> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.soloent.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # SoloEnt.md > The living memory system that keeps your writing project on track `SOLOENT.md` is the **Central Control Panel** for writing projects in SoloEnt — the AI's long-term memory that records your story's DNA, tracks progress, and maintains consistency across tens of thousands of words. It's **optional**, designed for medium to long-form writing. Shorter tasks may not need it — enable it when your project calls for it. Like `CLAUDE.md` in coding projects, `SOLOENT.md` is the instruction manual for AI. It tells the AI what this project is about, how to write it, and where you are in the journey. ## When to use SOLOENT.md **Good fit:** * Medium to long-form writing (novels, series, multi-chapter stories) * Projects spanning multiple writing sessions that need consistency * Stories with complex world-building, multiple characters, or careful foreshadowing **Not necessary for:** * Short stories or tasks completed in a single session * Lightweight writing that doesn't require cross-session context tracking *** Long-form writing faces a unique challenge: **context drift**. The AI might forget: * The magic system rules you established in Chapter 1 * A character's motivation from three chapters ago * The foreshadowing you carefully planted * The tone and style you've been building `SOLOENT.md` solves this by serving as the **Single Source of Truth** for your entire project. ## The 8 Core Sections Every `SOLOENT.md` is structured into 8 sections, each with a specific purpose and lifecycle. ### 1. Project DNA (Foundation) This section rarely changes after initialization. It defines the soul of your project. Defines the core identity of your project: * **Genre**: Sci-fi, Romance, Mystery, etc. * **Core Themes**: What the story is really about (e.g., "redemption," "power corrupts") * **Target Audience**: Who will read this? * **Emotional Promise**: What feeling should readers take away? * **Word Count / Milestone Plan**: Scope and structure **Example:** ```markdown theme={null} ## 1. Project DNA (Foundation) - **Genre**: Psychological Horror / Supernatural - **Core themes**: Paranoia, gaslighting, isolation, unreliable memory - **Target audience**: Adult horror readers (18+) - **Emotional promise**: A suffocating descent into madness - **Word count / milestone plan**: ~20,000 words, 8-10 chapters ``` ### 2. World System (Rules & Index) Add new locations, rules, or systems as your world grows. Core rules should remain stable. Records the rules of your fictional world to prevent logical conflicts: * **Core World Rules**: Magic systems, technology levels, social structures * **World Index**: Links to detailed world-building documents **Example:** ```markdown theme={null} ## 2. World System (Rules & Index) ### 2.1 Core World Rules (Summary) > Reality is unstable within the Building. Small changes accumulate. > Memory cannot be trusted. Physical evidence disappears or transforms. ### 2.2 World Index (Pointers) - [The Building] -> `world/the-building.md` - [Magic System] -> `world/magic-system.md` ``` Use index pointers for complex settings. Keep `SOLOENT.md` concise by storing detailed world-building in separate files. ### 3. Characters (Index & Relations) Add new characters as they appear. Update relationships when dynamics shift significantly. Tracks not just names, but the dynamic state and relationships of characters: * **Character Index**: Main and supporting cast with links to detailed profiles * **Relationship Network**: Visual or text-based relationship map **Example:** ```markdown theme={null} ## 3. Characters (Index & Relations) ### 3.1 Character Index (Concise) - **Mei Chen** (32, Translator, Protagonist) -> `characters/mei-chen.md` - **The Landlord** (Age unknown, Building superintendent) ### 3.2 Relationship Network (Summary) - Mei Chen → The Landlord: Polite distance, growing unease - Mei Chen → Previous Tenant: Parasitic connection, identity bleed ``` ### 4. Plot & Structure (Index) The overall structure is stable, but you may adjust chapter breakdowns as you write. Provides macro-level control of the story flow: * **Story Structure**: Three-Act, Hero's Journey, or custom structure * **Outline Index**: Links to detailed chapter outlines **Example:** ```markdown theme={null} ## 4. Plot & Structure (Index) ### 4.1 Story Structure - **Act I (Ch. 1-3)**: Establishment - Mei moves in, small wrongness begins - **Act II (Ch. 4-6)**: Escalation - Reality fractures - **Act III (Ch. 7-8)**: Climax - The horrifying truth emerges ### 4.2 Outline Index (Pointers) - [Master Outline] -> `outline/master-outline.md` - [Chapter Breakdown 01] -> `outline/chapter-breakdown-01.md` ``` ### 5. Stylistic Guidelines (Deep Deconstruction) Set this once and adjust only if you need to course-correct the AI's writing style. The **most powerful section** for tuning AI writing style: * **Base Tone**: Overall atmosphere (e.g., "Claustrophobic, oppressive") * **Language & Rhetoric**: Sentence structure, word choice, literary devices * **Dialogue Style**: How characters speak * **Pacing Rules**: Chapter rhythm and tension management **Example:** ```markdown theme={null} ## 5. Stylistic Guidelines (Deep Deconstruction) - **Base Tone**: Claustrophobic, oppressive, quietly unhinged - **Language & Rhetoric**: Clean, restrained prose that fractures alongside the protagonist's mind. Short sentences during panic. - **Dialogue Style**: Sparse. Conversations feel slightly off—people almost say what they mean. - **Pacing Rules**: Slow burn with sudden stabs of terror. Each chapter ends on a hook. ``` Be specific in this section. "Write beautifully" is vague. "Use short, punchy sentences under 15 words" is actionable. ### 6. Key Notes & Soft Constraints **Auto-Updated**: The Agent learns from your feedback and revision requests, automatically extracting your preferences and constraints. **User Updated**: You can also manually add constraints anytime to steer the AI. Your direct instructions to the AI: * **Narrative Taboos**: What NOT to write (e.g., "No romance subplot") * **User Constraints**: Specific requirements you care about Use this section to fix recurring issues. If the AI keeps adding romance when you don't want it, add "No romantic subplots" to Narrative Taboos. **Example:** ```markdown theme={null} ## 6. Key Notes & Soft Constraints ### Narrative Taboos - No jump scares as primary horror device - No excessive gore (psychological horror is the focus) - Avoid explaining too much—ambiguity is the weapon ### User Constraints - Psychological horror focus: paranoia, gaslighting, mind games - Reader should question what's real alongside protagonist ``` **🧠 Intelligent Learning System** This section has a special power: **it learns from your feedback automatically**. When you ask the Agent to revise something: * "Make the dialogue less formal" → Adds constraint: "Keep dialogue casual and natural" * "Remove excessive descriptions" → Adds taboo: "No purple prose or over-description" * "The pacing is too slow" → Adds guideline: "Tighten pacing, cut unnecessary scenes" Over time, `SOLOENT.md` becomes a personalized style guide that captures YOUR unique writing preferences. ### 7. Active Writing State (Dynamic Context) The Agent automatically updates this section as you write. You rarely need to touch it manually. The **most dynamic section**, updated by the Agent after every writing session: * **Current Status**: Where are we in the story? * **Character Snapshot**: Current physical/mental state of characters * **Recent Plot Flow**: Summary of what just happened * **Pending Threads**: Open plot hooks and foreshadowing to remember * **Execution Review**: Quality check for the latest chapter **Example:** ```markdown theme={null} ## 7. Active Writing State (Dynamic Context) ### 7.1 Current Status - **Current Chapter**: Chapter 2 - "Moving In" (Completed) - **Story Time**: November 1st, 3:17 AM (first night in apartment) - **Current Location**: Apartment 4C, bedroom - **Immediate Atmosphere**: Terror, sleeplessness, questioning sanity ### 7.2 Character Snapshot - **Mei Chen**: Terrified, sleep-deprived, finding notes in her own handwriting, fearing she's inherited her grandmother's mental illness ### 7.3 Recent Plot Flow - **Ch.1**: Mei viewed 4C, met Mr. Kadir, signed lease - **Ch.2**: Moving day—elevator broken, lost time, duplicate cup appeared ### 7.4 Pending Threads - **Urgent Hooks**: The note from her dream, the duplicate cups - **Active Foreshadowing**: The closet door that won't latch - **Next Chapter Goal**: The notes continue and escalate ``` This section is why `SOLOENT.md` works. It gives the AI perfect memory of where you left off. ### 8. Project Roadmap & Milestones The Agent checks off tasks and logs milestones as you progress. You can manually add new tasks anytime. Tracks the project's progress and next steps: * **Current Focus**: What is the immediate task? * **Todo List**: Checklist of upcoming chapters or tasks * **Milestone Log**: History of completed major goals **Example:** ```markdown theme={null} ## 8. Project Roadmap & Milestones ### 8.1 Current Focus & Next Steps - **Phase**: First Draft Sprint - **Core Task**: Writing Chapter 3 - "The Notes" - **Todo List**: - [x] Initialize SOLOENT.md - [x] Write Chapter 1 - [x] Write Chapter 2 - [ ] Write Chapter 3 - [ ] Write Chapters 4-9 ### 8.2 Milestone Log - [Completed] Project initialized with psychological horror focus - [Completed] Chapter 1 completed - Established unsettling atmosphere - [Completed] Chapter 2 completed - First major horror beats delivered ``` ## How SOLOENT.md is Generated ### Manual Initialization (/init) `SOLOENT.md` **is not generated automatically**. You can create it at any stage of your project using the `/init` command: Send the `/init` command at any point in a writing session, regardless of the project stage. The Agent organizes information about genre, themes, characters, and plot — based on existing content or by asking questions. Based on the current project state, `SOLOENT.md` is created with all 8 sections and saved in the project root. You don't have to create it at the start. Running `/init` later — once you feel the project needs context tracking — works just as well. ### Automatic Updates Once `SOLOENT.md` exists, the Agent automatically maintains it as you write: | Trigger | What Gets Updated | | ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Finish a chapter** | Section 7 (Active Writing State) - Recent Plot Flow, Character Snapshot | | **Complete a task** | Section 8 (Project Roadmap) - Todo List, Milestone Log | | **Add new character** | Section 3 (Characters) - Character Index | | **Establish new rule** | Section 2 (World System) - Core World Rules | | **Request revisions** | Section 6 (Key Notes & Constraints) - Learns your preferences and adds constraints | The Agent updates `SOLOENT.md` silently in the background. Once the file exists, you don't need to ask for updates — they happen automatically. ## How to Maintain SOLOENT.md ### Agent Maintenance (Automatic) The Agent handles routine updates: * ✅ Summarizing completed chapters * ✅ Tracking pending plot threads * ✅ Updating character states * ✅ Checking off completed tasks ### User Maintenance (Manual) You control the creative direction: Edit **Section 5** to adjust tone, pacing, or dialogue style if the AI's writing feels off. Update **Section 6** to add narrative taboos or constraints when the story drifts. Modify **Section 7.4 (Pending Threads)** to prioritize certain plot lines. Insert new characters, locations, or rules into **Sections 2-3** as inspiration strikes. ## Best Practices ### 1. Keep it Fresh A stale `SOLOENT.md` leads to poor AI performance. If Section 7 (Active Writing State) is outdated, the AI will write as if you're still in Chapter 2 when you're actually on Chapter 8. **How to keep it fresh:** * Let the Agent update it after each chapter * Review Section 7 at the start of each writing session * Manually sync if you skip chapters or rewrite sections ### 2. Be Explicit About What You Don't Want The AI is eager to please, which sometimes means adding things you didn't ask for. **Use Section 6 (Narrative Taboos) to set hard boundaries:** ```markdown theme={null} ### Narrative Taboos - No sudden superpowers for the protagonist - No deus ex machina rescues - No romantic subplot - No excessive exposition dumps ``` ### 3. Use Indexes for Complex Settings Don't bloat `SOLOENT.md` with 10 pages of magic system details. **Instead, use pointers:** ```markdown theme={null} ### 2.2 World Index (Pointers) - [Magic System] -> `world/magic-system.md` - [Political Structure] -> `world/politics.md` - [Geography] -> `world/map.md` ``` The Agent can read these files when needed, keeping the main control panel clean. ### 4. Load Context at Session Start At the beginning of each writing session, mention `SOLOENT.md` in your prompt (e.g., "Let's continue writing. Check SOLOENT.md for context."). This ensures the AI loads the latest state. ### 5. Review Before Major Decisions Before writing a climactic chapter or making a major plot decision: 1. Read through `SOLOENT.md` yourself 2. Check if pending threads from Section 7.4 need resolution 3. Verify character states in Section 7.2 match your intent ## Maintenance Workflow Work with the Agent to draft your chapter. After completion, the Agent updates Section 7 (Active Writing State) and Section 8 (Roadmap). Quickly scan the updates to ensure accuracy. If you want to steer the next chapter differently, edit Section 7.4 (Pending Threads) or Section 6 (Constraints). Begin your next writing session by referencing `SOLOENT.md` for context. ## Update Frequency by Section | Section | Update Frequency | Who Updates | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | **1. Project DNA** | Once at initialization | User (rarely changes) | | **2. World System** | When world expands | Agent + User | | **3. Characters** | When characters are added | Agent + User | | **4. Plot & Structure** | If outline changes | User | | **5. Stylistic Guidelines** | If style needs correction | User | | **6. Key Notes & Constraints** | After revisions + Anytime | **Agent (learns from feedback) + User** | | **7. Active Writing State** | After every chapter | Agent (auto) | | **8. Project Roadmap** | As tasks complete | Agent (auto) | ## Common Pitfalls **Problem**: You write 3 chapters without updating Active Writing State. **Result**: The AI forgets recent plot developments and writes inconsistently. **Solution**: Let the Agent update after each chapter, or manually sync before starting a new session. **Problem**: Section 5 says "Write beautifully" or "Make it exciting." **Result**: The AI doesn't know what you mean and defaults to generic prose. **Solution**: Be specific. "Use sentences under 15 words. Focus on tactile sensory details. Avoid adverbs." **Problem**: You paste 20 pages of world-building directly into `SOLOENT.md`. **Result**: The file becomes bloated and hard to navigate. **Solution**: Keep summaries in `SOLOENT.md`, store details in linked files. **Problem**: You don't explicitly state what you don't want. **Result**: The AI adds a romance subplot you hate, or resolves tension too quickly. **Solution**: Use Section 6 to clearly state "No romance," "No easy solutions," etc. ## Advanced Tips ### For Multi-POV Stories Create character snapshots for each POV in Section 7.2: ```markdown theme={null} ### 7.2 Character Snapshot - **Protagonist A** (POV 1): Currently in the castle, unaware of the betrayal - **Protagonist B** (POV 2): Just discovered the truth, planning revenge ``` ### For Non-Linear Narratives Track story time vs. narrative time in Section 7.1: ```markdown theme={null} ### 7.1 Current Status - **Current Chapter**: Chapter 5 (Flashback) - **Story Time**: 1995 (20 years before main timeline) - **Narrative Time**: Revealing why the protagonist fears water ``` ### For Series or Sequels Link to previous books' `SOLOENT.md` files: ```markdown theme={null} ## 1. Project DNA (Foundation) - **Series**: Book 2 of "The Dark Trilogy" - **Previous Book**: [Book 1 SOLOENT.md] -> `../book-1/SOLOENT.md` ``` ## More Advanced Tips Use Plan Mode to design your story structure before writing Powerful workflows at your fingertips with slash commands