| name | writing-instruction-builder |
| description | Compose a writing instruction from voice, tone, style, and format axis entries. Use when you need a precise writing instruction for a specific combination of voice, tone, style, and format. Returns a ready-to-use LLM prompt string. |
| metadata | {"version":"0.2.0"} |
Compose Writing Instruction
Compose a writing instruction by combining taxonomy entries from the Voice and Tone, Style, and Format axes.
Usage
/writing-style-catalog:writing-instruction-builder [voice=<id>] [tone=<id>] [style=<id>] [format=<id>] [topic=<text>] [audience=<text>]
All parameters are optional. If omitted, the skill picks sensible defaults.
Parameters
voice - Voice entry ID (e.g., pragmatic-architect, pastoral, columnist)tone - Tone entry ID (e.g., candid, warm, matter-of-fact)style - Style entry ID (e.g., problem-solution, devotional-reflection)format - Format entry ID (e.g., adr, blog-post-long-form, slack-message)topic - The topic or subject to write about (optional, for a more concrete composed instruction)audience - The intended audience (optional, defaults to general)
What the Skill Does
- Validates each provided entry ID against the taxonomy catalog
- Reads the
llm_instruction_phrasing from each matching entry
- Assembles a composed instruction string in a fixed precedence order: voice, then tone, then style, then format
- Checks the selected entries against each other's relationship fields and warns on any conflict (without blocking)
- Returns the composed instruction ready to paste into any LLM prompt
Implementation
The composition is implemented by the helper script scripts/build-instruction.py in this
skill folder. It reads the catalog from the taxonomy/ directory at the plugin root, so that
directory ships with the plugin. The slash command takes key=value arguments; the script
itself takes --flag value arguments. Run it directly to compose without the slash command,
for example:
python scripts/build-instruction.py --voice pragmatic-architect --tone candid --format adr
Conflict-aware composition
The builder reads each selected entry's avoid_with and pairs_well_with relationships and
reports on them, so a composition is a checked guarantee rather than a blind concatenation. The
rules (see ADR 0016):
- Conflicts are symmetric. A pair is flagged if either entry lists the other in
avoid_with, so the warning never depends on which author recorded the link.
- Warn, never block. A conflicting pair still composes (you may want a deliberate tension);
the builder emits a warning and applies voice -> tone -> style -> format precedence so the
higher-precedence axis leads.
- Affirmations. A
pairs_well_with match is surfaced as a confirming note.
The composed instruction prints to stdout; conflict warnings and affirmation notes print to
stderr, so stdout stays a clean, pipeable prompt. For example, pairing the
pragmatic-architect voice with the reverent tone (which it lists in avoid_with) still
returns the instruction and prints:
warning: conflict - pragmatic-architect (voice) and reverent (tone) are marked avoid_with.
Composing anyway with voice -> tone -> style -> format precedence; expect tension.
Examples
Compose an ADR in pragmatic-architect voice with candid tone:
/writing-style-catalog:writing-instruction-builder voice=pragmatic-architect tone=candid format=adr
Compose a pastoral devotional:
/writing-style-catalog:writing-instruction-builder voice=pastoral tone=reverent style=devotional-reflection format=devotional-entry topic="The discipline of rest"
Available Entries
Run without arguments to see all available entries grouped by axis.
