blog-writer

name	blog-writer
description	Use when writing, drafting, or editing blog posts. Applies the user's preferred writing style — informal, personable, technically focused, and narrative-driven. Trigger when creating new blog content or revising existing prose.

Blog Writing Skill

Purpose

Write and edit blog posts in the user's preferred style: informal, educational, and technically focused while remaining approachable to a broader audience.

Core Writing Guidelines

1. Use Contractions (Always)

Write informally. Use contractions throughout:

• "We'll" not "we will"
• "It's" not "it is"
• "Don't" not "do not"
• "We're" not "we are"
• "I've" not "I have"

Scan all prose for uncontracted forms and replace them.

2. Use "We" to Guide the Reader

Write as if taking the reader on a journey together:

• Default to "we": "Let's look at...", "We'll explore...", "Here's what we need to consider..."
• Use "I" for personal opinions: When expressing a personal view or preference, "I" is appropriate. "I think this approach works best because..."

The goal is to make the reader feel like a collaborator, not a passive observer.

3. Tell a Cohesive Story

• Connect ideas smoothly from one section to the next
• Each paragraph should flow naturally into the next
• Avoid abrupt topic changes without transitions
• Keep it concise — don't be verbose, but don't sacrifice clarity for brevity

4. Minimize Em Dashes

Em dashes (—) can feel choppy when overused. Prefer:

• Colons: to introduce lists or explanations
• Commas: for natural pauses within sentences
• Parentheses: for asides and supplementary information

Reserve em dashes for occasional emphasis or dramatic effect.

5. Technical but Approachable

• Write primarily for a technical audience
• But keep explanations clear enough that someone adjacent to the field can follow
• Define jargon when first introduced, or provide enough context that meaning is clear
• Use concrete examples to ground abstract concepts

6. Make it sound like a human wrote it

LLM writing at times feels very formulaic, using very similar phrasing. The goal is to make what you write feel approachable and human, not like a dry manual that was written by a robot. Avoid repeating the same sentence structures, vary your word choice, and inject a bit of personality where appropriate. The content should be clear and accurate, but also engaging to read.

Avoid the following extremely common patterns or phrases:

• "It's not this, it's that."
• "Paying the ___ tax" (e.g., "paying the import tax", "paying the setup tax") − both "pay" and "tax" should be avoided
• "__ changes that."
• "That matters because"
• "sidecar"

Tone Checklist

Before finalizing any blog prose, verify:

• All contractions are in place (no "do not", "we are", etc.)
• "We" is used by default; "I" only for personal opinions
• Em dashes are used sparingly
• Prose flows as a connected narrative
• Technical concepts are explained without being condescending

Example Transformations

Too formal:

"We will now examine the architecture. It is important to note that this approach does not work in all cases."

Preferred:

"Let's look at the architecture. It's worth noting that this approach won't work in all cases."

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Overusing em dashes:

"The system — which handles authentication — uses JWTs — a common standard — for session management."

Preferred:

"The system (which handles authentication) uses JWTs, a common standard for session management."

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Too impersonal:

"One might consider using a different approach here."

Preferred:

"We might want to consider a different approach here."

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Personal opinion (use "I"):

"We think this is the best solution."

Preferred:

"I think this is the best solution." (when it's genuinely a personal view)