BMAD-METHOD/expansion-packs/bmad-creative-writing/docs/brief.md

Project Brief: BMad Creative Writing Expansion Pack

Executive Summary

The BMad Creative Writing Expansion Pack is a comprehensive AI-powered creative writing framework that provides specialized agents, workflows, and tools for fiction writers, screenwriters, and narrative designers. It transforms the BMad methodology into a complete creative writing studio, enabling writers to leverage AI assistance across the entire creative process from ideation to publication-ready manuscripts. The system targets both aspiring and professional writers who want to maintain creative control while accelerating their writing process through intelligent automation and structured workflows.

Problem Statement

Writers face numerous challenges in the modern creative landscape:

• Process Fragmentation: Writers juggle multiple tools (word processors, outlining software, character databases, world-building wikis) without integrated workflows
• Creative Blocks: 40% of writers report regular creative blocks that halt productivity for days or weeks
• Quality Consistency: Maintaining consistency across character voices, world-building details, and plot threads becomes exponentially harder as projects grow
• Publishing Complexity: Self-publishing requires mastery of formatting, cover design, and package assembly - technical skills many writers lack
• Feedback Loops: Getting quality beta feedback is slow, expensive, and often arrives too late in the process

Existing solutions like Scrivener provide organization but lack intelligent assistance. AI writing tools like ChatGPT lack structure and specialized workflows. The market needs a solution that combines structured methodology with AI intelligence specifically tuned for creative writing.

Proposed Solution

The BMad Creative Writing Expansion Pack provides a complete AI-augmented writing studio through:

• 10 Specialized Writing Agents: Each agent masters a specific aspect of craft (plot, character, dialogue, world-building, editing)
• Genre-Specific Intelligence: Agents understand genre conventions and can adapt to sci-fi, fantasy, romance, mystery, thriller contexts
• End-to-End Workflows: From initial premise through KDP-ready packages, workflows guide writers through proven methodologies
• Quality Assurance System: 27 specialized checklists ensure consistency, continuity, and publication readiness
• Modular Architecture: Writers can use individual agents, complete workflows, or custom combinations based on their needs

This solution succeeds where others fail by treating creative writing as a professional craft requiring specialized tools, not generic text generation.

Target Users

Primary User Segment: Professional Fiction Writers

• Profile: Published authors with 1-5 books, primarily self-published through KDP/other platforms
• Current Workflow: Draft in Word/Scrivener, self-edit, hire freelance editors, manage own publishing
• Pain Points: Maintaining series consistency, managing multiple projects, expensive editing costs ($2000-5000 per book)
• Goals: Increase output from 1-2 books/year to 3-4, reduce editing costs by 50%, maintain quality standards

Secondary User Segment: Aspiring Writers & Writing Students

• Profile: Unpublished writers working on first novel, MFA students, workshop participants
• Current Workflow: Sporadic writing habits, limited structure, heavy reliance on writing groups for feedback
• Pain Points: Lack of structured process, difficulty completing projects, limited access to professional feedback
• Goals: Complete first manuscript, develop professional writing habits, learn craft fundamentals through practice

Goals & Success Metrics

Business Objectives

• Achieve 1000 active users within 6 months of launch
• Generate $50K MRR through subscription model by month 12
• Establish BMad as the leading AI-powered creative writing methodology
• Build ecosystem of 50+ community-contributed workflows/agents by year 2

User Success Metrics

• Average completion rate for novels increases from 15% to 60%
• Time from premise to first draft reduced by 40%
• User-reported satisfaction with AI feedback reaches 85% "helpful or very helpful"
• 30% of users publish at least one work within first year

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Monthly Active Writers: Writers who complete at least 5000 words per month using the system
• Workflow Completion Rate: Percentage of started workflows that reach completion
• Agent Utilization: Average number of different agents used per project
• Publishing Success Rate: Percentage of completed manuscripts that get published

MVP Scope

Core Features (Must Have)

• Agent System Core: All 10 writing agents fully functional with clear command interfaces
• Novel Writing Workflow: Complete greenfield novel workflow from premise to draft
• Basic Editor Integration: VSCode/cursor integration for writing environment
• Template System: All 8 core templates (character, scene, outline, etc.) operational
• Checkpoint System: Save/restore project state at any workflow stage

Out of Scope for MVP

• Visual world-building tools or maps
• Collaborative multi-author features
• Direct publishing API integrations
• Mobile/tablet applications
• AI voice synthesis for audiobook creation
• Translation capabilities

MVP Success Criteria

The MVP succeeds if 100 beta users can complete a 50,000-word novel draft using the system with 80%+ reporting the experience as "significantly better" than their previous process.

Post-MVP Vision

Phase 2 Features

• Series Management: Tools for maintaining continuity across book series
• Publishing Pipeline: Direct integration with KDP, Draft2Digital, IngramSpark
• Collaboration Mode: Multiple writers/editors working on same project
• Custom Agent Training: Users can train agents on their own published works for style consistency

Long-term Vision

Within 2 years, BMad Creative Writing becomes the industry standard for AI-augmented creative writing, with specialized variants for:

• Academic writing (thesis, dissertations)
• Technical documentation
• Game narrative design
• Interactive fiction/visual novels

Expansion Opportunities

• BMad Writing Certification: Professional certification program for AI-augmented writers
• Agency Partnerships: White-label solution for literary agencies and publishing houses
• Educational Integration: Curriculum packages for creative writing programs
• IP Development: Tools for adapting novels to screenplays, games, graphic novels

Technical Considerations

Platform Requirements

• Target Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (via CLI initially)
• Browser/OS Support: Modern browsers for web interface (Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+)
• Performance Requirements: Handle 100K+ word documents with <100ms response time for agent interactions

Technology Preferences

• Frontend: React/Next.js for web interface, maintaining VSCode extension
• Backend: Node.js/Python hybrid for agent orchestration
• Database: PostgreSQL for manuscript storage, Redis for session state
• Hosting/Infrastructure: AWS/GCP with CDN for global distribution

Architecture Considerations

• Repository Structure: Monorepo with packages for agents, workflows, templates, and core
• Service Architecture: Microservices for agent execution, monolithic API gateway
• Integration Requirements: LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, local models), version control (Git), cloud storage
• Security/Compliance: End-to-end encryption for manuscripts, GDPR compliance, no training on user content

Constraints & Assumptions

Constraints

• Budget: $50K initial development budget, $5K/month operational
• Timeline: MVP launch in 3 months, Phase 2 in 6 months
• Resources: 2 full-time developers, 1 part-time writer/tester
• Technical: Must work within token limits of current LLMs, no custom model training initially

Key Assumptions

• Writers are comfortable with markdown-based writing environments
• Target users have reliable internet connectivity for AI agent interactions
• The creative writing market is ready for AI-augmented tools (not viewing them as "cheating")
• Current LLM capabilities are sufficient for nuanced creative feedback
• Users will pay $20-50/month for professional writing tools

Risks & Open Questions

Key Risks

• Market Resistance: Traditional writing community may reject AI assistance as "inauthentic"
• LLM Dependency: Reliance on third-party LLM providers creates availability and cost risks
• Quality Variance: AI feedback quality may vary significantly based on genre/style
• Copyright Concerns: Unclear legal status of AI-assisted creative works in some jurisdictions

Open Questions

• Should we support real-time collaboration or focus on single-author workflows?
• How do we handle explicit content that may violate LLM provider policies?
• What's the optimal balance between prescriptive workflows and creative freedom?
• Should agents have "personalities" or remain neutral tools?

Areas Needing Further Research

• Optimal prompt engineering for maintaining consistent character voices
• Integration possibilities with existing writing tools (Scrivener, Ulysses)
• Market segmentation between genre writers (romance, sci-fi) vs literary fiction
• Pricing sensitivity analysis for different user segments

Appendices

A. Research Summary

Based on analysis of competing tools:

• Sudowrite: Strong on prose generation, weak on structure ($20/month)
• NovelAI: Focused on continuation, lacks comprehensive workflows ($15/month)
• Scrivener: Excellent organization, no AI capabilities ($50 one-time)
• Market Gap: No solution combines structured methodology with specialized AI agents

B. References

• BMad Core Documentation: [internal docs]
• Creative Writing Market Report 2024
• Self-Publishing Author Survey Results
• AI Writing Tools Comparative Analysis

Next Steps

Immediate Actions

1. Finalize agent command interfaces and test with 5 beta writers
2. Complete novel-greenfield-workflow with full template integration
3. Set up development environment with proper CI/CD pipeline
4. Create demo video showing complete novel chapter creation
5. Recruit 20 beta testers from writing communities

PM Handoff

This Project Brief provides the full context for BMad Creative Writing Expansion Pack. Please start in 'PRD Generation Mode', review the brief thoroughly to work with the user to create the PRD section by section as the template indicates, asking for any necessary clarification or suggesting improvements.