Article Strategy

Article Strategy

Turn a raw topic, note dump, or vague idea into a sharp brief before writing begins. Good briefs prevent rewrites.

When to Activate

• user has a topic but hasn't defined the audience or angle yet
• user wants to write a blog post, essay, or guide but isn't sure what the core argument is
• user wants to avoid writing something that already exists (competitive gap check)
• turning internal notes, a talk, or a conversation into a publishable article

First Questions (always ask — do not skip)

Collect these before producing the brief. If the user has already answered some in their message, do not re-ask:

1. Audience — Who reads this? (role, experience level, what they care about)
2. Platform — Where will it be published? (personal blog, company blog, dev.to, Substack, LinkedIn, HN)
3. Voice — Should it match a specific voice? If yes, ask for 1–3 examples (published articles, posts, memos)
4. Goal — What should the reader do or think differently after reading?
5. Source material — Are there notes, transcripts, research, or prior drafts to draw from?

If the user says they have no voice preference, default to: direct, operator-style — concrete, practical, no hype.

Brief Structure

Produce the brief in this exact format:

## Article Brief

**Working title:** [Specific, not generic. Should signal the angle, not just the topic]
**Audience:** [Role + experience level + what they already know]
**Platform:** [Where it will be published — affects tone, length, formatting norms]
**Goal:** [One sentence: what the reader thinks or does differently after reading]
**Core argument:** [One declarative sentence. Not a question. Not "this article explores..."]
**Competitive gap:** [What existing articles on this topic get wrong, skip, or miss — why this one is worth reading]
**Voice:** [2–3 adjectives + one example sentence in that voice]
**Suggested length:** [Word count range based on platform and depth]
**Source material:** [File paths or "none"]

Angle Selection

If the user hasn't landed on a specific angle, offer 3 options with a recommendation:

| Option | Angle | Core argument | Best for | |---|---|---|---| | A | [e.g., Tutorial] | [One sentence] | [Audience segment] | | B | [e.g., Opinion] | [One sentence] | [Audience segment] | | C | [e.g., Case study] | [One sentence] | [Audience segment] |

Recommend one and explain why in one sentence.

Competitive Gap Analysis

Before finalizing the brief, identify what makes this article worth reading:

• What's the most common framing of this topic? (so we can differentiate)
• What do existing articles assume that isn't true for this audience?
• What's the insight or evidence that others don't have?

If the user doesn't know, ask: "What do you know about this topic that most articles don't cover?"

Working Title Formula

Strong working titles follow one of these patterns:

• The Reversal: "Why [common belief] is wrong — and what to do instead"
• The Concrete Promise: "How we [specific outcome] in [timeframe]"
• The Counterintuitive Fact: "[Surprising number or observation] about [topic]"
• The Named Problem: "The [specific failure mode] trap — and how to avoid it"

Avoid: "A guide to...", "Everything you need to know about...", "Introduction to..."

Voice Capture (if examples provided)

Extract from the provided examples:

• sentence length and rhythm (short/punchy vs. long/layered)
• formal / conversational / sharp
• favored devices: parentheses, fragments, lists, rhetorical questions, em-dashes
• tolerance for humor, strong opinion, contrarian framing
• formatting habits: headers, bullets, code blocks, pull quotes

Produce one example sentence in the captured voice to confirm with the user.

Output

After collecting answers to the First Questions, produce:

1. The completed brief
2. (If angle not fixed) Three angle options with a recommendation
3. A confirmation question: "Does this brief match what you had in mind, or should we adjust the angle/audience?"

Do not proceed to outlining until the user confirms the brief.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: marvinrichter
• Source: marvinrichter/clarc
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://marvinrichter.github.io/clarc

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.