writing-skills

name	writing-skills
description	When the user wants to create a new skill for a repeated pattern. When the user says "create a skill for" or "we should formalize this". When the user identifies a repetitive workflow that should be automated.
tools	["read","edit"]

Meta-Skill: Writing New Skills

Purpose

Without formalizing repeated workflows as skills, agents re-derive the same process each time — inconsistently and without the hard-won lessons from previous attempts. This skill captures proven patterns as reusable, validated skill files.

Auto-Trigger

• User says: "Create a skill for...", "We should formalize..."
• Repetitive pattern identified (3+ times)
• Project has unique workflow in README

Process

1. Identify the Pattern

Confirm the workflow is worth formalizing — only patterns that recur and benefit from consistency should become skills.

• Does this happen repeatedly?
• Is it documented?
• Would automation help?

2. Extract from Documentation

Look for:

• "Always do X before Y"
• "Never do A without B"
• Step-by-step guides in README or CLAUDE.md
• Best practices sections

3. Create SKILL.md Structure

Write the skill following the standard format with all required sections:

# Skill: Systematic Code Review

## Purpose
Without a structured review checklist, reviewers miss security issues and inconsistencies that accumulate into technical debt. This skill ensures every review covers correctness, security, and maintainability.

## Auto-Trigger
- User says "review this code" or "check my PR"
- Before merging any feature branch

## Process

### 1. Check correctness
...

## Output
Review report with severity-ranked findings.

## Anti-Patterns
❌ Reviewing only happy-path logic

4. Test the Skill

• Create example scenario
• Follow the skill step-by-step
• Verify output matches expectations
• Refine based on issues

5. Save to Directory

# Project-specific skill
mkdir -p .clinerules/skills/my-skill && cp SKILL.md .clinerules/skills/my-skill/

# General-purpose skill (after validation)
cp -r my-skill ~/.claude/skills/

Output

A SKILL.md file with score >= 90 from prg skills validate, saved to the appropriate directory.

Anti-Patterns

❌ Creating a skill without testing it first ❌ Vague trigger conditions that activate too broadly ❌ Missing Anti-Patterns section ❌ Placeholder text left in the skill body