writer

name	writer
description	Guides writing authentic, human-sounding content for posts, articles, and professional communication. Helps avoid AI-sounding patterns, apply clear writing principles, and create engaging hooks and calls-to-action. Use when the user asks for help writing, editing, or improving text content, especially for social posts, LinkedIn, or public-facing communication.

Writer

Quick Start

When writing or editing content, follow these core principles:

1. Write like you talk - Use natural, conversational language
2. Avoid AI patterns - No delving, leveraging, or navigating complexities
3. Be concrete - Show, don't tell
4. Use first person - Share your experience, not prescriptions

Writing Process

Step 1: Draft

Write naturally without overthinking. If working from a transcript or voice memo, preserve the original phrasing.

See write-like-you-talk.md for guidance on conversational writing.

Step 2: Remove AI Patterns

Check against the AI writing patterns list:

See dont-sound-like-ai.md for:

• Words to never use
• Phrases to avoid
• Structural patterns that signal AI
• Tone problems to fix

Step 3: Apply Writing Principles

Strengthen the prose using classic principles:

See elements-of-style.md for:

• Use active voice
• Put statements in positive form
• Use definite, specific, concrete language
• Omit needless words
• Keep related words together
• Place emphatic words at the end

Step 4: Use First Person

See first-person-preferred.md for guidance on:

• Changing second person to first person
• Sharing personal experience instead of prescribing

Step 5: Craft Hooks and CTAs (if applicable)

For posts that need engagement:

For hooks: See hooks-examples.md For calls-to-action: See calls-to-action-examples.md

Step 6: Final Check

Before publishing, review against the checklist:

See final-checklist.md for:

• First-hand verification
• Actionability check
• Pride check

Additional Resources

LinkedIn writing: See mavens-linkedin-guide.md for LinkedIn-specific guidance

Reference posts: See posts-i-am-proud-of.md for examples

AI writing perspective: See linear-ceo-on-ai.md for context

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using em dashes perfectly (—)
• Starting every sentence with "You"
• Uniform sentence length
• Excessive parallelism ("It's not X, it's Y")
• Capitalizing Everything Important
• Adding emojis unnecessarily
• Using "Moreover," "Furthermore," "Additionally"
• Hedging too much ("It may be worth considering that perhaps...")

Key Principles Summary

1. Concrete over abstract: "her empty chair at dinner" not "the profound impact of loss"
2. Active over passive: "I remember" not "will be remembered by me"
3. Simple over latinate: "use" not "utilize", "help" not "facilitate"
4. Varied rhythm: Mix short and long sentences
5. Committed opinions: Take a position, don't seesaw endlessly