git:20261011.8ac439b to git:20261020.55007da

---

name: dough-story-refinement

description: >-

Clarifies selected stories before execution planning by establishing goal,

scope, and key examples in each story's seed, distinguishing promises from

rejection constraints. Adds UI or architectural

detail only when needed. Continues a ready story into slice planning in the

same workspace; `--refine-only` stops at the refined story. `--one-shot`

refines a queued story without publishing an assignment and keeps the result

for review, or lands it with `--auto-land`. Use for

selected-story refinement, not broad problem decomposition, candidate

selection, or slice sizing.

---

# Story refinement

Build shared understanding of one selected story, or several related stories

whose boundaries need discussion. Record Goal, Scope, and Key examples in each

story's seed.

## Choose the workflow

If the parent problem, candidate selection, or story ordering needs

reconsideration, use

[dough-story-decomposition](../dough-story-decomposition/SKILL.md).

For smaller or clearer slices, use the project's execution-plan

refinement workflow on the existing plan.

A refinement invocation authorizes slice planning of its story and landing the

completed preparation under

[preparation journey](references/preparation-journey.md); it authorizes no

execution. Continue into planning without repeating answered questions.

## Resolve required context

Identify this project's root, selected story links and seeds,

and relevant prior decisions. When a seed is missing, resolve the canonical

seed directory, ID and filename conventions, required metadata, and stable

story-anchor convention. Resolve project paths from that repository, not this

skill's location.

Resolve the project's slice-planning workflow for the continuation, and ADR

context only when the architectural concern requires it under the reference

below. If required context or a linked dependency is unavailable, name what is

missing and stop the affected activity. Do not invent project paths or decisions.

Read and follow [planning scope and lifecycle](references/planning.md) for the

conversation, scope decisions, optional UI and architecture detail, seed updates,

and cleanup after implementation. When your instruction

carries an established preparation, follow

[established preparation](references/established-preparation.md) instead of the

workspace and announcement steps below. When the request explicitly selects

one-shot (`--one-shot`) for a queued story, follow

[one-shot refinement](references/one-shot-refinement.md) instead of the

announcement step and the default disposition. Before writing to a story's seed,

establish or reuse the required workspace under

[preparation workspace](references/preparation-workspace.md), then, for a

queued story, [announce the preparation assignment](references/preparation-assignment.md#announce-the-preparation-assignment);

refinement discussion and clarifying questions need neither on their own. After the

seed or correction-home write records goal, scope, and key examples for a work

item with a known identity, apply

[record preparation facts](../dough-product-backlog/references/record-preparation.md).

When the request includes options such as `--explore`, read

[refinement options](references/refinement-options.json) and apply the selected

options' instructions within this workflow. Options in the same group, an entry

of that file's `groups` list, are exclusive; if a request names more than one of

them, stop and report the conflict, naming the group's `label` and the flags the

request named from it. Without options, refine straightforwardly.

continue a ready story into slice planning under

[preparation journey](references/preparation-journey.md) unless an open

coordinator question or an explicit refine-only instruction (`--refine-only`)

stops it. When this session ends, follow

[land at the end of preparation](references/preparation-journey.md#land-at-the-end-of-preparation),

[hand off to execution in the same session](references/preparation-journey.md#hand-off-to-execution-in-the-same-session)

instead.

End each selected story with exactly one outcome. When several stories are

refined together, judge each independently: a clear story keeps its result, and

another story's open decision stays with that story.

- **Ready for slice planning** — goal, scope, and key examples are recorded, no

decision you need from a person remains, and the work needs planned execution.

- **Flawless — ready for execution** — the same, and the story fits one

planless slice under

[slice sizing](../dough-story-decomposition/references/problem-decomposition.md#size-and-escalate-slices),

with no decisive premise, as

[slice planning](../dough-slice-planning/SKILL.md#write-the-plan) defines

it, left unobserved and no probe needed.

- **Needs human engagement** — at least one response from a person is required.

When the invocation ends at the refinement result, on an explicit refine-only

Needs human engagement lists each expected response separately: what must be

answered or decided, who decides, your recommended answer when you have one,

the story; missing required context; and a stopped write, recording, or

landing. Claim no readiness. When required context is missing before the seed

write, name the missing input and who can supply it, say which activity resumes

afterwards, and do not claim that refinement was recorded.

[record preparation facts](../dough-product-backlog/references/record-preparation.md):

`refined`, keeping an existing selected approach and plan association,

otherwise an unselected approach. Flawless grants no

[planless authority](../dough-product-backlog/references/record-preparation.md#planless-authority);

outcome neither creates nor renews `ready` and never selects `planless`;

[assess readiness at preparation completion](../dough-product-backlog/references/record-preparation.md#assess-readiness-at-preparation-completion)

still owns the assessment of the current story and any plan.