writing
Assists with writing and editing general prose using Strunk & White's Elements of Style and Wikipedia's AI writing detection guide. Use when composing articles, blog posts, or editing text for clarity and authenticity.
When & Why to Use This Skill
This Claude skill serves as a comprehensive writing assistant and precision editor designed to enhance prose clarity, authenticity, and structural integrity. By integrating classic principles from Strunk & White’s Elements of Style with modern AI writing detection standards, it helps users refine drafts, maintain consistent brand voices, and produce high-quality content across various formats including blog posts, technical documentation, and UI microcopy.
Use Cases
- Precision Editing: Refine rough drafts by eliminating fluff and tightening prose to improve readability and professional impact.
- Voice Extraction & Matching: Analyze existing text to create a unique voice profile and apply it to new content for brand consistency.
- Authenticity & AI Detection Review: Evaluate writing against Wikipedia's AI detection guides to ensure the content feels human, engaging, and authentic.
- Narrative & Story Structuring: Organize complex ideas into compelling narrative arcs or logical frameworks like the Minto Pyramid for executive summaries.
- Technical Documentation: Utilize specialized templates to create structured documents such as RFCs, ADRs, and design docs with technical precision.
- UI Microcopy Optimization: Craft and iterate on user interface text to ensure the tone aligns with the product's personality and user experience goals.
| name | writing |
|---|---|
| description | Precision editing for prose and copy. Use when user says "edit this", "improve this", "review my writing", "use [name]'s voice", or provides draft text to refine. Triggers on editing, voice extraction, voice library, narrative structure, microcopy. |
Writing Skill
Router skill for writing and content workflows. Detects task type and routes to appropriate workflow.
When This Skill Activates
You're working on:
- Editing prose or documentation
- Extracting or matching author voice
- Managing saved voice profiles (list, apply, delete)
- Structuring narratives or stories
- Writing UI microcopy
- Evaluating content quality
Workflow Selection
Announce which workflow you're using:
| Task Type | Workflow | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze writing style, extract voice profile | Voice Extraction | references/voice.md |
| List, apply, or delete saved voices | Voice Library | /wordsmith:voices command |
| Edit text, cut fluff, tighten prose | Precision Editing | references/editing.md |
| Structure story, build narrative arc | Narrative Structure | references/narrative.md |
| Write UI copy, tone variations | Microcopy Tones | references/copy.md |
| Evaluate blog/content quality, score | Content Evaluation | references/eval.md |
| Create RFC, ADR, design doc, or blog | Document Template | ../template/SKILL.md |
Strategic Framework
| Framework | Purpose | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Open Loop | Make messages memorable via Zeigarnik effect | Copy, presentations, emails that need to stick |
Related Thinking Tools
From hope/skills/soul/references/tools/:
| Tool | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Minto Pyramid | Structure executive summaries, SCQA format |
| Productive Thinking | Multi-perspective content review |
Usage
- Detect which workflow applies based on user's task
- Announce: "I'm using the writing skill for [workflow]"
- Load the appropriate reference file
- Execute the workflow exactly as written
Rules
- Use Ask tool to gather input before proceeding
- Preserve author voice when editing
- Be specific about changes and rationale
- For evaluations, provide exact replacement text for fixes