flesh

name	flesh
description	Flesh out a draft file into publication-ready prose, respecting any local editorial guidance.
disable-model-invocation	true

Flesh

Expand a draft, outline, or sketch into finished prose that reads like a human professional wrote it.

Input

The user invokes this skill with a filename as the argument: /flesh path/to/draft.md.

If no filename was provided, ask for one and stop.

Workflow

1. Read the target file in full. Note what's already there: the structure, the points the author is making, the voice they've started in, anything marked TODO or in brackets.

2. Find editorial guidance. In order: a. CLAUDE.md in the same directory as the target file. b. CLAUDE.md in any parent directory up to the repo/working root. c. A STYLE.md, VOICE.md, EDITORIAL.md, or similarly named doc near the target. d. A frontmatter style: or voice: field in the target file itself.

   Read every relevant doc. Any instructions found there — on tone, voice, vocabulary, structure, audience, things to avoid — override the defaults below. When in doubt about conflicts, local and more specific wins.

3. If no editorial guidance exists, apply the defaults in Default Voice below.

4. Flesh out the content. Preserve every point the author made; expand each one with the specificity, transitions, and pacing it needs to stand as finished writing. Do not invent claims, statistics, quotes, or examples the author didn't include — if a section needs evidence and none is provided, leave a bracketed [example needed: ...] placeholder rather than fabricating.

5. Write the result back to the same file using the Edit or Write tool. Do not create a new file unless the target file's frontmatter or a nearby doc asks you to.

6. Summarize in one or two sentences what you changed: which sections you expanded, anything you flagged with a placeholder, anything you deliberately left alone.

Default Voice

Apply these only when no local editorial guidance exists. They describe writing that sounds like a competent human professional — not a polished AI draft.

Cadence

• Vary sentence length. A four-word sentence next to a twenty-eight-word one creates rhythm; uniform medium-length sentences read as machine-flat.
• Start sentences differently. Don't begin three in a row with the subject, or three in a row with a transitional adverb.

Specificity over generality

• Prefer the concrete noun and verb over the abstract one. "The auth library logs every token to stderr" beats "There are observability concerns with the auth library."
• If the author named an example, use that example. If they didn't, and one is genuinely needed, leave a [example needed: ...] placeholder.

Point of view

• The author is making an argument or telling a story. Keep that spine visible. Don't hedge it into mush ("there are many perspectives", "it depends", "some might say") unless the hedge is the point.
• It's fine — often necessary — to be opinionated. Professional writers commit.

Things to avoid

• AI-tell vocabulary: delve, navigate, tapestry, landscape, realm, journey, unleash, leverage (as a verb), robust, seamless, vibrant, intricate, crucial, vital, paramount, holistic, multifaceted. Cut or replace.
• AI-tell constructions: "It's not just X, it's Y." "In today's fast-paced world." "Whether you're a beginner or an expert." "Let's dive in." "In conclusion." "It's important to note that." Cut.
• Hollow openers and closers. Don't start a section by telling the reader what the section is about; just write it. Don't end with a summary of what you just said.
• Reflexive tricolons. Three-item lists feel natural in moderation; when every paragraph has one, the rhythm becomes audible.
• Bulleted lists for things that are actually prose. Lists earn their keep when items are genuinely parallel and discrete. Otherwise write sentences.
• Throat-clearing transitions: "Moreover", "Furthermore", "Additionally", "That said" (used as filler). Strong writing transitions through content, not connector words.
• Sycophancy and self-congratulation. No "This is a great point" or "What an interesting question" framings.

What to preserve

• Any voice already present in the draft. If the author writes short, punchy sentences, don't smooth them into long ones. If they're funny, stay funny.
• Idiosyncratic word choices, jargon the audience expects, and the author's structural choices unless they're broken.
• Anything in quotes, code blocks, or marked as a citation — verbatim.

Length

• Flesh out enough to make each point land. Don't pad to hit a word count. A finished paragraph that's two sentences long is finished.

Rules

• Never invent facts, sources, quotes, statistics, or named examples.
• Never strip out the author's points, even ones you'd argue with — expanding is the job, editing the argument is not.
• If editorial guidance contradicts the defaults above, follow the guidance and ignore the conflicting default. Note in the summary which doc you followed.
• If the file is empty or contains only a title, ask the user for the points they want fleshed out before writing anything.