | 75-100% | Proof, application, springboard forward |

SUCCESs checklist (Made to Stick) — apply to every chapter:

• [ ] Simple — Serves ONE Commander's Intent. Two ideas = split the chapter.
• [ ] Unexpected — Opens with schema violation (counterintuitive fact, paradox, surprising story). Never "In this chapter..."
• [ ] Concrete — Every abstract claim has a concrete example within 2 paragraphs. Specific numbers, names, places. Not "a restaurant" — "a 40-seat bistro in Brno."
• [ ] Credible — Sinatra Test: one example so compelling it proves everything. Include "try this yourself" moments.
• [ ] Emotional — Open with one person, not a trend. Identity appeals > benefit appeals. Feeling before data.
• [ ] Stories — Anchor story per chapter. Match plot to goal: Challenge (teaching skills), Connection (teaching collaboration), Creativity (teaching innovation). End with springboard, not summary.

Writing craft:

• Zinsser: Strip to cleanest components. Kill qualifiers. Active verbs. Stop when the point lands.
• Pinker: Classic Style — showing something interesting to an intelligent friend. Given-before-New. Repeat key terms. Kill zombie nouns.
• McPhee: Lead = flashlight into the chapter. Know the ending first.
• Handley: Quality = Utility x Inspiration x Empathy. Any zero = total zero.

Anti-slop guardrails:

• Vary sentence length. Use fragments. One-sentence paragraphs.
• No symmetrical structure (not every chapter = same subsections, same example count)
• Kill throat-clearing first paragraphs
• Author's opinion on every claim — no "both sides" hedging
• Statistics as relationships ("for every 3 steaks you buy, you throw one in the trash")
• End with springboard story, never a summary

Self-Edit Pass

After drafting, check:

1. Commander's Intent — Does it deliver the one takeaway?
2. Anti-slop scan — Check against banned phrases from blueprint
3. Concrete test — Example within 2 paragraphs of every abstract claim?
4. Voice match — Rhythm and tone match the voice sample?
5. Forced asymmetry — Different length/structure than previous chapter?

Output

Save as chapters/XX-slug.md:

---
chapter: 1
title: "Chapter Title"
words: 2847
status: draft
---

[Chapter content]

---

Chapter Templates

Minimalist (Kleon)

[Typographic opener — title as manifesto]
[Personal story — 1-3 paragraphs]
[Supporting examples from practitioners]
[Practical how-to mini-section]
[Visual break — illustration description]
[Closing kicker — short, punchy]

Manifesto (Rework)

Generate 5-10 micro-essays per session, grouped by section:

[Provocative headline — contrarian claim]
[Illustration concept — one line]
[Opening assertion — thesis first sentence, no warm-up]
[2-4 paragraphs — reasoning + analogy + anecdote]
[Closing imperative — flips expectations or commands]

Process (Sprint)

[Phase context — where in the process]
[Step-by-step instructions — numbered, time-boxed]
[Sidebar — facilitator tips]
[Embedded case study]
[End-of-step checklist]
[Transition to next step]

Maximalist (Zluta kniha)

[Principle statement — memorable declaration]
[Why this matters — reader's reality]
[Framework diagram description + explanation]
[Case study 1 — detailed, specific numbers]
[Case study 2 — contrasting industry]
[Common mistakes]
[Application guide — step by step]
[Section summary for reference]

---

Integration

| Skill | Usage | |-------|-------| | storytelling | Anchor story selection, narrative arc | | writing-clearly-and-concisely | Edit pass on drafts | | brand-voice | Load existing voice doc if available |

File Structure

project/
  book-blueprint.md
  voice-sample.md
  chapters/
    00-introduction.md
    01-slug.md
    ...

Sources Encoded

Methodology: Barry Fox (7 archetypes), Scribe Media (interview method), Michael Levin (3 questions, bridge structure), Story Grid (5 commandments)

Craft: Zinsser (On Writing Well), Pinker (Sense of Style), McPhee (Draft No. 4), Handley (Everybody Writes), Brooks (Story Engineering)

Sticky ideas: Heath brothers (Made to Stick) — SUCCESs, Commander's Intent, Curse of Knowledge, Sinatra Test

Format references: Kleon (Steal Like an Artist), Fried (Rework), Pastier (Zluta kniha), Knapp (Sprint, Make Time), Sivers (Anything You Want), Pressfield (War of Art)

Visual design: Tufte (data-ink ratio), Roam (Back of the Napkin, 6x6), Rohde (Sketchnote Handbook)

NotebookLM reference notebook: ff785860-29ee-4420-a576-cf449e65704f (8 source books)