| name | slack-writer |
| description | Use when user needs to write Slack announcement messages but struggles with tone, length, or call-to-action. Triggers include 'help me write a Slack message', sharing personal projects, announcing meetups/events, or posting article links. |
Slack Message Writer
Overview
Interactive skill for writing concise, authentic Slack announcement messages with the right tone and clear call-to-action. Core principle: Conversational dump → targeted questions → single draft → iterative feedback.
When to Use
Use this skill when user:
- Wants to share personal projects ("I did this" channels)
- Announce events/meetups on internal Slack
- Share blog posts or articles
- Struggles with tone (too modest vs too salesy)
- Can't write concise messages (writes walls of text)
- Doesn't know how to write effective CTAs
Do NOT use for:
- Regular conversational Slack messages
- Direct messages to individuals
- Questions or status updates (different structure)
Workflow
MANDATORY: Follow this exact workflow. Do NOT skip steps even under time pressure.
Step 1: Gather Context (Free Dump)
Ask user to explain in their own words:
Tell me about what you want to share - just brain dump everything:
- What is it?
- Why did you make it?
- Who might be interested?
- What's the link (if any)?
Do NOT write message yet. Even if urgent. Even if they say "NOW".
Step 2: Ask Targeted Questions
CRITICAL: You MUST ask at least ONE question before generating. Even if you think you have all info.
Based on their dump, ask 1-4 clarifying questions:
- What's the project/announcement?
- Why did you create it / why does it matter?
- Who's the audience?
- What's the URL?
- Any specific deadline or timing?
- What are you most proud of about this?
Red Flag: If you're tempted to skip questions because "user emphasized urgency" - STOP. Questions take 30 seconds. Writing wrong message wastes 10 minutes.
You cannot skip to Step 3 without asking questions first. This is non-negotiable.
Step 3: Generate Single Message
Write ONE message following this EXACT structure with blank lines:
[One-line hook describing what it is]
[1-2 sentences context: why you made it/why it matters]
[CTA with link]
REQUIRED blank lines between sections. Not one long paragraph.
Message Requirements:
- Length: 3-4 separate lines (not one long line wrapping)
- Structure: Hook, blank line, context, blank line, CTA
- Tone: Authentic, conversational, casual
- No marketing speak: Avoid "excited to announce", "game-changer", "revolutionary"
- No false modesty: Don't undersell with "just a small thing"
- Economy of words: Every word must earn its place
- Clear CTA: Make it obvious what action to take
Writing Style
Conversational Flow (CRITICAL):
- ❌ Short, punchy sentences that sound written ("Migrated it to Hugo. New design. All updated.")
- ✅ Longer, flowing sentences that sound like spoken English transcribed
- ❌ Phrases that feel like marketing copy or formal writing
- ✅ Phrases that sound like someone naturally talking and you wrote it down
Punctuation for Natural Flow:
- ❌ Space-dash-space separators (e.g., "been doing it as a hobby - it's fun")
- ✅ Commas, semicolons, or parentheses for natural, conversational flow
- ✅ Integrate clauses smoothly like in speech
Emoji Usage:
- ❌ Emoji isolated on its own line or at the very start (feels too formal/staged)
- ✅ Either skip the emoji entirely, or integrate it naturally if it fits
- Default: Skip emoji unless it feels genuinely natural to the content
Context Recognition:
- ✅ When appropriate, acknowledge shared context with "As some of you may know..." or similar
- This works well when the topic is a known hobby or interest
Information Grouping:
- ❌ Mention same info twice (hook mentions "3 years backlog", then details re-mention backlog)
- ✅ Group related information together in one place
- ✅ This is a Slack message, not a blog post with intro/body structure
Tone Principle:
- Think: "If I was speaking this out loud and someone transcribed it, would it sound like this?"
- If no → rewrite to sound more natural and conversational
Link Formatting Logic:
IF URL is clean (< 60 chars, no ? parameters, no hash):
Check it out: https://painting.pixelastic.com
IF URL is ugly (> 60 chars, has ?utm_source=, has hash/UUID):
<https://medium.com/ugly-url-here|Read the article>
Step 4: Iterative Feedback (MANDATORY)
You MUST ask for feedback after generating the message. Do NOT skip this step.
After showing message, ALWAYS ask:
How does this feel? Any adjustments?
Common feedback:
- "Too long" → Cut to 3 lines, remove adjectives
- "Too casual/formal" → Adjust tone
- "CTA unclear" → Make action more explicit
- "Change this part" → Edit specific section
Iterate until user is satisfied. Then STOP. Don't ask "did you post it?"
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|
| Skip questions due to "urgency" | Questions take 30s. Wrong message wastes 10min. |
| Claim to ask questions but don't | Actually type out the questions. Don't lie. |
| Generate 2-3 versions | ONE version. Iterate based on feedback. |
| Write message > 5 lines | Cut ruthlessly. 3-4 lines is the target. |
| Compress into one long line | Use blank lines between hook/context/CTA. |
| Use bullet points | Slack announcements use short sentences, not bullets. |
| Skip emoji | Always suggest emoji. User can remove if they want. |
| Skip feedback question | Always ask "How does this feel?" |
| Ask "want me to send it?" | Just display. User will copy/paste themselves. |
| Marketing language | "Excited to announce" → "I made X" |
| Show ugly URL | Use <URL|text> format for links with parameters |
Rationalization Red Flags
If you find yourself thinking:
- "User emphasized NOW - I'll skip questions" → STOP. Follow workflow.
- "Asking questions would delay them" → 30 seconds vs 10 minutes. Ask.
- "I have enough context already" → You don't. Ask anyway.
- "It's easier to iterate on draft" → Iterating without context wastes time.
- "I'll provide multiple versions" → ONE version. User will give feedback.
- "I asked questions [but didn't actually ask them]" → That's lying. Actually ask.
- "I'll compress everything into one line to save space" → NO. Use blank lines for structure.
- "Emoji is optional, I'll skip it" → NO. Always suggest emoji.
- "User will ask if they want changes" → NO. You ask for feedback.
All of these mean: Follow the workflow. No shortcuts. No lying about what you did.
Example
User dump:
J'ai migré mon blog de peinture de figurines vers Hugo. Nouveau design, code refait, 2 ans de retard rattrapé. Je veux le partager sur "I did this" sans avoir l'air de me vanter. https://painting.pixelastic.com
You ask:
What specific aspect are you most proud of? The design, the migration itself, or catching up on documentation?
User: The fact that I finally documented 2 years of projects I'd been procrastinating on.
You generate:
🎨 Finally migrated my miniature painting blog to Hugo
New design, complete rewrite, and I caught up on 2 years of project documentation I'd been putting off.
Check it out: https://painting.pixelastic.com
User: "Feels a bit long"
You adjust:
🎨 Migrated my miniature painting blog to Hugo - new design and 2 years of docs finally written
https://painting.pixelastic.com
User: "Perfect!"
Based on research from:
