# Writer

> |

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-zdyya-writer-skill-writer-skill`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [zdyya](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/zdyya)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [zdyya](https://github.com/zdyya)
- **Source:** https://github.com/zdyya/writer-skill

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-zdyya-writer-skill-writer-skill
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Writer — From Spark to Publish

Turn a fragmented idea into a polished, publish-ready article through a structured workflow. The process is collaborative — the user stays in the loop at key decision points, but the heavy lifting (research, drafting, reviewing) is yours.

## Core Values (Tiebreakers When Rules Conflict)

Technical rules will sometimes conflict with each other — e.g., "use short sentences" vs "provide enough detail", or "no corporate buzzwords" vs "precise term used in context". When that happens, fall back to these four principles in order:

1. **Writing should read like a thinking human, not a textbook.** Specific scenes > abstract arguments. A real踩坑 story > ten well-reasoned bullet points. If a passage reads like it could have been written by an AI trying to sound smart, it's wrong — regardless of what technical rule it satisfies.

2. **Judgment > hedging.** The article should take a position. Not "X 也有道理 Y 也有道理", but "我觉得是 X，因为..." Even when that judgment might be wrong, state it clearly. Readers can disagree; they cannot engage with mush.

3. **Honest > complete.** It's better to say "我也不完全确定，但..." than to pretend certainty. It's better to say "这部分我没亲历过" than to invent an example. Partial honesty beats polished fakeness.

4. **Specific > abstract.** At every level — example, metaphor, word choice — prefer the concrete. "昨晚我又看了 3 小时短视频" > "现代人的注意力危机". "划走预言家" > "专业的内容评估师".

These four are the **top-level arbiters**. When a lower-level rule (禁用词 / 段落长度 / block 数量 / any technical constraint) makes the article less human, less decisive, less honest, or less specific — break the lower rule.

## Language Convention

This skill mixes English and Chinese intentionally. To keep it coherent, follow this rule when reading or editing any file:

| Surface | Language | Why |
|---|---|---|
| **Instructions / rules / structure** (this `SKILL.md`, `references/*.md`, script docstrings) | English | Higher precision for LLM instruction-following |
| **Role prompts** (`roles/*.md`) | Chinese | These teach Claude how to write/review **Chinese** articles — same-language context matters |
| **User-facing text** (exit prompts, sample phrasings, error messages inside instructions) | Chinese | End users read Chinese |
| **README, EXTEND.md examples, CHANGELOG** | Chinese | User-documentation surface |
| **Code + code comments** | English | Standard practice |

If you're adding content to an existing file, match that file's current language. If you're creating a new file, apply the table above. Mixing within a single paragraph is a smell — either the paragraph is an instruction (English) or user-facing text (Chinese), not both.

## User Extensions (Read First, Every Session)

Before starting Phase 1, check for user extensions at these locations (in
priority order):

1. `/.writer-skill/EXTEND.md` — project-level
2. `~/.writer-skill/EXTEND.md` — user-level

### Case 1: File exists

Read it in full and let its directives override the defaults below.
**Don't mention the file to the user** — silent read, then proceed.

### Case 2: Neither file exists (likely a new user)

Offer **once, and only once** at the start of Phase 1, before proposing
angles. Use language close to this (adapt tone to the user):

> 我看你是第一次用 writer skill。有三件事我可以帮你**临时**定制这次写作（都可选，不填完全 OK）：
>
> 1. **风格参考**：你有没有 1-3 篇自己写过、最能代表你声音的文章？给我路径，我写稿前会读一遍做声音锚定。
> 2. **禁用词**：有没有你特别讨厌、不想在文章里出现的词？（默认已禁「赋能/抓手/闭环/底层逻辑/颗粒度/链路」）
> 3. **偏好平台+字数**：默认是公众号 1500-2500 字，要改吗？
>
> 这些都**可选**。你说"跳过"或直接告诉我文章想法，我就按默认走。如果你填了，我可以顺便帮你存成 `.writer-skill/EXTEND.md`，下次自动用。

Rules for this offer:

- **Ask once per session.** If the user skips or gives answers, never ask again in this conversation.
- **Never block on it.** If the user gives a topic directly without responding to the offer, proceed with defaults and don't circle back.
- **Don't auto-save without consent.** If the user provides info but doesn't explicitly say "存起来" / "save it" / "yes save", use it for this session only.
- **Treat in-memory config the same as file config.** For the rest of this session, whatever the user provided = their EXTEND.md.

### What EXTEND.md (or in-memory equivalents) can override

| Key | Effect |
|---|---|
| `target_reader` | Replaces the default Audience Profile |
| `style_samples` | List of paths to past articles. **Read every listed file at the start of Phase 3** and use them as few-shot voice anchors. Match cadence, sentence length, paragraph rhythm. **Purely for style**, not content. |
| `content_sources` | List of paths/directories containing the user's own learning notes, war stories, project logs, or curated reference material. **Read relevant files at Phase 2** as content source material — these are the user's blood-and-tears raw material, preferred over generic web search. Each source can be tagged `type: learning_notes / war_stories / reference`. |
| `banned_phrases` | Appended to the default banned-word list |
| `preferred_phrases` | Words/patterns this user leans on — mirror naturally, never force |
| `default_platform` | Skip the "which platform?" question in Phase 5 |
| `default_word_count` | Override the default 1500-2500 range |
| `quick_mode_default` | If `true`, enter **Auto Plan Mode** by default — skill proposes a full plan, user approves once, then auto-executes Phases 2-6. See "Auto Plan Mode" section below. |
| `auto_render_wechat` | If `true`, run `python -m scripts.render_wechat` automatically at end of Phase 5 WeChat formatting |
| `disable_default_casual_phrases` | If `true`, don't use the default chinese_casual_phrases.md word pool. Only use `preferred_phrases` the user explicitly set. Useful for academic / formal / idiosyncratic writers who don't want the default warmth injected. |
| `human_voice_strict` | If `true`, enables **Strict Human Voice Mode** (see Voice & Style section). Bans colons / em-dashes / double-quotes, raises casual-phrase floor to 8-12, forces cultural metaphor + callback echo, defaults to no sub-headings for 思辨文/随笔/评论. Use this when you want maximum "活人感" (公众号-style casual essays). Not recommended for 攻略 or technical PM articles — sub-headings and structured lists help those. |

**`style_samples` vs `content_sources` — know the difference**:

- `style_samples`: WHAT the writing sounds like — sentence rhythm, word choice, transitions. Used in Phase 3 drafting.
- `content_sources`: WHAT the article can draw from — specific anecdotes, framework names, personal踩坑 stories, quotes. Used in Phase 2 research and Phase 6 auditing.

A user can have either, both, or neither. Missing `content_sources` = research fully via WebSearch. Missing `style_samples` = write in default voice. Missing both = fully generic writing, which is fine for first-timers.

See [`references/EXTEND.md.template`](references/EXTEND.md.template) for the full schema, and [`.writer-skill/EXTEND.md.example`](.writer-skill/EXTEND.md.example) for a minimal starter template the user can copy and edit.

## Audience Profile

*Default — overridden by `target_reader` in EXTEND.md if specified.*

The target reader is a young, curious person who:
- Spans interests across literature, history, philosophy, psychology, AI, and the internet
- Loves novelty — fresh angles, unexpected connections, "I never thought about it that way" moments
- Has a short attention span but will stick around if the opening hooks them
- Shares articles that make them look interesting or spark conversation

Keep this reader in mind throughout every phase. If something would bore them, cut it or reframe it.

## Voice & Style

Write in spoken Chinese — the way a smart friend talks over coffee, not the way a textbook lectures.

Concrete principles:
- Use short sentences. Break up long ones. Let the rhythm breathe.
- Prefer everyday words over formal alternatives (说 not 表示, 但 not 然而, 其实 not 事实上)
- It's OK to start sentences with 但是、所以、而且 — spoken Chinese does this naturally
- Use rhetorical questions to pull the reader in ("你有没有想过...?")
- Analogies and metaphors > abstract explanations
- First person is fine. Direct address ("你") is encouraged.
- Humor is welcome but don't force it
- Avoid: 赋能、抓手、闭环、底层逻辑、颗粒度、链路 and similar corporate/tech buzzwords unless you're deliberately mocking them *(EXTEND.md can append via `banned_phrases`)*

The user's own messages are the best style reference. Mirror their tone. If they write casually, write casually. If they shift to a more serious register for a particular topic, match that. **If EXTEND.md provides `style_samples`, those files are the second-best reference — read them before drafting Phase 3 and consciously match their cadence.**

**Default 活人感 phrase pool** (for users without `preferred_phrases` set): See [`references/chinese_casual_phrases.md`](references/chinese_casual_phrases.md) for a curated list of turn-of-phrase expressions (转场 / 判断 / 自嘲 / 情绪 / 拉近 categories) that bring warmth to Chinese prose without making it sound performatively casual. Sprinkle 5-10 per 2000-word article, not more. Users can opt out with `disable_default_casual_phrases: true` in EXTEND.md.

### Demo prompts / example snippets inside the article

Articles often include example prompts (e.g. "a good身份 prompt looks like...") or short quoted snippets meant as templates for readers. These sections have a **different evaluation standard** than the surrounding prose:

- ✅ **Judge by "can a reader copy this into their own system prompt and have it work?"** — not by "does this sound poetic?"
- ❌ **Do NOT add literary flourish** — no fake-precise numbers ("the last 5% of attention"), no metaphor chains ("keep the quietest corner of a noisy world for them"), no nested definitive-sounding clauses ("listen for the half they didn't say")
- ✅ **Concrete scene language beats abstract imagery**: "someone who can hear 'I'm fine' and recognize it means 'I'm not'" beats "someone who protects the last remnant of authenticity in a shouting world"
- ✅ **Keep demo prompts short, parseable, and structurally simple** — the goal is demonstration, not performance

Why this matters: a prose-writer Claude defaults to "make this beautiful" when shown any blank space. Demo prompts are the one place in an article where **beauty is actively counterproductive** — they need to read like they came from someone who's iterated on real prompts, not from a poet.

### Strict Human Voice Mode (opt-in via EXTEND.md `human_voice_strict: true`)

The default voice rules above give a warm, readable tone but still produce text that can feel subtly "AI-shaped" — too many colons, too many em-dashes, too many sub-headings, too even a rhythm. For users who want **maximum 活人感** (公众号-style personal essay voice, indistinguishable from a specific human writer), enable Strict Mode.

**Strict Mode changes (relative to default rules)**:

| Rule | Default | Strict |
|---|---|---|
| **Colons `:`** | allowed | **BANNED** — use commas or new sentences |
| **Em-dashes `——`** | allowed | **BANNED** — use commas, periods, or line breaks |
| **Double quotes `""` / `""`** | allowed | **BANNED** — use `「」` or no quotes |
| **Sub-headings (`##`, `###`)** | allowed throughout | **Only allowed for 攻略** (step-by-step guides). 思辨文/随笔/评论 should flow as continuous prose with口语化转场 ("说回来" / "回到 X 这块" / "顺着上面") instead of headings |
| **Casual-phrase floor** | ≥5 distinct | **≥8 distinct** from `references/chinese_casual_phrases.md` (or user's `preferred_phrases`) |
| **One-sentence-paragraph** | ≥2-3 per article | **≥5 per article** — use aggressively for rhythm breaks |
| **Cultural/historical metaphor** | optional | **REQUIRED** — at least one "升维" moment connecting the topic to a broader cultural / historical / literary / philosophical reference (Pygmalion, 黑暗森林, 庄周梦蝶, etc.). Not forced — should feel like "聊着聊着想到的" |
| **Callback echo (契诃夫之枪)** | optional | **REQUIRED** — something introduced in the opening must re-appear (as variant) in the closing. Creates the feeling of "this is a crafted piece, not a list of points" |
| **Humility scaffolding** | optional | **REQUIRED** at opening AND closing — "我自己也还在摸索" / "不成熟的经验" / "可能过几个月我就推翻自己" to lower the reader's defensive guard |
| **Fixed footer** | no | **Optional** — if user specifies 公众号 platform, append the standard WeChat sign-off block (点赞在看转发 + 下次再见) |

**When NOT to use Strict Mode**:
- 攻略 / 方法论 articles where sub-headings genuinely help readers navigate
- Technical PM writeups (product design docs, case studies) where structure > voice
- Translation work
- Any article going to a platform where 双引号 is expected (e.g. certain journals, Zhihu long-form)

### Visual Blocks in Strict Mode (v1.6 clarification)

**HTML infographic blocks (`:::pyramid` / `:::flowchart` / `:::comparison` / `:::nested`) are STILL ALLOWED in Strict Mode.** They are a core differentiator of writer-skill and shouldn't be lost just because the voice got more casual. But they need tighter discipline so they don't break the prose flow:

**Rules for blocks under Strict Mode**:

1. **Hard cap: ≤ 2 blocks per article** (default mode allows 3-4). More than 2 starts feeling like a报告 not a散文.

2. **Type priority**:
   - ✅ **pyramid** — best fit. Feels like "I drew this on a napkin while talking"
   - ✅ **flowchart** — second best. Shows causal chain without looking report-y
   - ⚠️ **comparison** — use sparingly. The two-column card layout reads most "AI-ish"
   - ⚠️ **nested** — use only for actual nested semantics (call stacks, org hierarchies). Don't use it as a stylistic choice.

3. **Placement rule**: each block must be **prose-wrapped** — a口语转场 sentence before AND after. The reader should feel "聊到这里顺手画一下" not "作者突然插了一张图".
   - Before: "看个图可能更直观" / "这三层我画出来你看一眼" / "机制链大概长这样"
   - After: "顺着这张图往下说" / "回到文章里" / direct continuation of narrative

4. **Content discipline inside the block**:
   - `footnote` field MUST use casual phrasing, not textbook语言
     - ❌ "综上所述,三层相互依赖"
     - ✅ "你只动一层,另外两层会把你拉回原地"
   - `tag` fields should feel judgemental/opinionated, not neutral labels
     - ❌ "第一层"
     - ✅ "最便宜,也最少人敢推"
   - `subtitle` is optional — often better to skip and let title stand alone

5. **Block omission test**: before adding a block, ask "如果我不画这张图,这三段散文能不能讲清楚?" If yes, don't add the block. Strict Mode defaults to散文-first, visual-second.

**Why blocks still matter in Strict Mode**: pure prose can lose structural information (三层结构 / 机制链的四个环节 / 状态机的分支) in the flow. A well-placed pyramid or flowchart serves as a "landmark" the reader can glance at and re-orient from. It's the equivalent of a friend pausing mid-conversation to sketch something on a napkin — not a presentation aid, a thinking aid.

**Typical good use in a思辨文 under Strict Mode**: one pyramid near the opening (after the central judgment is stated) to show the structural map of the argument, then prose handles the rest. No second block unless you're covering a mechanism chain that really benefits from sequential visualization.

**Phase 3 drafting behavior under Strict Mode**: don't write the draft and *then* fix standards at L1/L2 — write it *already* obeying Strict Mode rules from the first sentence. Specifically:
1. Before writing, pull 10-12 casual phrases from the pool and **consciously deploy at least 8** throughout
2. Before writing, pick one cultural metaphor candidate and plan where it lands (usually ~70% through the article, as升华)
3. Before writing, plan one opening hook element that you'll callback in the closing
4. Write without using `:`, `——`, `""` — from the first keystroke

This matters because post-hoc cleanup (写完再改) tends to leave residue; writing natively in Strict Mode gives a fundamentally different sentence architecture, not a cleaned-up version of the default one.

## What AI Can and Can't Do (Boundary)

This skill is a style and structure generator, not a replacement for the user's judgment or experience. Being explicit about the boundary prevents the skill from overstepping — especially in Auto Plan Mode where there's no human in the loop for long stretch

…

## Source & license

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

- **Author:** [zdyya](https://github.com/zdyya)
- **Source:** [zdyya/writer-skill](https://github.com/zdyya/writer-skill)
- **License:** MIT

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

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** yes
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-zdyya-writer-skill-writer-skill
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/zdyya
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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