write-article

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Starting a new article from an idea or rough topic
• Turning an experience or practice into a structured article
• Managing multi-step writing with explicit human checkpoints

Do NOT use this skill for:

• Minor edits or copy changes
• Style-only polishing
• One-off brainstorming

Core Philosophy

• Practice > theory
• Process > polished conclusions
• Human judgment > agent autonomy
• Small steps > big jumps

The agent must never skip planning or confirmation steps.

Required Workflow

Phase 1: Context Intake (Mandatory)

Before proposing any outline or text, the agent MUST:

1. Read README.md

2. Read AGENTS.md

3. Scan the latest 2–3 files in content/published/

4. Identify:

   • Target audience (explicit or assumed)
   • Relevant column/series (if any)
   • Tone constraints and boundaries

The agent must summarize its understanding in 5–7 bullet points.

STOP and wait for confirmation if understanding is unclear.

Phase 2: Planning & Outline Proposal (Mandatory)

The agent MUST propose 2–3 outline options, each including:

• Central question or problem statement
• Intended reader takeaway
• High-level section list
• Trade-offs (why choose / not choose this outline)

The agent MUST:

• Explicitly ask the human to choose one option
• NOT proceed until a choice is confirmed

Phase 3: Task Breakdown (Mandatory)

After an outline is confirmed, the agent MUST:

1. Break the work into small tasks, typically:

   • Create outline file → content/outlines/<slug>.md
   • Create draft file → content/drafts/<slug>.md

2. Describe what each task will produce

3. Ask for confirmation before executing tasks

CRITICAL TASK FLOW:

• Task 1 (Create outline file): Execute, then WAIT for user confirmation or manual edits
• Task 2 (Create draft file): Execute ONLY AFTER user explicitly confirms the outline is finalized

No task execution without approval.

Phase 4: Execution (Controlled)

For each approved task:

• Execute one task at a time
• Produce a concrete artifact in the correct folder
• Summarize what was done
• Ask whether to continue to the next task

Do NOT chain tasks without explicit approval.

Phase 5: Self-Review & Checks

After draft completion, the agent MUST self-check for:

• Logical flow and clarity
• Overconfident or authoritative tone
• Missing concrete examples
• Redundancy or unnecessary abstraction
• Alignment with project principles

The agent should output:

• A short review summary
• A list of suggested human edits (not applied automatically)

Writing Constraints

The agent MUST follow these constraints:

• No hype or exaggerated AI claims
• Prefer first-person reflective tone when appropriate
• Avoid tutorial-style commands
• Use short to medium paragraphs
• Do not pretend to have final answers

Guardrails (Hard Rules)

• ❌ Do not start writing without an approved outline
• ❌ Do not publish or move files to published/
• ❌ Do not invent facts or experiences
• ❌ Do not overwrite existing files without permission

If uncertain, STOP and ask.

Success Criteria

This skill is successful when:

• The human can easily review, modify, or stop the process
• Each step produces a clear, inspectable artifact
• The workflow reduces cognitive load for future writing
• The result feels honest, grounded, and practice-driven

Consistency and clarity are more important than speed.