A Claude Code skill that transforms any content into narrative-driven slide decks using proven storytelling frameworks.
Most presentations fail before they begin. Not because the content is wrong, but because the structure is. Narrative Engine matches your material to the right storytelling framework—then builds a complete slide outline with headlines, visuals, and a multi-agent review panel that catches what you'd miss.
Paste an article, outline, research notes, or existing deck. Answer 5 quick questions. Get back:
- 2-3 framework recommendations tailored to your audience, purpose, and material
- A complete slide outline with single-point headlines, supporting spotlights, and visual design notes
- A 5-agent review that stress-tests your deck from multiple perspectives
- Sourcing transparency showing what came from your content vs. what was generated
Who is your audience? → Executive / Technical / Investors / Skeptics / Mixed...
What are you trying to do? → Persuade / Inform / Inspire / Align / Report...
What type of content? → Research / Strategy / Case study / Pitch / Vision...
What tone? → Authoritative / Provocative / Warm / Urgent / Balanced...
Is there a surprise/reveal? → Yes / No / Help me find one
The skill draws from 17 proven frameworks across two categories:
10 Narrative Arcs (engagement-optimized)
| Arc | Structure | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| The Prestige | Pledge → Turn → Prestige | Counterintuitive findings |
| Mystery Box | Clues → Red herrings → Click | Research with unexpected conclusions |
| The Heist | Goal → Obstacles → Crew → Execution | Strategy & transformation |
| Time Machine | Future-back → Present fork → Path | Vision & scenario planning |
| Trojan Horse | Relatable → Escalate → Reframe | Paradigm shifts, skeptical audiences |
| Hero's Journey | Call → Trials → Ordeal → Return | Origin stories, change management |
| Columbo | Outcome first → Reconstruction | Post-mortems, root cause analysis |
| Game of the Scene | Pattern → Name it → Heighten 3x | Hidden dynamics, cross-domain insight |
| Rashomon | Multi-view → Missing axis → Synthesis | Controversial topics, stakeholder alignment |
| Freytag's Five-Act | Exposition → Climax → Resolution | Complex emotional narratives |
7 Communication Frameworks (efficiency-optimized)
| Framework | Structure | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Minto Pyramid | Answer → MECE supports → Evidence | Executive updates, board decks |
| SCQA | Situation → Complication → Question → Answer | Opening hooks |
| AIDA | Attention → Interest → Desire → Action | Sales, fundraising |
| PAS | Problem → Agitation → Solution | Change management |
| Raskin Sales Deck | Change → Stakes → Vision → Features → Proof | B2B sales |
| Duarte Resonate | What is ↔ What could be | Keynotes, vision |
| SUCCESs | Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories | Quality checklist |
Each slide includes:
- Headline: Single sentence, ≤14 words, active voice, power verbs
- Spotlight: ≤60 words supporting the headline (with source citation)
- Design note: Specific visual recommendation
- Source tag:
[DIRECT]/[PARAPHRASE]/[ELABORATED]/[GENERATED]
Five specialist agents review your deck in parallel:
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DIRECTOR │
│ Synthesizes, resolves conflicts, │
│ presents unified recommendations │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
▲
┌────────────┬───────────────┼───────────────┬────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐
│ AUDIENCE │ │ COMMS/PR │ │ VISUAL │ │ CRITIC │ │ CONTENT │
│ ADVOCATE │ │ SPECIALIST │ │ DESIGNER │ │ │ │ EXPERT │
└──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘
| Agent | Lens | Key Question |
|---|---|---|
| Audience Advocate | Mental models, priorities, what makes them tune out | "As [audience], does this land?" |
| Comms Specialist | Message discipline, emotional arc, PR risk, persuasion | "Is this tight and bulletproof?" |
| Visual Designer | Metaphor coherence, Tufte principles, S.T.A.R. moments | "What visual makes this unforgettable?" |
| Critic | Pacing, redundancy, weak links, counterarguments | "What's the weakest link?" |
| Content Expert | Factual accuracy, logical fallacies, source integrity | "Can every claim be defended?" |
The Director synthesizes feedback, resolves conflicts, and surfaces decisions you need to make.
# Regional Governance: The Invisible Infrastructure
**Framework:** Time Machine
**Slides:** 14
**Metaphor family:** Nervous system / pulse / sensing
---
## Slide 1 — Opening Hook
**Headline:** It is March 2028, and the Mayor knows the water crisis will hit before anyone else does.
**Spotlight:** Three weeks before demand spikes, the morning brief flags the pattern.
Desalination capacity, population movement, industrial permits—the signals converged overnight.
**Design note:** Split screen—calm office on left, converging trend lines on right,
date stamp "March 2028" prominent.
**Source:** [GENERATED]
---
## Sourcing Summary
**Originality Score:** 43% user-sourced / 57% generated
- Direct from source: 3 slides
- Paraphrased: 2 slides
- Elaborated: 3 slides
- Generated: 6 slides| Without Narrative Engine | With Narrative Engine |
|---|---|
| Generic bullet points | Single-point headlines with power verbs |
| Unclear structure | Framework matched to audience + purpose |
| No visual guidance | Specific design notes per slide |
| Self-review blind spots | 5-agent review catches what you miss |
| Unknown AI additions | Source tags show exactly what was generated |
| One-size-fits-all | 17 frameworks × 3 lengths = tailored output |
Copy the Narrative-Engine folder to your Claude Code skills directory:
~/.claude/skills/Narrative-Engine/
Or clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/nraford7/Narrative-Engine.git ~/.claude/skills/Narrative-EngineInvoke with /Narrative-Engine in Claude Code, then:
- Paste your content (article, notes, outline, or existing deck)
- Answer the 5 discovery questions
- Choose from 2-3 recommended frameworks
- Select presentation length (10-12 min / 30 min / 60 min)
- Receive complete slide outline + review panel synthesis
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
SKILL.md |
Main skill definition and workflow |
narrative-arcs.md |
Beat-by-beat structures for all 10 arcs |
communication-frameworks.md |
Detailed framework descriptions |
framework-selection.md |
Selection matrix by audience/purpose/content |
framework_selection_guide.md |
Complete integration guide |
agent-reference-persuasion.md |
Comms agent frameworks (Cialdini, SUCCESs, Ogilvy) |
agent-reference-visual.md |
Visual agent frameworks (Tufte, Duarte, metaphors) |
agent-reference-verification.md |
Content agent frameworks (IFCN, SIFT, fallacies) |
| If your audience is... | And your goal is... | Consider... |
|---|---|---|
| Executive / Board | Any | Pyramid or Columbo (answer-first) |
| Skeptics | Persuade | Trojan Horse + PAS |
| Investors | Inspire | Hero's Journey + Cinderella |
| Mixed / Cross-functional | Align | Rashomon or Heist |
| General / Keynote | Entertain | Prestige or Time Machine |
| If your content has... | Consider... |
|---|---|
| A genuine surprise | Prestige or Mystery Box |
| Multiple stakeholder views | Rashomon |
| A transformation story | Hero's Journey |
| Future vision | Time Machine |
| Root cause analysis | Columbo |
MIT
Built on frameworks from:
- Barbara Minto (Pyramid Principle)
- Nancy Duarte (Resonate, Slide:ology)
- Chip & Dan Heath (Made to Stick)
- Robert Cialdini (Influence)
- Andy Raskin (Greatest Sales Deck)
- Edward Tufte (Data Visualization)
- Joseph Campbell (Hero's Journey)
- Christopher Nolan / J.J. Abrams (Narrative structures)