List Builder

What it does

The List Builder skill helps create comprehensive, high-quality lists for use in creative randomization processes, particularly those involving “entropy tools” for story development. It bridges the gap between Large Language Models (LLMs) which are good at research and quality control, and scripts that handle storage and random selection. The goal is to build lists with sufficient size, variety, and specificity to spark new ideas and inject unpredictability into creative projects. Currently, it focuses on building lists from Starter/Functional levels up to Production level.

When to use it

• Prototyping & Demos: Quickly generate starter lists for initial testing or showcasing the concept of entropy-driven content creation.
• Personal Projects: Build usable lists for individual creative endeavors, such as generating character ideas or plot points.
• Client Work/Published Tools: Create robust and reliable lists suitable for professional projects or tools intended for wider distribution.
• Expanding Existing Lists: Improve existing lists by increasing their size, variety, and specificity to enhance their usefulness.

Key capabilities

• List Generation: Creates lists of items based on a defined category and purpose.
• Quality Criteria Enforcement: Adheres to principles of list quality including: Size (50-200+ items), Variety (spanning the full possibility space), and Specificity (concrete enough to spark ideas).
• Research Integration: Leverages available sources like Kiwix/Wikipedia for expanding beyond obvious examples.
• Level Progression: Facilitates building lists from Starter/Functional levels up to Production level quality.

Example prompts

• "Create a list of 100 professions, ensuring variety across industries and status levels."
• "Build a Functional-level list of unusual locations with emotional valence considerations."
• “Generate a starter list of character traits, focusing on visible vs. hidden aspects.”

Tips & gotchas

• Define the List: Clearly define the category, purpose, and target size (minimum 50 items) before starting to build a list.
• Beyond the Obvious: Don't rely solely on initial ideas; actively research for variety and specificity using external sources.
• Specificity is Key: Aim for concrete, unexpected list items that spark creative inspiration rather than vague categories.