Set Up A Writing Home

Create one portable folder that can travel independently of the plugin and contains the context and working surfaces Compound Writing needs.

Resolve The Target

• Use the path or folder name the user supplied.
• If the destination is unclear and choosing it would create the writing home in a materially different place, ask for the path.
• Read existing workspace instructions before writing.
• Never create writing-home files inside the installed plugin or runtime cache.

Create The Writing Home

Create this exact minimum structure:

writing-home/
├── VOICE.md
├── STYLE.md
├── examples/
│   └── README.md
└── drafts/
    └── README.md

Run the bundled creator by resolving it relative to this SKILL.md; do not assume the user's working directory is the plugin root:

python3 "<plugin-root>/skills/cw-setup-project/scripts/create_project.py" "/path/to/writing-home"

The script copies the canonical templates from defaults/project-template/. It may create a new folder or populate an empty folder. It refuses to modify a non-empty folder by default and never overwrites files.

For an existing folder, inspect it first. If the user explicitly wants the Compound Writing structure added, run:

python3 "<plugin-root>/skills/cw-setup-project/scripts/create_project.py" "/path/to/writing-home" --add-missing

--add-missing creates only absent items. Preserve every existing file and convention.

Keep The Split Clear

• VOICE.md answers: How should the sentences sound? Put syntax, diction, and tone here, including cadence, rhythm, register, punctuation, and verbal tics.
• STYLE.md answers: What must the article do, contain, and prove? Put argument, evidence, article structure, substantive standards, audience promise, and publication-readiness criteria here.
• examples/ holds curated positive and negative examples. Examples are evidence for the written rules, not rules by themselves.
• drafts/ holds one folder per piece: drafts/<piece-slug>/. Keep that piece's notes, research, outline, draft versions, and reviews together.

Never put argument, evidence, structure, or publication-readiness rules in VOICE.md. Never put word choice, sentence construction, cadence, or tone rules in STYLE.md. Split mixed feedback into separate rules.

Do not create TASTE.md, context.md, published/, or .status.yaml as part of setup.

Migrate A Legacy Project

When TASTE.md exists:

1. Read it with the existing project instructions.
2. Route syntax, diction, and tone rules to VOICE.md.
3. Route argument, evidence, article structure, substantive standards, and publication-readiness rules to STYLE.md.
4. Flag rules that mix both layers or conflict with maintained context.
5. Show the migration summary before changing ambiguous or high-authority guidance.
6. Preserve TASTE.md until the user explicitly approves its deletion or archival.

Begin The Guides

After first-run setup, begin cw-onboarding so the writer can add a useful first version of both guides from a short conversation, existing writing, or the work already in progress. Do not block use of the writing home on completing either profile.

When the user invoked cw-setup-project manually for an additional folder, offer onboarding rather than assuming they want a new profile immediately.

Handoff

Report the writing-home path, the four created surfaces, anything skipped because it already existed, and the next useful step.