Agent-Skills.md

Agent Skills: Writing and Editing

This skill should be used when the user asks to "write an article", "draft a blog post", "edit prose", "review my writing", "check style", "improve clarity", or needs general writing guidance. Provides Strunk & White's Elements of Style for foundational grammar, usage, and composition principles.

UncategorizedID: edwinhu/workflows/writing

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edwinhu/workflows
edwinhu

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skills/writing/SKILL.md

Skill Metadata

Name
writing
Description
This skill should be used when the user asks to "write an article", "draft a blog post", "edit prose", "review my writing", "check style", "improve clarity", or needs general writing guidance. Provides Strunk & White's Elements of Style for foundational grammar, usage, and composition principles.

Writing and Editing

Foundational style guide for clear, concise prose based on Strunk & White's Elements of Style.

When to Use

Invoke this skill for:

  • Writing articles, blog posts, or general prose
  • Editing text for clarity, conciseness, or style
  • Reviewing grammar and usage
  • Improving sentence structure and word choice

For specialized domains:

  • Legal writing (law review articles): Use /writing-legal skill (Volokh)
  • Economics/Finance: Use /writing-econ skill (McCloskey)

Core Principles

The Iron Law of Good Writing

Omit needless words.

Every word must earn its place. Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.

Critical Rules

| Rule | Explanation | |------|-------------| | Write in prose | Avoid bullet points and lists unless explicitly requested | | Use active voice | "The committee approved the plan" not "The plan was approved" | | Be concrete | Specific details over vague abstractions | | Put statements in positive form | Say what something is, not what it isn't | | Use definite language | Avoid hedging, qualifiers, and weasel words |

Red Flags - Stop If You Think

| Thought | Why It's Wrong | Do Instead | |---------|----------------|------------| | "I'll add some qualifiers to be safe" | Weakens the writing | Make definite assertions | | "Let me list these points" | Bullet points are lazy | Write in prose paragraphs | | "I should sound more formal" | Formality often means wordiness | Write naturally, then edit | | "This needs more emphasis" | Overemphasis dilutes meaning | Let strong words speak |

How to Use This Skill

Before Writing

  1. Identify the main point or thesis
  2. Plan the structure: introduction, development, conclusion
  3. Gather concrete examples to support claims

During Drafting

  1. Write complete sentences in paragraphs
  2. Use active voice and strong verbs
  3. Be specific: "three hours" not "a long time"
  4. Avoid starting with "There is" or "It is"

During Editing

Apply these checks in order:

Sentence Level:

  • Remove unnecessary words ("in order to" → "to")
  • Replace weak verbs ("is able to" → "can")
  • Convert passive to active voice
  • Eliminate redundancies ("past history" → "history")

Paragraph Level:

  • Ensure each paragraph has one main idea
  • Check topic sentences lead clearly
  • Verify logical flow between paragraphs

Word Level:

  • Replace abstract nouns with concrete ones
  • Use specific verbs over vague ones + adverbs
  • Cut filler words ("very", "really", "quite", "rather")

Quick Reference: Common Fixes

| Weak | Strong | |------|--------| | utilize | use | | in order to | to | | due to the fact that | because | | at this point in time | now | | in the event that | if | | prior to | before | | subsequent to | after | | with regard to | about | | a large number of | many | | is able to | can |

Progressive Disclosure

For comprehensive guidance, consult:

Reference Files

  • references/elements-of-style.md - Complete Strunk & White guide covering:
    • Elementary Rules of Usage (commas, colons, participles)
    • Elementary Principles of Composition (paragraph unity, active voice)
    • Words and Expressions Commonly Misused
    • Style guidance and literary reminders

When to Load References

Load the full reference when:

  • Encountering specific grammar questions (comma usage, possessives)
  • Needing detailed guidance on composition principles
  • Checking whether specific words/expressions are commonly misused
  • Working on substantial editing tasks

Integration with AI Anti-Patterns

After completing any writing task, invoke /ai-anti-patterns to check for AI writing indicators. This plugin includes PostToolUse hooks that automatically warn on common anti-patterns in Write/Edit output.

Examples

Weak original:

It is important to note that there are a variety of different factors that contribute to the overall success of the project in question.

Strong revision:

Several factors determine project success.

Weak original:

The report was written by the team and was subsequently reviewed by management prior to being distributed to stakeholders.

Strong revision:

The team wrote the report, management reviewed it, and stakeholders received it.

Related Skills

  • /ai-anti-patterns - Detect and revise AI writing patterns
  • /writing-legal - Academic legal writing (Volokh)
  • /writing-econ - Economics and finance writing (McCloskey)
  • /docx - Word document creation, editing, tracked changes
  • /pdf - PDF extraction, creation, form filling
  • /pptx - Presentation creation and editing
  • /xlsx - Spreadsheet creation and analysis