248 lines
5.9 KiB
Markdown
248 lines
5.9 KiB
Markdown
# Writing Styles Guide
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Define, extract, and apply consistent writing voices across content.
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## Style Dimensions Framework
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Every writing style can be mapped across these dimensions:
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| Dimension | Spectrum | Description |
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|-----------|----------|-------------|
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| Tone | Formal ↔ Casual | How official or relaxed |
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| Pace | Fast ↔ Measured | Sentence length, rhythm |
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| Vocabulary | Simple ↔ Technical | Word complexity level |
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| Emotion | Reserved ↔ Expressive | Emotional intensity |
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| Humor | Serious ↔ Playful | Use of wit, jokes |
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| Perspective | Third-person ↔ First-person | Pronoun usage |
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| Authority | Peer ↔ Expert | Positioning relative to reader |
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## Pre-Built Style Definitions
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### Casual Conversational
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**Best for:** Indie hackers, startups, personal brands
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**Dimensions:**
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- Tone: Casual
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- Pace: Fast
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- Vocabulary: Simple
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- Emotion: Expressive
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- Humor: Playful
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- Perspective: First-person
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**Characteristics:**
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- Contractions ("you're", "isn't")
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- Short sentences, fragments OK
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- Personal pronouns ("I", "you")
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- Informal transitions ("So here's the thing...")
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- Emoji usage acceptable
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**Example:**
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> "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."
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---
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### Professional Authoritative
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**Best for:** Enterprise SaaS, B2B, consulting
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**Dimensions:**
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- Tone: Formal
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- Pace: Measured
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- Vocabulary: Technical
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- Emotion: Reserved
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- Humor: Serious
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- Perspective: Third-person / We
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**Characteristics:**
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- Complete sentences
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- Industry terminology
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- Data-driven claims
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- Formal transitions
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- No emoji
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**Example:**
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> "Organizations that implement structured content strategies outperform competitors by 3.5x in lead generation. This comprehensive guide examines the frameworks that drive measurable results."
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---
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### Edgy Provocative
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**Best for:** Disruptor brands, hot takes, thought leadership
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**Dimensions:**
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- Tone: Casual-to-Formal (varies)
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- Pace: Fast
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- Vocabulary: Simple with punchy terms
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- Emotion: Expressive
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- Humor: Playful but sharp
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- Perspective: First-person
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**Characteristics:**
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- Bold claims
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- Contrarian positions
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- Short, punchy sentences
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- Pattern interrupts
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- Strategic use of questions
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**Example:**
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> "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."
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---
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### Luxe Minimalist
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**Best for:** Premium products, luxury brands, high-end services
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**Dimensions:**
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- Tone: Formal
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- Pace: Measured, spacious
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- Vocabulary: Elegant, selective
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- Emotion: Reserved but refined
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- Humor: Subtle or absent
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- Perspective: Second-person
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**Characteristics:**
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- Fewer words, more impact
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- White space between ideas
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- Refined vocabulary
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- Understated confidence
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- No hard sell
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**Example:**
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> "Exceptional results require exceptional attention. We work with founders who understand that true growth cannot be rushed. By invitation only."
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---
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### Warm Supportive
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**Best for:** Wellness, coaching, education, community
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**Dimensions:**
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- Tone: Casual
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- Pace: Measured
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- Vocabulary: Simple
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- Emotion: Expressive
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- Humor: Gentle
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- Perspective: First-person plural ("we")
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**Characteristics:**
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- Empathetic language
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- Inclusive pronouns
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- Encouraging tone
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- Validation before advice
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- Gentle CTAs
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**Example:**
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> "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."
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---
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### Technical Educator
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**Best for:** Developer content, technical tutorials, documentation
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**Dimensions:**
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- Tone: Neutral-to-Casual
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- Pace: Measured
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- Vocabulary: Technical but explained
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- Emotion: Reserved
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- Humor: Dry/nerdy
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- Perspective: Second-person
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**Characteristics:**
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- Code examples
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- Step-by-step structure
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- Precise terminology
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- Assumes competence
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- Occasional dry humor
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**Example:**
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> "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."
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## Style Extraction Prompt
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Use this prompt to analyze existing content and extract its style:
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```
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Analyze this content and extract the writing style:
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[PASTE CONTENT]
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Provide:
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1. Tone (formal ↔ casual):
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2. Pace (fast ↔ measured):
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3. Vocabulary (simple ↔ technical):
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4. Emotion (reserved ↔ expressive):
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5. Humor (serious ↔ playful):
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6. Perspective (pronoun usage):
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7. Sentence structure patterns:
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8. Signature phrases/patterns:
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9. What to DO in this style:
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10. What to AVOID in this style:
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```
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## Style Application Prompt
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Use this prompt to write in a specific style:
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```
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Write [CONTENT TYPE] in the following style:
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**Tone:** [casual/formal]
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**Pace:** [fast/measured]
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**Vocabulary:** [simple/technical]
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**Emotion:** [reserved/expressive]
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**Perspective:** [first/second/third person]
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**DO:**
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- [specific patterns to use]
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**DON'T:**
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- [patterns to avoid]
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Topic: [TOPIC]
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```
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## Writing Style File Format
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Store custom styles in `assets/writing-styles/`:
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```yaml
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# assets/writing-styles/indie-hacker.yaml
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name: Indie Hacker
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description: Authentic, scrappy, behind-the-scenes vibe
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dimensions:
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tone: casual
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pace: fast
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vocabulary: simple
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emotion: expressive
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humor: self-deprecating
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perspective: first-person
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patterns:
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- Short sentences
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- Fragments for emphasis
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- Numbers and specifics
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- "Here's what I learned"
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- Behind-the-scenes honesty
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avoid:
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- Corporate speak
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- Passive voice
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- Vague claims
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- Salesy language
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examples:
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- "Shipped v1 in 48 hours. It was broken. People loved it anyway."
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- "Revenue last month: $4,293. Not life-changing, but real."
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```
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## Integration
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Use with:
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- `brand-guidelines` skill - Align with brand voice
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- video-to-article workflow - Apply extracted style to long-form output
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- `ck:copywriting` skill workflows - Style-aware content generation
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