Competition Entry Composer

Competition Entry Composer

Generate authentic, memorable "25 words or less" competition entries and automatically save to GitHub issue.

Execution Modes

The comp-scout-daily workflow always invokes this skill in unattended mode.

Interactive Mode

When run interactively, this skill asks:

• "What genuine experience do you have with this brand/​product?"
• "Any specific memory or story that relates to the prompt?"
• "Tone preference: funny, sincere, or mix?"

Unattended Mode

When invoked with --unattended or by comp-scout-daily:

• Checks saved stories from CLAUDE.md for keyword matches
• Uses best-matching story, or generic approach if none match
• Generates 3-5 entries with varied arcs
• Auto-persists with recommendation highlighted
• No user prompts - runs end-to-end automatically

What This Skill Does

1. Gathers user context to find authentic angles (interactive) or uses saved stories (unattended)
2. Generates 3-5 entry variations with different arcs
3. Rates and recommends the strongest entries
4. Auto-persists entries as comment on GitHub issue
5. Adds entry-drafted label to the issue

No manual "please save entries" step required.

Input

• Strategy from comp-scout-analyze (recommended)
• OR competition details (prompt, word_limit, brand)
• User context (personal connection, preferences) - interactive mode
• issue_number (for auto-persist)

Optional flags:

• --unattended - Skip all interactive prompts, use saved stories or generic approach

Workflow

Step 0: Check for Matching Saved Stories

Before asking for new context, check if saved stories from the data repo match this competition.

1. Fetch saved stories from the data repo's CLAUDE.md:

gh api repos/​$TARGET_REPO/​contents/​CLAUDE.md -H "Accept: application/​vnd.github.raw" 2>/​dev/​null

1. Parse the Saved Stories section for story entries

2. For each story, calculate relevance by matching story keywords against:

   • Competition prompt
   • Brand/​sponsor name
   • Prize description
   • Strategy themes (if available from comp-scout-analyze)

3. If matching stories found, present them:

I found saved stories that might work for this competition:

1. **Opa's German Christmas** (3 keyword matches: christmas, chocolate, family)
   Theme: Nostalgia, heritage, German traditions

2. **Teaching Daughter to Cook** (1 keyword match: kitchen)
   Theme: Family moments, passing on traditions

Would you like to use one of these, or provide new context?

1. If user selects a story, use its details for entry composition (skip Step 1)

2. If user provides new context AND it's rich enough to reuse, offer to save:

That's great context! Would you like me to save this as a story for future competitions?

Suggested name: "Sunday BBQ Traditions"
Themes: barbecue, summer, Australian lifestyle
Keywords: bbq, summer, meat, outdoor, gathering

To save a new story, update the data repo's CLAUDE.md with the new story entry.

Step 1: Gather User Context

Before drafting, ask clarifying questions:

Essential:

• What genuine experience or connection do you have with this brand/​product?
• Any specific memory or story that relates to the prompt?

Helpful:

• Tone preference: funny, sincere, or mix?
• Anyone you'd nominate instead of yourself? (partner, family member)
• Any personal details that might be relevant? (job, hobby, family situation)

If user has no connection:

• What's generally true for you that could relate?
• What would you actually do with this prize?
• What's the honest version of your situation?

Step 2: Find the Authentic Hook

Generic entries lose. The goal is specificity that makes judges smile in recognition.

Transformation examples:

Questions to surface hooks:

• What's actually true for you?
• What's the embarrassing/​honest version?
• What specific detail would make a judge smile in recognition?
• What do you already do that relates to this prize/​brand?

Step 3: Select Entry Arc Structure

Choose the arc that best fits the tone and content:

---

Sincere Arc (wellness, luxury, emotional prizes)

Structure:

1. Honest admission of current state
2. Aspiration or need
3. Warm landing

Example (wellness retreat):

"My partner nurtures everyone else first. Always. Her mind, body, and soul have been running on empty. She's earned this."

---

Comedic Arc (setup → pivot → callback)

Structure:

1. Setup (unexpected angle or joke)
2. Pivot to genuine substance
3. Callback that recontextualises the setup

Example (solar panels):

"Befriend a neighbour with a pool. Run the laundry while the sun shines. I can watch my panels work, while I float!"

---

Self-Deprecating Arc (relatable failure → redemption)

Structure:

1. Confession (the annual shame)
2. Constraint (why it persists)
3. Resolution (this fixes it)
4. Optional undercut (but there's always something else)

Example (ice maker):

"Every summer barbecue I realise I'm the person who forgot to refill the ice tray, and I can't do a servo run mid-barbecue. Finally, I become the host who is prepared for everything—except an empty gas bottle."

---

List → Pivot Arc (travel, experience prizes)

Structure:

1. Quick list establishing credentials ("Done X, Y, Z")
2. Identify the gap ("But we've never...")
3. Land on the aspiration

Example (Japan walking tour):

"Horseback archery world champs. World's best bonsai. Noodle-making competitions. We've done Japan at full speed. Time to finally walk it slowly."

---

Sensory Arc (food, beverage, experiential)

Structure:

1. Scene-setting
2. Vivid sensory detail
3. Emotional resonance

Example (early holiday memory):

"Ulladulla at four. Dad handed me my first oyster. Too slimy to chew. Swallowed it whole like a little pelican."

---

Step 4: Draft Multiple Versions

Generate 3-5 entries with different approaches:

For each entry, provide:

• The entry text
• Word count (must be ≤ word_limit)
• Arc type used
• Approach description
• Landing strength (1-5)
• Notes on why it works

Step 5: Refine Based on Feedback

After user selects a direction:

Tighten word economy:

• Remove redundant words
• Combine phrases
• Use stronger single words instead of phrases

Strengthen the landing:

• Last line should resonate
• Consider callbacks to earlier elements
• Avoid trailing off

Check rhythm:

• Short sentences for punch
• Longer sentences for warmth
• Vary sentence length for flow

Verify compliance:

• Word count within limit
• Addresses the actual prompt
• Authentic to user's voice

Step 6: Final Quality Check

Before delivering final entry:

• Meets word limit exactly or under
• Contains specific detail (not generic)
• Has clear structure/​arc
• Landing line is strong
• Authentic to user's voice
• Appropriate tone for sponsor/​audience
• No repeated words doing the same job
• No clichés or overused phrases
• Would make a judge smile or nod

Step 7: Auto-Persist to GitHub Issue

Add entries as comment and add label:

# Add entry drafts as comment
gh issue comment $ISSUE_NUMBER -R "$TARGET_REPO" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Entry Drafts

### Option 1 ({word_count} words) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
> {entry_text}

Arc: {arc_type}
Notes: {notes}

### Option 2 ({word_count} words) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
> {entry_text}

Arc: {arc_type}
Notes: {notes}

### Option 3 ({word_count} words) ⭐⭐⭐
> {entry_text}

Arc: {arc_type}
Notes: {notes}

**Recommendation:** Option {n} - {reason}

---
*Generated: {date}*
EOF
)"

# Add label to indicate entries are drafted
gh issue edit $ISSUE_NUMBER -R "$TARGET_REPO" --add-label "entry-drafted"

Step 8: Report Completion

✅ Entries saved to issue #42!

**3 entry options drafted:**
- Option 1 (24 words) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Self-deprecating list
- Option 2 (25 words) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Confession
- Option 3 (23 words) ⭐⭐⭐ - Practical humour

**Recommendation:** Option 1

**Label added:** `entry-drafted`

(In interactive mode: "Which option do you want to submit?")

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Tone:

• Generic enthusiasm ("I would love to win!")
• Empty superlatives ("This amazing prize")
• Begging or desperation ("Please pick me")
• Over-explaining the joke

Content:

• Lies or fabricated stories
• Clichés judges will see hundreds of times
• Vague generalities
• Repeated words doing the same job

Structure:

• Flat endings that don't land
• No clear arc or progression
• Starting with "I" (consider varying)
• Wasting words on setup

Special Entry Types

"Why do you deserve to win?" Prompts

• Avoid begging or sad stories unless genuinely relevant
• Frame around appreciation, not desperation
• Self-awareness wins over earnestness
• Consider nominating someone else for emotional weight

Naming Competitions

• Name should be memorable, punchy, ideally wordplay
• Explanation builds the story behind the name
• Consider: cultural references, product features as wordplay, personality

Haiku/​Poetry Requests

• Count syllables carefully (5-7-5 for haiku)
• Prioritise imagery over explanation
• Land on a strong final image

Output Format

entries:
  - text: "The actual entry text goes here, exactly as it should be submitted."
    word_count: 24
    arc_type: "self_deprecating"
    approach: "Confession → resolution with self-aware undercut"
    landing_strength: 4
    notes: "Relatable summer hosting struggle, personality in the undercut"

  - text: "Second variation with different approach..."
    word_count: 23
    arc_type: "sincere"
    approach: "Problem → vivid consequence → hopeful resolution"
    landing_strength: 5
    notes: "Strongest landing, 'dignity melts' is memorable"

  - text: "Third variation..."
    word_count: 25
    arc_type: "comedic_list"
    approach: "Establish credentials → pivot to weakness"
    landing_strength: 3
    notes: "Solid structure but landing could be stronger"

recommendation: 1  # 0-indexed
recommendation_reason: "Best balance of specificity, personality, and strong landing"
issue_number: 42
persisted: true

Example Session

User: Write entries for issue #42

Claude: I'll write entries for this competition.

[Reads issue #42]

Competition: Win a $500 Coles Gift Card
Prompt: "Tell us in 25 words or less what you'd buy"

First, a few questions to find your authentic angle:

1. What do you typically buy at Coles?
2. Any specific situation where $500 would help?
3. Tone preference: practical/​sincere or humorous?

User: We do our weekly shop there. Always buying for the kids. Would love to
just buy nice things for once instead of bulk snacks and school lunch stuff.

Claude: That's a great angle - the "finally treating yourself" vs endless kid supplies.

## Entry Drafts

### Option 1: Self-Deprecating List (24 words) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
> "Tiny teddies. Zooper doopers. Le Snaks. Cheese stringers. For once, I'd
> fill a trolley with things that aren't in a lunchbox."

Arc: List of kid stuff → pivot to self
Landing: 5/​5 - "aren't in a lunchbox" is specific and relatable

### Option 2: Confession (25 words) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
> "I know every lunchbox snack by heart but forgot what cheese I actually
> like. Five hundred dollars of rediscovering my own taste buds."

Arc: Confession → resolution
Landing: 4/​5 - "own taste buds" works but slightly abstract

### Option 3: Practical Humour (23 words) ⭐⭐⭐
> "School lunches sorted for a term. Then with whatever's left—maybe
> $4.50—something from the fancy cheese section. Just for me."

Arc: Practical → undercut → treat
Landing: 3/​5 - Good but "$4.50" joke might not land for everyone

**Recommendation:** Option 1 - The specific snack names are immediately
recognisable to any parent, and the landing is both relatable and punchy.

[Runs: gh issue comment 42 --body "..."]
[Runs: gh issue edit 42 --add-label "entry-drafted"]

✅ Entries saved to issue #42!
- Added 3 entry options as comment
- Added `entry-drafted` label

Note: When run in unattended mode (via comp-scout-daily), do NOT ask "Which option do you want to submit?" - the workflow will report all results at the end.

Unattended Mode Details

When running in unattended mode (e.g., via comp-scout-daily), the skill:

1. Skips all user prompts - No context gathering questions
2. Uses saved stories - Matches story keywords to competition prompt/​brand
3. Falls back to generic - If no story matches, uses strategy themes
4. Generates varied arcs - Always produces 3-5 entries with different structures
5. Auto-persists immediately - No confirmation needed

Story Matching (Unattended)

The skill reads saved stories from the target repo's CLAUDE.md and matches by:

1. Keyword matching - Story keywords vs. competition title, brand, prize, prompt
2. Theme matching - Story theme vs. strategy themes (if available)
3. Scoring - Rank stories by match count, use best match

If no story matches (score = 0), use generic approach based on:

• Strategy's recommended tone
• Strategy's angle ideas
• Sponsor category defaults

Generic Entry Patterns (No Saved Story)

Invocation by comp-scout-daily

The daily workflow invokes this skill as:

For each new competition issue (after analyze):
  1. Read issue details + strategy comment
  2. Load saved stories from CLAUDE.md
  3. Run comp-scout-compose with --unattended
  4. Entries are auto-persisted as comment
  5. entry-drafted label added

Integration

This skill:

• Uses strategy from comp-scout-analyze (optional but recommended)
• Auto-saves entries to GitHub issue
• Adds entry-drafted label for tracking
• Can be followed by submission confirmation (add entry-submitted label)
• Can be invoked by comp-scout-daily in unattended mode