write-article

name

write-article

description

Creates articles using writing framework prompts hosted at jeffbailey.us. Determines the best framework for the topic, fetches the prompt, and applies it. Use when the user says /write:article, asks to write an article, create content, draft a post, or wants to use a specific writing framework (Diataxis, AIDA, PAS, TEA, Classical Rhetoric, Backward Design, Lesson Planning, Thought Pieces, Influence Pieces, Fact-Based Reference, Fundamentals, or List Articles). Triggers on "write article", "create article", "draft post", "write tutorial", "write how-to", "write explanation", "write reference doc".

Article Creation

Create articles using structured writing frameworks. Each framework is a complete prompt hosted at jeffbailey.us that defines the approach, structure, and quality standards for a specific article type.

Available Frameworks

Select the framework that best fits the user's goal. If the user specifies a framework, use it. Otherwise, recommend one based on the topic and intent.

Documentation (Diataxis)

Framework	When to Use	Slug
Tutorials	Learning by doing for beginners, guided lessons	diataxis-article-tutorials-create
How-to Guides	Task-focused guidance for intermediate users	diataxis-article-how-to-guides-create
Reference	Lookup-oriented, scan-friendly factual content	diataxis-article-reference-create
Explanation	Context, background, "why" questions, mental models	diataxis-article-explanation-create

Persuasion and Engagement

Framework	When to Use	Slug
AIDA	Guide readers through attention → interest → desire → action	aida-article-create
Problem-Agitate-Solve	Motivate action through urgency and consequence	problem-agitate-solve-article-create
Influence Pieces	Persuade through social proof, authority, and framing	influence-pieces-article-create

Structural and Rhetorical

Framework	When to Use	Slug
Classical Rhetoric	Balance credibility (ethos), emotion (pathos), logic (logos)	classical-rhetoric-article-create
TEA	Topic + Evidence + Analysis for analytical reference content	tea-article-create
Thought Pieces	Exploratory writing, developing ideas through analysis and synthesis	thought-pieces-article-create

Instructional Design

Framework	When to Use	Slug
Backward Design	Outcomes-first instruction (Wiggins & McTighe)	backward-design-article-create
Lesson Planning	Multi-framework instruction (Bloom's, 5E, Gagne)	lesson-planning-article-create

Reference and Lookup

Framework	When to Use	Slug
Fact-Based Reference	Authoritative, lookup-oriented documentation	fact-based-reference-article-create
List Articles	Curated collections with search/filter and SEO	a-list-article-create

Blog-Specific: Fundamentals

Framework	When to Use	Slug
Fundamentals	Foundational concept explanations for jeffbaileyblog; Diátaxis Explanation articles in content/blog/fundamentals-x	fundamentals-article-create

Prompt Caching

All prompts are cached locally as markdown to avoid repeated network fetches.

Cache directory: ~/.claude/cache/writing-prompts/

To load a prompt (replace {slug} with the prompt slug from the tables above, e.g. a-list-article-create):

1. Check if ~/.claude/cache/writing-prompts/{slug}.md exists
2. If it exists, read and use it
3. If it does not exist, fetch and cache it:

   mkdir -p ~/.claude/cache/writing-prompts && curl -s "https://jeffbailey.us/prompts/{slug}/raw.html" | pandoc -f html -t markdown --wrap=none -o ~/.claude/cache/writing-prompts/{slug}.md
   

4. Read the newly cached file and use it

To refresh a cached prompt: delete the cached file and re-fetch using step 3.

Workflow

1. Understand the request -- Ask the user what they want to write about, who the audience is, and what outcome they want. If they specify a framework, use it.

2. Recommend a framework -- Based on the topic and intent, recommend the best framework. Explain briefly why it fits. If multiple frameworks could work, present the top two options with trade-offs.

3. Load the prompt -- Once the framework is selected, load it using the caching steps above. Use the slug from the Slug column (e.g. for List Articles, the slug is a-list-article-create).

4. Gather variables -- The loaded prompt contains template variables in the format {{variable_name|default="value"}}. For each variable:

   • Has a non-empty default (e.g. {{tone|default="conversational"}}): Present the default and let the user accept or override it.
   • Has an empty default (e.g. {{list_topic|default=""}}): The user must provide a value. Show the HTML comment examples (e.g. <!-- e.g. "open source LLMs", "software engineering blogs" -->) as suggestions to choose from.
   • No default specified (e.g. {{subject_area}}): The user must provide a value.

   Present all variables at once in a single prompt, grouped with their defaults and examples. Pre-fill any values that are already clear from the user's initial request.

5. Apply the prompt -- Substitute all gathered values into the template variables, then follow the loaded prompt instructions to create the article. The prompt defines structure, quality standards, and framework-specific requirements.

6. Apply writing style -- If the article is for jeffbaileyblog, also load the writing style guide (slug: writing-style) using the same caching steps. For other destinations, ask the user about their style preferences.

7. Deliver the draft -- Present the article draft to the user for review.

Framework Selection Guide

Use this decision tree when the user does not specify a framework:

• "How do I..." → How-to Guide
• "Learn about..." / "Getting started with..." → Tutorial
• "What is..." / "Why does..." → Explanation
• "Look up..." / "Reference for..." → Reference or Fact-Based Reference
• "I think..." / "Let's explore..." → Thought Piece
• "You should..." / "Here's why you need..." → AIDA or PAS
• "The evidence shows..." → TEA or Classical Rhetoric
• "Teach someone to..." → Backward Design or Lesson Planning
• "A list of..." / "Best X for Y" → List Article
• "Fundamentals of..." → Fundamentals (blog-specific)

Reference

All writing framework prompts are maintained at https://jeffbailey.us/prompts/