authoring-user-stories

# Authoring User Stories

## Purpose

Transform feature descriptions into testable user stories with clear business value, prioritized by impact. Each story should be independently testable with measurable acceptance criteria.

## User Story Format

Generate 2-5 user stories per feature using this exact structure:

```markdown
### User Story N - [Brief Title] (Priority: P#)

[Describe this user journey in plain language]

**Why this priority**: [Explain the value and priority level]

**Independent Test**: [How this can be tested standalone]

**Acceptance Scenarios**:
1. **Given** [state], **When** [action], **Then** [outcome]
2. **Given** [state], **When** [action], **Then** [outcome]
```

## Priority Definitions

| Priority | Meaning | Criteria |
|----------|---------|----------|
| **P1** | Core functionality | MVP requirement, blocks other features, must ship |
| **P2** | Important | Complete experience but can ship without initially |
| **P3** | Nice to have | Enhances experience, future consideration |

See [PRIORITY-DEFINITIONS.md](PRIORITY-DEFINITIONS.md) for detailed guidance on priority assignment.

## Acceptance Scenario Guidelines

Each scenario follows the Given/When/Then pattern:

- **Given**: The initial state or precondition (context)
- **When**: The action the user takes (trigger)
- **Then**: The expected outcome (result)

**Rules:**
1. Each story needs 2-4 acceptance scenarios
2. Cover both happy path and key edge cases
3. Scenarios must be independently verifiable
4. Use concrete, observable outcomes (not implementation details)

**Good example:**
```
**Given** a user has an active subscription,
**When** they click "Cancel Subscription",
**Then** they see a confirmation dialog with the cancellation date
```

**Bad example:**
```
**Given** the database has the user record,
**When** the API receives a DELETE request,
**Then** the subscription_status column is set to "cancelled"
```

## Independent Test Requirement

Each user story must include an **In