Build a scene index
Instead of pasting the whole manuscript, you let mcp-writing index your scenes: where they happen, who appears, what changes, and what job each scene is doing.
✦ Local manuscript index · Markdown files · review-first
A local scene index
for your manuscript.
mcp-writing indexes scenes, characters, beats, and revision metadata so an AI assistant can answer structural questions, trace arcs, and propose edits without loading your whole book at once.
Runs locally. Keeps prose under your control. Every edit stays reviewable.
Metadata firstAnswer structural questions before loading prose.
No silent rewritesEvery prose edit is proposed as a diff first.
Git-backed rollbackCommitted edits remain traceable and reversible.
Local manuscriptYour prose files stay on your machine, under your control.
The problem
Context windows don't scale to novels.
A full manuscript is too large and too messy to paste into chat every time. The better pattern is simple: let the AI search the structure first, then read only the scenes that matter.
~120k
Typical token estimate for a 90,000-word manuscript before you've asked a single useful question.
Paste-the-manuscript approach~90%
Metadata query~3%
Metadata + targeted prose~11%
How it works
From manuscript files to focused editorial help.
The workflow is simple: build a scene index first, ask structural questions second, and only load prose when the assistant needs to read or revise a specific scene.
Ask structural questions first
The AI can trace character arcs, find related scenes, compare beats, spot out-of-date metadata, and answer continuity questions before it loads any prose.
Read only what matters
When prose is needed, the AI loads the specific scenes involved. If it suggests edits, you see the proposed change first and choose whether to commit it.
Your manuscript stays yours
mcp-writing works beside your project instead of replacing it. Your files stay local, your structure stays visible, and every suggested prose change remains yours to approve.
Your manuscriptScenes, chapters, characters, places, and revision notes
Scene indexA structured overview of what each scene does
Focused questionArc, continuity, pacing, placement, or edit request
Targeted readingOnly the relevant scenes are loaded when needed
Reviewable resultAnalysis, flags, bundles, or proposed edits you approve
Quick start
Run it locally and connect it to your AI assistant.
Start mcp-writing beside your writing project, connect Claude Desktop, OpenClaw, or another MCP client, then run sync() so the assistant can query your scene index before it reads prose.
# Clone and install git clone https://github.com/hannasdev/mcp-writing cd mcp-writing && npm install # Point at your manuscript folder and start WRITING_SYNC_DIR=~/Documents/MyNovel/sync npm start # Connect Claude Desktop, OpenClaw, or another MCP client to: http://localhost:3000/sse http://localhost:3000/healthz # Then ask your assistant to run: sync()
Scenarios
Practical workflows for revision and continuity.
Use the scene index to answer questions that normally require rereading half the manuscript: arcs, continuity, pacing, scene placement, review bundles, and safe edits.
Understand whether a 55-scene character arc earns its space.
- Ask the AI to run
get_arcacross the project. - Review paginated metadata: part, beat, POV, logline, stale flags.
- Load only suspect scenes with
get_scene_prose. - Fix stale metadata before making pacing decisions.
Catch timeline contradictions before beta readers see them.
- Find every scene attached to a character, object, place, or subplot tag.
- Review those scenes in manuscript order.
- Load only the scenes where the timeline or detail looks suspect.
- Attach a continuity flag instead of changing prose immediately.
Let AI suggest line edits without surrendering the manuscript.
- Ask for a targeted edit on a specific scene or passage.
- The AI proposes a change and shows the diff.
- You accept, revise, or reject the proposal.
- Only approved edits are committed to the project.
Add a new character without damaging pacing.
- Map the surrounding chapters and existing character arcs.
- Find low-density insertion points where a new person can matter.
- Propose a minimal beat structure: introduction, fracture, consequence.
- Update the character sheet only after the placement makes structural sense.
Export a focused review package for an editor or beta reader.
- Choose the scope: chapter, part, character thread, or tag.
- Preview the bundle before files are created.
- Catch stale notes or missing loglines before sending.
- Create a PDF or Markdown package with only the selected material.
Features
Core tools for AI-assisted fiction editing.
Built for writers who want AI help with structure, continuity, and revision without handing over control of the manuscript.
SYNC
Folder sync
Works with any folder of Markdown scene files. Scrivener External Folder Sync is supported with stable binder-ID scene identity.
SEARCH
Full-text search
Find scene titles, loglines, tags, and structural patterns quickly.
ARC
Beat and arc queries
Filter by beat, character, chapter, part, POV, or tag.
EDIT
Human-in-loop edits
Propose, review, and commit scene edits. Nothing is written without approval.
META
Scene metadata
Keep scene purpose, characters, tags, beats, and revision notes attached to the manuscript.
STALE
Metadata freshness
When prose changes, the system can warn that scene metadata needs refreshing.
WORLD
World entities
Structured character and place sheets keep world-building consistent across the project.
BUNDLE
Review bundles
Export scoped PDF or Markdown packages for editors and beta readers.