polish-style

This skill performs style-only polishing on an existing draft.

It does not change structure, meaning, or claims without approval.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• A draft exists and needs tone/readability refinement
• The outline and content scope are already approved

Do NOT use this skill for:

• Creating outlines or drafts
• Adding new claims or sections
• Publishing tasks

Required Workflow

1. Preconditions Check (Mandatory)

Before polishing, the agent MUST verify:

• Draft file exists in content/drafts/
• The human confirms the draft is ready for style work
• Scope boundaries are still valid

If any item is missing, STOP and ask.

2. Style-Only Pass (Controlled)

The agent MUST:

• Preserve meaning and section structure
• Improve clarity, concision, and flow
• Keep tone practical and reflective
• Flag any ambiguous or weak passages as TODO: instead of rewriting meaning

The agent MUST NOT:

• Add new claims, examples, or conclusions
• Change the article’s scope or outline order
• Use authoritative or hype-driven language

3. Change Log & Review Prompt (Mandatory)

After polishing, the agent MUST:

• Summarize the types of edits made
• List any TODO: flags introduced
• Ask whether to proceed to publishing steps or further revisions

Style Constraints

• Practice-first, not theory-first
• Short to medium paragraphs
• Prefer first-person when appropriate
• Avoid tutorial-style imperatives
• No exaggerated AI capability claims

Guardrails (Hard Rules)

• ❌ Do not polish without a confirmed draft
• ❌ Do not rewrite meaning or add new content
• ❌ Do not publish or move files to published/

Success Criteria

This skill is successful when:

• The draft reads smoother without changing meaning
• The human can easily review changes
• The next step decision is explicit