Workflow State Document

Writing Studio Document template: locked commitments, discourse scan, production brief.

Workflow State Document

[OUTPUT TYPE] — [WORKING TITLE]

Pattern ID: [PATTERN-ID-v1] | Status: [Active Production] | Last Updated: [DATE, Stage N]

1. LOCKED COMMITMENTS

Fixed constraints. Do not revise without explicit human instruction. If any later stage creates tension with a Locked Commitment, surface the tension explicitly, describe options, and wait for Richard's instruction before proceeding.

  • Core Argument / Thesis: PENDING
  • Approved Outline: PENDING
  • Target Audience: PENDING
  • Register / Voice: [Scholarly / Practitioner / Accessible]
  • Citation Style: PENDING
  • Word Count Target: PENDING
  • Target Publication: PENDING — see /knowledge-base/publication-intelligence/[VENUE_ID]_[VENUE_NAME].md
  • HITL Mode Default: [AI Product / AI-driven / Collaborative / Human-driven]
  • Other Locked Constraints: None at instantiation

Stage 1 Required Outputs (locked at Stage 1 exit gate — required before outlining begins)

  • Discourse Scan:
  • Adjacent voices: [Name 1 — one-sentence summary | Name 2 — one-sentence summary | ...]
  • Positioning: [How this piece stands clear of those voices]
  • Echo risk: [LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH]

  • If MEDIUM or HIGH: angle must be revised before proceeding to Stage 2.

  • Experience Intent: [What should the reader feel or sense at the end? e.g., "The reader should feel that they've been seen — their reality named — and leave with one question they can apply tomorrow."]

  • Conclusion Intent: [The single most important thing the reader takes away. The one sentence they remember.]

  • Evidence Selection:

  • Evidence type: [Practitioner observation / Anonymized case vignette / ProActive track record / Referenced research / Combination]
  • Specific instances: [Name the evidence before drafting — do not discover evidence needs during drafting]

When a commitment is locked, log the lock event in Section 6 (Decision Log) with date and stage. When a commitment is unlocked, log the unlock, identify all prior stage outputs potentially affected, describe downstream revision implications, and wait for Richard's instruction.

2. CURRENT STAGE

  • Stage Name: [Stage Name]
  • Stage Number: [N of Total]
  • HITL Mode (this stage): [Default / Override: specify]
  • Stage Status: [Not Started | In Progress | Awaiting Approval | Complete]
  • Next Action Required: [Single clear statement — who does what]

3. PENDING ITEMS

Unresolved questions, flagged tensions, or items requiring Richard's attention before the project can advance.

  • None at instantiation.

4. COMPLETED STAGES

Reference record. One entry per completed stage. Compress oldest entries into summary paragraph when WSD exceeds ~2,000 words of accumulated stage content.

No completed stages yet.

5. OUTPUT ARTIFACTS

Artifact Type Stage File Reference Status

AI-generated drafts (pre-revision, before human review begins) are filed as: [SECTION]_AI_draft_v[N].md Human-reviewed versions are filed as: [SECTION]_v[N].md Both are retained. The AI draft files support disclosure documentation.

5b. DISTRIBUTION PLAN

Completed during Stage 5.5 (Atomization). Leave blank until the anchor piece is published.

Spoke Type Channel Audience Timing Owner Status

See the pattern file's Stage 5.5 for the full Distribution Plan format.

6. DECISION LOG

Date Stage Decision Made By Notes
[DATE] Instantiation Project instantiated Richard

7. PROJECT METADATA

  • Project ID: [PROJECT-ID]
  • Output Type: [Type]
  • Working Title: [Title]
  • Pattern Used: [PATTERN-ID-v1]
  • Instantiated: [DATE]
  • Target Submission Date: [DATE or TBD]
  • Co-authors: None / [Names and roles]
  • Lead Author: Richard
  • Zotero Collection: [Collection name or TBD]
  • Project Folder: /writing-studio/projects/[PROJECT-ID]/

8. SESSION BRIEF

Updated by the AI at every session boundary. A compressed summary for rapid context reconstruction at the next session start. This is not a log — it is a working brief designed for the next cold start.

Last session: [DATE] Where we are: [One sentence — the current state of the project] What was accomplished this session: - [Item] - [Item]

What comes next: [One sentence — the specific next action] Flags: [Any outstanding concerns or items needing attention before proceeding. "None." if clear.]

Session Resumption Protocol: At the start of any resumed session, the AI reads this WSD, confirms its understanding of the current stage, HITL mode, and next required action, states this to Richard explicitly and briefly, and waits for confirmation before proceeding.