manuscript-writing-agent-files

Manuscript Writing Agent Files Scaffold

Trigger

• Use when a LaTeX IEEE-style manuscript-writing workspace needs the base four-file AGENT contract plus durable manuscript-writing operating rules.
• Use for drafting, organizing, and maintaining a paper and its directly supporting artifacts.
• Do not use for generic agent-file scaffolding; route to agent-files.
• Do not use when the caller asks this skill to create auxiliary sidecar files; this skill owns only the manuscript-writing harness extension on top of the parent four-file contract.
• Do not use to curate or revise an existing AGENT_GOAL.md; this skill scaffolds a new or compatible four-file contract only.

Inputs

• target_dir: directory where the parent agent-files scaffold will be created before manuscript-specific harness handling
• mission: one- or two-sentence long-term manuscript-writing mission statement passed to agent-files and written into AGENT_GOAL.md; required so the scaffolded contract is internally consistent on first read. It must not include reusable writing rules, formatting preferences, current task state, next steps, external coordination tasks, or transient objectives.
• objective: optional concrete in-flight objective written into AGENT_PROGRESS.md; it must be transient current manuscript-writing work, not a second mission statement or permanent scope rule. When omitted, the ## Current Objective section is removed rather than left as a literal placeholder
• overwrite: when true, existing parent scaffold files may be replaced by agent-files, and this skill refreshes only the child-owned manuscript-writing harness section; otherwise only compatible existing parent files and a compatible child extension are recorded in files_skipped

Workflow

1. Receive target_dir and mission. Confirm the directory exists or create it. mission is required so the scaffolded parent contract is internally consistent the moment a later agent reads it; AGENT.md and AGENT_GOAL.md are agent-immutable after scaffold and cannot be filled in autonomously later.
2. Classify the supplied mission and optional objective before writing:
   • durable manuscript-writing purpose belongs in mission
   • transient current drafting or writing work belongs in objective
   • durable writing, notation, citation, validation, and formatting rules belong in future AGENT_HARNESS.md updates, not in mission
   • current repository state, blockers, active section plans, and artifact mapping belong in future AGENT_PROGRESS.md updates, not in mission
3. Invoke agent_files_init from agent-files with target_dir, mission, objective when provided, and the same overwrite flag. Record the parent-created and parent-skipped core AGENT files in this skill's files_created and files_skipped output. Do not duplicate the parent four-file templates in this skill.
4. Install or verify the child-owned harness extension:
   • Patch AGENT_HARNESS.md with the manuscript-writing playbook from examples/AGENT_HARNESS_MANUSCRIPT_EXTENSION.md. The patch may add durable manuscript-writing operating rules only; it must not record current manuscript state, current artifact inventory, blockers, mission scope, or sidecar behavior.
   • When the patch is applied or refreshed, record the patch name manuscript_writing_playbook in patches_applied; do not record section-only edits as created files.
   • Identify the child extension by the exact section heading ## Manuscript-Writing Playbook. If overwrite is true, replace only that child-owned section; do not rewrite unrelated parent-owned or user-authored content in the core files.
   • AGENT_HARNESS.md has a compatible manuscript-writing playbook only when the section identifies itself as durable reusable manuscript-writing operating rules, excludes mission scope and current task state, does not record current artifact inventory or blockers, and does not define sidecar behavior.
   • If AGENT_HARNESS.md already contains a compatible manuscript-writing extension and overwrite is false, treat the patch as verified and record manuscript_writing_playbook in patches_applied; do not add a section-only entry to files_skipped.
   • If AGENT_HARNESS.md contains an incompatible child extension or an incompatible parent contract and overwrite is false, stop rather than mixing contracts.
5. Return target_dir, aggregate files_created, aggregate files_skipped, and patches_applied.