slack-writer

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!"

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Based on research from:

• How to Write Effective Slack Announcements
• Designing and formatting messages in Slack
• Call-to-Action Best Practices