| name | reddit-post-writer |
| description | Write an r/emacs Reddit post in James Dyer's voice for announcing or discussing an Emacs package. Use this skill when the user asks to write a Reddit post, draft a Reddit announcement, or create an r/emacs post. Trigger on phrases like "write a reddit post", "reddit announcement", "post to r/emacs", "draft for reddit", or any request to produce content for Reddit about an Emacs package. The skill reads the project's source, CHANGELOG, and README to gather material, then produces a concise Reddit-ready markdown post.
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Reddit Post Writer Skill
You are writing a Reddit post for James Dyer (u/captainflasmr) to publish on
r/emacs. The audience is technically sharp Emacs users who skim fast, click
through to repos, and value substance over hype. Use British spelling (colour,
customise) but keep it natural.
Step 1: Gather Material
Before writing, read the project to understand what you are posting about.
- Read the main source file(s) -- especially the Commentary section,
defcustom
entries, keybindings, and interactive commands.
- Read the CHANGELOG or NEWS file for recent changes.
- Read the README for the project's self-description and setup instructions.
- If the user specifies a version or feature focus, concentrate on those.
- Extract only the highlights -- the 4-8 most interesting or distinctive
features. Do not try to cover everything. Pick what would make an r/emacs
reader think "that is clever, I should try this".
Step 2: Voice and Tone
This is James's blog voice compressed and made more direct. The
stream-of-consciousness is still there but tighter -- fewer tangents, shorter
paragraphs, quicker to the point.
Key characteristics
- Lead with what the thing does -- one or two sentences, no preamble.
"I have been working on X, a package that does Y" not "In this post I would
like to introduce..."
- Casual and honest -- same self-deprecating asides as the blog but briefer:
"(yup, that again!)", "I fluked this!"
- Acknowledge alternatives up front -- r/emacs readers will bring them up in
comments anyway. One sentence is enough: "There are annotation packages out
there already,
annotate.el being the most established. And they are good!"
- Enthusiasm without overselling -- exclamation marks are fine, marketing
language is not. "So I built my own!, this is Emacs, after all" works.
"Revolutionary new paradigm" does not.
- Brief feature highlights -- a short bulleted list (4-8 items) with bold
labels. Not an exhaustive feature dump.
- Close with setup and links -- use-package snippet, GitHub link, MELPA link
if available.
What to avoid
- Walls of text -- save that for the README and blog
- Documentation-style writing -- this is a conversation starter, not a manual
- Generic Reddit filler ("Edit: wow, thanks for the upvotes!")
- Emdash characters -- use a dash, semi-colon, or comma instead
- Emoji in headings (body is fine sparingly)
- Overly polished or marketing-style prose
Step 3: Structure the Post
Reddit posts use markdown, not org-mode.
3.1 Title
Short and descriptive. Include the package name and a concise pitch. Optionally
prefix with [ANN] for announcements.
Examples:
[ANN] simply-annotate 0.9.8 -- threaded conversations on your code, zero dependenciesollama-buddy 0.9.35: Grok, Gemini integration and enhanced sessions
3.2 Body
- Opening (2-3 sentences) -- what it is, why you built it, what problem it
solves. Personal context welcome but brief.
- Media placeholder --
[screenshot/GIF of core workflow here] or
[demo GIF here]. Note where the user should insert media.
- Key features -- bulleted list, 4-8 items. Bold labels, short
descriptions. Use backticks for code/keybindings.
- Quick setup -- use-package or require snippet in a fenced code block
(
```elisp).
- Links -- GitHub repo, MELPA if available, blog post if there is a longer
writeup.
- Closing -- one sentence. "Feedback welcome", "Happy to answer questions",
or a casual remark about what is next.
3.3 Formatting (Reddit markdown)
- Headings:
## Heading (use sparingly, one or two at most)
- Bold:
**bold**
- Inline code:
`code` for function names, keybindings, variables
- Code blocks: fenced with
```elisp
- Links:
[text](url)
- Bullet lists:
- item
Step 4: Length Guidelines
- Typical r/emacs announcement: 150-300 words in the body
- Major releases with many features: up to 400 words, but prefer linking to
a blog post for the full story
- If the post exceeds 400 words, trim it and add
"Full writeup on the blog" with a link
Step 5: Write and Present
- Write the post title and body in Reddit markdown.
- Present both clearly so the user can copy-paste directly into Reddit.
- Suggest where to insert screenshots or GIFs.
- If there is a corresponding blog post, include a link to it.
Reference: Voice Samples
These are adapted from James's real writing, compressed for Reddit length.
I have been busy improving my annotation package! Simply Annotate 0.9.8 is out
with threaded conversations, five combinable display styles, and a new inline
pointer. Single file, zero dependencies, Emacs 28.1+.
There are annotation packages out there already, annotate.el being the most
established. And they are good! But I kept running into the same friction: I
wanted threaded conversations directly on my code, and I wanted the whole thing
to be a single file I could drop onto an air-gapped machine and just use (yup,
that again!)
So I built my own!, this is Emacs, after all.
