english/.opencode/skills/copywriting/references/writing-styles.md

Writing Styles Guide

Define, extract, and apply consistent writing voices across content.

Style Dimensions Framework

Every writing style can be mapped across these dimensions:

Dimension	Spectrum	Description
Tone	Formal ↔ Casual	How official or relaxed
Pace	Fast ↔ Measured	Sentence length, rhythm
Vocabulary	Simple ↔ Technical	Word complexity level
Emotion	Reserved ↔ Expressive	Emotional intensity
Humor	Serious ↔ Playful	Use of wit, jokes
Perspective	Third-person ↔ First-person	Pronoun usage
Authority	Peer ↔ Expert	Positioning relative to reader

Pre-Built Style Definitions

Casual Conversational

Best for: Indie hackers, startups, personal brands

Dimensions:

• Tone: Casual
• Pace: Fast
• Vocabulary: Simple
• Emotion: Expressive
• Humor: Playful
• Perspective: First-person

Characteristics:

• Contractions ("you're", "isn't")
• Short sentences, fragments OK
• Personal pronouns ("I", "you")
• Informal transitions ("So here's the thing...")
• Emoji usage acceptable

Example:

"Look, I get it. Marketing feels overwhelming. But here's what I learned after burning through $10k on ads that didn't work—it doesn't have to be complicated."

---

Professional Authoritative

Best for: Enterprise SaaS, B2B, consulting

Dimensions:

• Tone: Formal
• Pace: Measured
• Vocabulary: Technical
• Emotion: Reserved
• Humor: Serious
• Perspective: Third-person / We

Characteristics:

• Complete sentences
• Industry terminology
• Data-driven claims
• Formal transitions
• No emoji

Example:

"Organizations that implement structured content strategies outperform competitors by 3.5x in lead generation. This comprehensive guide examines the frameworks that drive measurable results."

---

Edgy Provocative

Best for: Disruptor brands, hot takes, thought leadership

Dimensions:

• Tone: Casual-to-Formal (varies)
• Pace: Fast
• Vocabulary: Simple with punchy terms
• Emotion: Expressive
• Humor: Playful but sharp
• Perspective: First-person

Characteristics:

• Bold claims
• Contrarian positions
• Short, punchy sentences
• Pattern interrupts
• Strategic use of questions

Example:

"Everything you know about content marketing is wrong. Seriously. The 'best practices' everyone follows? They're why you're invisible. Let me show you what actually works."

---

Luxe Minimalist

Best for: Premium products, luxury brands, high-end services

Dimensions:

• Tone: Formal
• Pace: Measured, spacious
• Vocabulary: Elegant, selective
• Emotion: Reserved but refined
• Humor: Subtle or absent
• Perspective: Second-person

Characteristics:

• Fewer words, more impact
• White space between ideas
• Refined vocabulary
• Understated confidence
• No hard sell

Example:

"Exceptional results require exceptional attention. We work with founders who understand that true growth cannot be rushed. By invitation only."

---

Warm Supportive

Best for: Wellness, coaching, education, community

Dimensions:

• Tone: Casual
• Pace: Measured
• Vocabulary: Simple
• Emotion: Expressive
• Humor: Gentle
• Perspective: First-person plural ("we")

Characteristics:

• Empathetic language
• Inclusive pronouns
• Encouraging tone
• Validation before advice
• Gentle CTAs

Example:

"It's okay if you're feeling stuck. We've all been there. The journey isn't always linear, and that's completely normal. Let's explore some gentle ways to move forward together."

---

Technical Educator

Best for: Developer content, technical tutorials, documentation

Dimensions:

• Tone: Neutral-to-Casual
• Pace: Measured
• Vocabulary: Technical but explained
• Emotion: Reserved
• Humor: Dry/nerdy
• Perspective: Second-person

Characteristics:

• Code examples
• Step-by-step structure
• Precise terminology
• Assumes competence
• Occasional dry humor

Example:

"Here's the thing about async/await—it's not magic, it's just syntactic sugar over Promises. Let's break down what's actually happening under the hood, and why your code isn't working the way you expect."

Style Extraction Prompt

Use this prompt to analyze existing content and extract its style:

Analyze this content and extract the writing style:

[PASTE CONTENT]

Provide:
1. Tone (formal ↔ casual):
2. Pace (fast ↔ measured):
3. Vocabulary (simple ↔ technical):
4. Emotion (reserved ↔ expressive):
5. Humor (serious ↔ playful):
6. Perspective (pronoun usage):
7. Sentence structure patterns:
8. Signature phrases/patterns:
9. What to DO in this style:
10. What to AVOID in this style:

Style Application Prompt

Use this prompt to write in a specific style:

Write [CONTENT TYPE] in the following style:

**Tone:** [casual/formal]
**Pace:** [fast/measured]
**Vocabulary:** [simple/technical]
**Emotion:** [reserved/expressive]
**Perspective:** [first/second/third person]

**DO:**
- [specific patterns to use]

**DON'T:**
- [patterns to avoid]

Topic: [TOPIC]

Writing Style File Format

Store custom styles in assets/writing-styles/:

# assets/writing-styles/indie-hacker.yaml
name: Indie Hacker
description: Authentic, scrappy, behind-the-scenes vibe

dimensions:
  tone: casual
  pace: fast
  vocabulary: simple
  emotion: expressive
  humor: self-deprecating
  perspective: first-person

patterns:
  - Short sentences
  - Fragments for emphasis
  - Numbers and specifics
  - "Here's what I learned"
  - Behind-the-scenes honesty

avoid:
  - Corporate speak
  - Passive voice
  - Vague claims
  - Salesy language

examples:
  - "Shipped v1 in 48 hours. It was broken. People loved it anyway."
  - "Revenue last month: $4,293. Not life-changing, but real."

Integration

Use with:

• brand-guidelines skill - Align with brand voice
• video-to-article workflow - Apply extracted style to long-form output
• ck:copywriting skill workflows - Style-aware content generation