Memory Documentary Skill
Generate comprehensive documentary-style reports from your memory systems with full evidence chains.
Quick Start
text
/memory-documentary [topic]
Example topics:
- •"recurring frustrations"
- •"coding patterns not codified"
- •"evolution of thinking on testing"
- •"decisions I second-guessed"
- •"what I complain about most"
Triggers
Use this skill when:
- •"Search my memories for patterns about..."
- •"What does my history say about..."
- •"Generate a documentary on my [topic]"
- •"Cross-reference all systems for..."
- •"Evidence-based analysis of my [topic]"
Quick Reference
| Phase | Action | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Topic Comprehension | Search variants, scope boundaries |
| 2 | Investigation Planning | Explicit queries per system |
| 3 | Data Collection | Evidence with IDs, timestamps |
| 4 | Report Generation | Documentary with citations |
| 5 | Memory Updates | Store meta-pattern discovered |
How It Works
The skill searches ALL available data sources systematically:
Memory Systems (Brain MCP):
- •Brain: Semantic knowledge graph with observations and relations
- •Supports search, read, write, and edit operations on notes
Project Artifacts:
- •
.agents/retrospective/- Learning extractions - •
.agents/sessions/- Session logs - •
.agents/analysis/- Research reports - •
.agents/architecture/- ADRs - •
.agents/planning/- Plans and PRDs
GitHub Issues:
- •Open and closed issues
- •Comments and related PRs
Commands
bash
# Standard invocation /memory-documentary "recurring frustrations" # With explicit time range /memory-documentary "testing patterns" --since 2025-12-01
Report Structure
Executive Summary
- •Key finding in one sentence
- •Timeline span (earliest to most recent)
- •Evidence count (memories + observations + issues + files)
- •Major pattern categories
Evidence Trail
Full citation for each finding:
- •Memory ID/Observation ID with retrieval command
- •Source system (Brain)
- •Timestamp/Creation date
- •Direct quote from source
- •Links to related evidence
Pattern Evolution
Timeline showing how thinking changed:
text
YYYY-MM-DD: [Observation #ID] - Initial state YYYY-MM-DD: [Memory #ID] - First iteration YYYY-MM-DD: [Issue #NNN] - Technical response
Unexpected Patterns
Cross-system synthesis revealing:
- •Frequency patterns (time clustering)
- •Correlation patterns (X happens before Y)
- •Avoidance patterns (conspicuous absence)
- •Contradiction patterns (saying vs doing)
- •Evolution patterns (recursive loops)
- •Emotional patterns (frustration markers)
Synthesis
- •What all systems agree on
- •What's recent vs crystallized knowledge
- •Actionable recommendations
Evidence Standards
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Citation | Every claim has ID, timestamp, quote |
| Quotes | Direct quotes, not paraphrases |
| Verification | Retrieval commands for all evidence |
| Cross-links | Related evidence connected |
Anti-Patterns
| Avoid | Why | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Partial searches | Miss critical evidence | Search ALL systems |
| Paraphrasing | Loses verifiability | Direct quotes only |
| Single query | Miss variations | 3+ query variants per system |
| Skipping systems | Incomplete picture | Check all 4 MCP servers |
Output Location
Reports saved to: .agents/analysis/[topic]-documentary-[date].md
Related Skills
| Skill | Relationship |
|---|---|
| memory | Operations (search, update) |
| exploring-knowledge-graph | Brain graph traversal |
| retrospective | Learning extraction |
| skillbook | Pattern → skill conversion |
On Invocation
Read: references/execution-protocol.md
This contains the full 5-phase execution protocol with detailed instructions for each data source.