Joke Engineering

Systematically identify what's missing in non-fiction writing—both blind spots (inherent limitations) and blank spots (gaps that could be addressed). Use before finalizing non-fiction or when feedback feels incomplete.

Diagnose world-level story problems. This skill should be used when settings feel thin, institutions feel designed rather than evolved, economies don't make sense, or non-human species feel like humans in costume. Keywords: worldbuilding, setting, world, institutions, economy, culture, species, consequences.

Diagnose why names don't work and guide creation of names that do. Use for brand names, product names, character names, place names, and titles when something feels off or when systematic naming is needed.

Diagnose genre problems and generate genre-specific elements. Use when genre promise is unclear, when elements feel misplaced, when secondary genres compete with primary, or when you need genre-specific entropy. Covers all 11 elemental genres from the Writing Excuses framework.

Diagnose sentence-level issues after structure is solid. Use when prose feels flat, sentences are monotonous, word choices are generic, or voice is inconsistent.

Diagnose flat dialogue, same-voice characters, and lack of subtext. Use when conversations feel wooden, characters sound alike, or dialogue only does one thing at a time.