technical-writing-workflow

name

technical-writing-workflow

description

Use for planning, researching, drafting, revising, or auditing technical write-ups, textbooks, papers, reports, READMEs, research notes, PR narratives, and public technical prose. Applies a full workflow, not only style rules: reader need, source audit, ontology, outline contracts, parallel research packets, serial synthesis, claim-boundary checks, plain-English rewrite, anti-LLM prose audit, citation audit, and final render or publication readiness.

Technical writing workflow

Use this skill when the user asks to write, rewrite, improve, audit, explain, teach, document, or publish technical material. Treat it as a workflow with checks, not as a prose vibe.

Core rule

Open the subject up without making it shallow.

Every important explanation must name:

1. the object or behavior being described
2. the method, mechanism, or actor that changes it
3. the evidence that supports the claim
4. the boundary the claim is allowed to cover

Serial before parallel

Serialize meaning. Parallelize collection.

Do these serially before drafting:

1. Define the reader and use case.
2. Define scope and exclusions.
3. Build the ontology table.
4. Decide the argument order.
5. Write chapter or section contracts.
6. Resolve source contradictions.

Then parallelize:

• source packets
• paper cards
• glossary entries
• examples
• diagrams
• exercises
• tables
• reference checks
• local fact checks
• counterexamples and failure modes

Return to serial work for:

• synthesis
• final claim strength
• voice and terminology
• cross-references
• final layout or render inspection