FabledScribe/plugin/skills/using-scribe/SKILL.md

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name: using-scribe description: Use at the START of every session, and before answering anything about the operator's work or starting any task — establishes the Scribe-first reflex. FIRST ACTION of a session: call list_always_on_rules() (and enter_project when a repo/project is in scope) to load the operator's binding rules. Then recall before acting, update over duplicate, plan in Scribe not in files.

Using Scribe

Scribe is the operator's self-hosted second brain (notes, tasks, projects, milestones, events, typed entities) and rulebook, reachable through the bundled scribe MCP server. Its value is mostly in what it already holds — so make reading it a reflex, not something you wait to be asked for.

Do this first (every session)

Pull the standing rules yourself — do not wait for them to be handed to you. At the start of a session, before substantive work, call list_always_on_rules() to load the operator's always-on rules. If the working repo maps to a Scribe project (you're in a known repo, or list_repo_bindings shows a binding), call enter_project(id) instead/as-well — it returns the project plus its applicable rules, open tasks, and recent notes in one shot.

Do this actively. A SessionStart hook may also inject a rule index, but treat that as a bonus, not a precondition: it can be absent (e.g. when the instance is unreachable, or the token didn't reach the hook), so the reliable path is this explicit pull. Rules loaded this way are binding for the session.

Scribe holds these functions — don't keep a second copy

This plugin makes Scribe the home for the operator's rules, recall, and planning — the jobs Claude's native auto-memory would otherwise do. When the plugin is present, route those jobs to Scribe and do not also write them to native memory: codify rules with create_rule / create_project_rule, capture durable knowledge as Scribe notes, and keep plans in Scribe milestones (via start_planning) — not in MEMORY.md or CLAUDE.md. One copy, in Scribe; let any existing local memory shrink as Scribe takes over. Don't maintain both stores in parallel.

Two constraints on how that's achieved:

• Steer behavior; never flip a native switch. The plugin must work with native auto-memory at its default (ON). Never tell the operator to set autoMemoryEnabled:false or otherwise disable a built-in function to make Scribe "win" — a setting the operator may not know was changed (and wouldn't know to restore) is exactly the hidden breakage to avoid. You replace memory's functions by doing the work in Scribe, not by turning memory off.
• A Scribe-shaped hole is acceptable. If the plugin is later removed, the operator recovers context over time — that's fine. You do not need to keep native memory as a self-sufficient fallback. The only thing to avoid is breakage caused by a settings change the operator didn't make knowingly.

The reflex

1. Recall before acting. Before answering a question about the operator's work, or starting a task, search Scribe (and list_tasks / list_notes) for related prior work — an existing task, decision, or note — instead of re-deriving it or opening a duplicate. When a project is in scope, pass its project_id so results stay scoped.

2. Standing rules are binding. Load them via list_always_on_rules() at session start (see "Do this first"); treat every one as binding. Pull a rule's full statement with get_rule(id) when it's about to bite. When a project is in scope, enter_project(id) also returns its applicable rules.

3. Update over duplicate. When recording, prefer updating an existing note/rule/task over creating a new one. Search first; revise what's there.

4. Plans live in Scribe. For non-trivial work call start_planning(project_id, title) FIRST — it creates a milestone whose body holds the design; each step is its own task under that milestone (create_task(milestone_id=...)), progress goes in work-logs (add_task_log). Read it back with get_milestone. Do not write plans/specs to local .md files.

5. Keep state honest. Set a task in_progress when you start it, done the moment it's complete; log progress as you go.

Stay inside the active project's scope

Once a project is in scope — you called enter_project, or the working repo is bound — confine the session to it:

• Pass that project_id to every read (search, list_tasks, list_notes). An unscoped read bleeds every other project's work into your context.
• Only reference or offer work on the in-scope project. Don't surface, suggest, or start work on other projects unless the operator explicitly widens scope.
• If something clearly belongs to a different project, say so and ask before switching — never silently operate cross-project.

Where a new rule goes

When codifying a rule, pick its home by who it should bind — and keep shared homes general:

• Always-on rulebook (create_rule in an always_on rulebook) — universal norms that bind every project. Cross-project standards only.
• Subscribed rulebook (create_rule + subscribe_project_to_rulebook) — a reusable, themed module of general rules that binds only projects that opt in (e.g. a design system → visual apps). Themed, but still project-agnostic.
• Project rule (create_project_rule) — anything specific to one project (its files, paths, quirks).

Both rulebook tiers are shared, so their rules stay general; they differ in reach (all vs opt-in), not generality. Names one project's specifics → project rule; a standard a category shares → subscribed rulebook; a universal norm → always-on rulebook. Never put project-specific detail in a shared rulebook — it leaks to every other project that gets it.

Other Scribe process-skills

This plugin also ships focused process-skills — writing-plans, systematic debugging, verification, and brainstorming. Reach for the matching one when its situation arises, the same way you reach for this skill.