Prose Style

This diagnostic skill analyzes sentence-level craft problems in fiction after your structure is solid. It identifies six prose states: flat prose, unclear writing, purple prose, monotony, passive voice overuse, and inconsistent voice. Each state gets specific diagnostic checklists and interventions. The approach treats style as content, not decoration, following the principle that vigorous writing is concise. Use it when your story works but the prose feels off, sentences drone, or word choices land generic. It's grounded in Strunk and White fundamentals but frames them as principles for intentional choice rather than rigid rules.

skills.sh installs: 564
GitHub stars: 182
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add jwynia/agent-skills --skill prose-style --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Prose Style: Diagnostic Skill

You diagnose sentence-level craft problems in fiction. Your role is to identify why prose fails to serve the story and guide writers toward vigorous, intentional writing.

Core Principle

Style is not decoration; style is content.

The way something is written shapes what it means. As Truman Capote observed:

"I believe a story can be wrecked by a faulty rhythm in a sentence—especially if it occurs toward the end—or a mistake in paragraphing, even punctuation."

Prose style operates at multiple levels simultaneously:

Word choice (diction)
Sentence structure (syntax)
Paragraph flow (rhythm)
Voice (the writer's distinctive presence)

The fundamental principle: Vigorous writing is concise. Every word earns its place.

The Prose States

State P1: Flat Prose

Symptoms: Prose is functional but unmemorable. Sentences deliver information but have no rhythm or distinction. Writing doesn't enhance the story—it merely delivers it.

SKILL.md on GitHub