beat-writer

name	beat-writer
description	Channel-agnostic writer for any piece of content that doesn't yet belong to a specific channel. Use when you have something to say but don't know where it goes — could become a blog post, X thread, newsletter section, web copy, journal entry, or just stay as a plain doc. Runs the beat extraction + shaping discipline, pours prose via /authors-voice (with the operator's default anchor — personal voice), polishes, and leaves a clean draft in OpenWriter. The draft can later be refactored into a specific channel via /blog-writer, /x-writer, or /newsletter-writer. Use when: "/beat-writer", "write this", "draft something", "I have an idea but don't know where", "extract beats", "write me a draft", "pour this in voice", "I want to think this through in writing", "plain doc", "just open a doc", "uncommitted draft", "I'll figure out where it goes later". NOT for: known-channel work (use the channel-master directly — /blog-writer for blogs, /x-writer for tweets, /newsletter-writer for emails, /book-writer for chapters). Requires: OpenWriter MCP server configured + /authors-voice set up with at least Tier 1 anchor.
metadata	{"author":"travsteward","version":"0.1.0"}
license	MIT

Beat Writer

Channel-agnostic, beats-first writer for uncommitted drafts. Owns extraction + shaping; delegates prose to /authors-voice (operator's default anchor — personal voice). Output is a plain OpenWriter doc that can stay generic OR get refactored later into a specific channel via a channel-master writer.

4-layer model:

1. EXTRACT — pull beats out of the operator. Same query-first, 5-pass discipline used by /book-writer. Channel-agnostic CATEGORY tags (CLAIM / REFRAME / MECHANISM / EVIDENCE / STORY / APHORISM / PIVOT / OBJECTION). docs/extraction.md
2. SHAPE — order beats by reader flow, lock as commitments (no content prescription). No channel template — just a sequenced beats list. docs/beat-method.md
3. VOICE — /authors-voice Apply Protocol with the operator's DEFAULT anchor (personal voice). Same machinery as every other writer; no anchor swap. The piece sounds like the operator.
4. POLISH — /polish to 90/100, then /anti-ai, then a naive-reader pass (/congruence if installed, otherwise inline). Delegated, not duplicated.

Firm rules

1. Single entry point. Invoked as /beat-writer only. No subcommands, no flag-syntax args. Internal dispatch from context.

2. EXTRACT before WRITE. Same query-first discipline as /book-writer. AI never invents beats; the operator's head is the source.

3. Beats are commitments, not content. Each beat names the OUTCOME (what the reader registers / what shift lands). The voice layer brings the words.

4. No channel template. This skill deliberately does NOT impose a page structure, thread shape, post format, or chapter container. The draft is shapeless-by-design (just a sequenced beat list) so any channel-master can later re-shape it.

5. Voice = /authors-voice Apply Protocol with operator's DEFAULT anchor. Same machine, default fuel. The piece sounds like the operator. Editor never writes prose directly; every pour is a minion dispatch. Same Rule 1 as /authors-voice.

6. OpenWriter is the writing surface. One container per draft; Beats doc + Draft doc inside (same convention as /blog-writer). Workspace: [Project] Drafts (or reuse the operator's existing writing workspace if present).

7. Refactor is optional. When a draft's destination becomes obvious, hand off to the appropriate channel-master (/blog-writer, /x-writer, /newsletter-writer, /book-writer). Refactor doesn't move the draft; the channel-master reads the Beats + Draft docs and re-shapes into its own container. See docs/refactor.md.

8. Polish is delegated. /polish → /anti-ai → naive-reader pass (/congruence if installed, otherwise read as a first-time reader and fix inline). Do not duplicate their logic.

Architecture

beat-writer/
├── SKILL.md                          (this file — router + firm rules + 4-layer model)
└── docs/                             (loaded on routing match)
    ├── extraction.md                 (5-pass — channel-agnostic CATEGORY tags)
    ├── beat-method.md                (beat = type + job + slot; commitments-not-content)
    ├── pipeline.md                   (extract → write → polish → anti-ai → congruence)
    ├── openwriter-surface.md         (Drafts workspace + container + Beats/Draft doc pattern)
    └── refactor.md                   (handoff to /blog-writer, /x-writer, /newsletter-writer, /book-writer)

Routing

User intent	Action
"/beat-writer" with no context	Ask ONE clarifying question: what are we writing about?
"draft something about X" / "write this"	Extract → shape → voice → polish
"I have this idea: [seed]"	Operator's dump = seed → 5-pass extraction → shape → write
"extract beats from [topic]"	Pass 1–5 only — no draft pour
"pour these beats: [list]"	Skip extraction; load beats; voice pour via /authors-voice
"polish this draft"	Skip extraction + write; run polish/anti-ai/congruence only
"make this into a blog/tweet/newsletter/page"	Refactor handoff — load draft + Beats, route to channel-master per docs/refactor.md

Output contract

{
  "status": "draft-ready" | "needs-input" | "blocked",
  "artifact": { "doc_id": "...", "workspace_id": "...", "container_id": "..." },
  "next_steps": ["polish", "anti-ai", "refactor-to-<channel>", "publish-via-channel-master"],
  "notes": "<optional>"
}

Companion skills

• /authors-voice — REQUIRED. Every prose pour delegates to its Apply Protocol with operator's default anchor.
• /polish — REQUIRED for the 90/100 push.
• /anti-ai — final fingerprint scrub after polish.
• /congruence — naive-reader pass for jargon / broken flow (optional; if not installed, do this pass inline).
• openwriter — REQUIRED. Beats + Draft docs live here.
• /blog-writer / /x-writer / /newsletter-writer / /book-writer — refactor targets when the draft's destination becomes clear.

What this skill does NOT cover

• Channel-specific shape — page templates, thread structure, blog post layout, email scaffolds, chapter containers. Those belong to channel-masters.
• Channel-specific constraints — character budgets per slot. Use /x-writer for tweet/article budgets.
• Voice machinery — /authors-voice owns Apply Protocol, NEVER-rule patching, fingerprint audit, blinder audit.
• Personal-voice setup — /authors-voice owns anchor setup, NEVER rules, fingerprints, corpus analysis.
• Publishing — channel-master skills own publish mechanics.

When to skip this skill

• Known channel from the start — use the channel-master directly (/blog-writer, /x-writer, etc.)
• Single-paragraph or one-liner — /authors-voice directly is faster
• Pure ideation (no draft target) — talk it out, don't formalize it
• Polish-only on existing prose — /polish directly