Writing Style Guide

---
name: Writing Style Guide
description: 'A style guide your AI reads before it drafts. Voice, banned words and
  habits, patterns, real examples. The draft starts closer to your voice, not generic
  AI default.

  '
tags:
- voice
- banned
- pattern
- example
containers:
- name: Writing Style Guide
  description: The voice your team writes in. Claude and ChatGPT read it before drafting
    or reviewing.
  llm_instructions: |
    This is a writing style guide. The goal is to get drafts closer to the team's voice on the first pass and to make review mode a real first-pass editor.
    - Before drafting any external copy, read Voice, Banned words and habits, and Patterns. Match what is there.
    - Never use any word, phrase, punctuation, or structure listed in the Banned words and habits folder. If a draft contains one, flag it and rewrite.
    - When reviewing an existing draft, flag banned words, tone drift, unsupported claims, and places where the structure does not match the patterns.
    - Prefer real Reference examples over invented imitations. When in doubt about tone, sample three recent examples and match them.
    - Do not invent new structural patterns unless the user asks for one.
  children:
  - name: Voice
    description: The principles. Direct. Opinionated. Short sentences. Talk to one
      person.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for principles, not examples.
      - When asked to draft anything in our voice, read this folder first. Match the rules exactly.
      - Keep notes short and rule-shaped: one principle per note when it earns the space.
      - When the user describes a new principle in conversation, suggest capturing it here.
  - name: Banned Words and Habits
    description: Words, phrases, punctuation, and structures the brand avoids.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for things to remove from drafts.
      - Never use any word, phrase, punctuation, or structure listed in this folder. If a draft contains one, flag it and rewrite.
      - The list covers more than vocabulary: it can include punctuation habits (em dashes, en dashes), fake contrast ("not X, but Y"), and over-polished AI tics.
      - When you spot a new tell in user-supplied drafts that the brand wants to ban, suggest adding it here.
  - name: Reference Examples
    description: Real published pieces in your voice. The source of truth for tone.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for source-of-truth examples in the team's actual voice.
      - When in doubt about tone, sample three recent examples from this folder and match them.
      - Prefer real examples over invented imitations.
      - Never rewrite an example to polish it. The point is to preserve the voice as it was shipped.
  - name: Patterns
    description: Recurring structural patterns. How you open, how you close, how you
      handle lists.
    llm_instructions: |
      Use this folder for structural recipes.
      - Use these patterns when drafting. Do not invent new ones unless the user asks.
      - One pattern per note: name the pattern, give a short description, link to one or two Reference Examples that use it.
  notes:
  - title: Voice Principles
    body: |
      A starter set. Replace with your real principles.

      - Direct. State the point first.
      - Opinionated. Take a side. Then defend it briefly.
      - Short sentences. Long ones earn their length.
      - Talk to one person. Use "you", not "users".
      - Concrete examples beat abstract claims.
      - Avoid hedge words. "Probably" and "kind of" rarely add information.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with your real voice principles.
    tags:
    - voice
    container_path: Writing Style Guide > Voice
  - title: Banned Words and Habits
    body: |
      A starter list. Replace with the words and habits your brand actually avoids.

      ## Banned words and phrases
      - revolutionary
      - game-changing
      - supercharge
      - leverage
      - seamless
      - robust
      - unlock
      - cutting-edge
      - empower
      - best-in-class
      - synergy

      ## Banned punctuation
      - em dashes
      - en dashes

      ## Banned structures
      - "Not X, but Y" fake contrast.
      - Three-adjective stacks ("powerful, intuitive, beautiful").
      - Closing with a rhetorical question.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with your real banned list.
    tags:
    - banned
    container_path: Writing Style Guide > Banned Words and Habits
  - title: 'Reference Example: Short product update'
    body: |
      *Replace this with a real published piece you wrote in your voice.*

      A short illustrative example of the shape:

      > New pricing. Simpler tiers, same features, no surprises. Teams pay per seat. Solo plans keep the free tier.

      Notes on what makes this fit the voice:
      - Direct first sentence.
      - No buzzwords.
      - No fake contrast.
      - One paragraph, three lines.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with a real piece in your voice.
    tags:
    - example
    container_path: Writing Style Guide > Reference Examples
  - title: 'Pattern: Open with the news, not the warm-up'
    body: |
      State the news in the first sentence. The rest of the piece earns the reader's time.

      ## When to use
      Product updates, announcement posts, change logs.

      ## Example
      - Good: "New pricing. Simpler tiers, same features."
      - Avoid: "We are thrilled to announce that today marks an exciting milestone for our team."

      ## Reference
      - [[Reference Example: Short product update]]

      This is a starter note. Replace it with one of your real opening patterns.
    tags:
    - pattern
    container_path: Writing Style Guide > Patterns
  - title: Review checklist
    body: |
      What to flag when reviewing an existing draft against the style guide. Replace with your real checklist.

      - Banned words or phrases present.
      - Banned punctuation present (em dashes, en dashes).
      - Banned structures present (fake contrast, three-adjective stacks).
      - Tone drift: hedging, buzzwords, over-polished AI tics.
      - Unsupported claims: numbers without a source, customer language without a citation.
      - Pattern mismatch: opens with warm-up instead of news; closes with rhetorical question.

      When you find any of the above, rewrite the offending span and explain the change in one line.

      This is a starter note. Replace it with your real review checklist.
    tags:
    - pattern
    container_path: Writing Style Guide > Patterns