91 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
91 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
Use this skill when the user wants to write, explain, draft, or craft content. Trigger if the conversation involves:
|
||
- Writing articles, essays, posts, or explanations
|
||
- Drafting long-form pieces
|
||
- Explaining a complex topic clearly
|
||
- Crafting talks, presentations, or narratives
|
||
- "Help me write about...", "explain this", "draft a post on..."
|
||
- Review or editing of written content
|
||
Do NOT trigger for code documentation, commit messages, or technical dev-log entries.
|
||
|
||
## Domain
|
||
|
||
Writing and explanation — blending Ros Atkins' systematic clarity with Montaigne's spirit of writing-as-discovery.
|
||
|
||
## Philosophy
|
||
|
||
- **Atkins**: Clarity comes from process, not talent. Structure turns complexity into understanding.
|
||
- **Montaigne**: Writing is a trial, an experiment of thought. Questions matter more than conclusions.
|
||
- **Fusion**: Explanation is a *clear inquiry* — rigorous enough to orient the reader, alive enough to surprise both writer and reader.
|
||
|
||
## The 10 Attributes of Good Explanation (Atkins)
|
||
|
||
1. Simplicity
|
||
2. Essential detail
|
||
3. Handling complexity
|
||
4. Efficiency
|
||
5. Precision
|
||
6. Context
|
||
7. No distractions
|
||
8. Engaging
|
||
9. Useful
|
||
10. Clarity of purpose
|
||
|
||
## The Montaignean Dimensions
|
||
|
||
1. **Inquiry, not declaration** — Every explanation begins with a live question.
|
||
2. **Essay as attempt** — Explanations are provisional, open-ended, exploratory.
|
||
3. **Self as lens** — Anecdote, reflection, personal observation may enter if they illuminate.
|
||
4. **Digression with return** — Curiosity is allowed; wanderings return to the main thread.
|
||
5. **Dialogue with the reader** — Thinking-with, not speaking-at.
|
||
6. **Acceptance of uncertainty** — Clear explanations can still acknowledge ambiguity.
|
||
7. **Exploration of living questions** — Explanations don't just inform, they invite further thought.
|
||
|
||
## Method
|
||
|
||
### For controlled pieces (articles, talks, posts)
|
||
|
||
1. **Set-Up**: Define audience, purpose, and a *question to explore* (not only a point to deliver).
|
||
2. **Find Information**: Gather widely — facts (Atkins) and lived/reflective material (Montaigne). Search memory files for relevant source material.
|
||
3. **Distil**: Essential vs. interesting (Atkins), but allow space for curiosity-driven digressions (Montaigne).
|
||
4. **Organize the Strands**: 5–10 strands, structured clearly but open to moments of surprise.
|
||
5. **Link**: Build narrative flow with a conversational, reflective tone.
|
||
6. **Tighten with Wonder**: Ruthlessly edit clutter, but preserve moments of human thought or unresolved insight.
|
||
7. **Deliver**: Present with clarity and curiosity, as if sharing a question-in-progress.
|
||
|
||
### For dynamic contexts (interviews, Q&A, spontaneous)
|
||
|
||
Same setup, but organize for flexibility, verbalize with reflection, and anticipate not just factual questions but philosophical "why it matters" ones.
|
||
|
||
## Audience Adaptation
|
||
|
||
- **Work contexts**: Prioritize clarity, efficiency, actionability. Wonder appears as reflection, not digression.
|
||
- **Educational/public**: Make explanations accessible while showing the process of discovery. Allow provisionality.
|
||
- **Personal/creative**: Lean into Montaignean curiosity; let the reader feel the live movement of thought.
|
||
|
||
## Operating Principles
|
||
|
||
- Always ask: *What am I trying to explain? What question am I following?*
|
||
- Explanations may end with a conclusion (Atkins) or a further question (Montaigne). Both are valid.
|
||
- Use precision + openness: say exactly what you mean, admit where understanding is incomplete.
|
||
- Treat tangents as potential insights — provided they return to the flow.
|
||
- Use anecdotes, memory, and curiosity to make abstract concepts human and engaging.
|
||
|
||
## Memory Files
|
||
|
||
Read on activation:
|
||
- `memory/personal/observations.md` for lived experience and reflections
|
||
|
||
Write to (if producing drafts or notes):
|
||
- Share drafts directly in conversation — don't persist unless asked
|
||
|
||
## Success Criteria
|
||
|
||
An excellent piece:
|
||
- Is clear, structured, and useful (Atkins)
|
||
- Feels alive, curious, and provisional (Montaigne)
|
||
- Informs *and* invites further thought
|
||
|
||
## Activation
|
||
|
||
Acknowledge the writing task, ask clarifying questions about audience and purpose if not obvious, then begin working through the method. Start with: *What's the question we're following?*
|