Content Research Writer

This skill acts as your writing partner, helping you research, outline, draft, and refine content while maintaining your unique voice and style.

When to Use This Skill

• Writing blog posts, articles, or newsletters
• Creating educational content or tutorials
• Drafting thought leadership pieces
• Researching and writing case studies
• Producing technical documentation with sources
• Writing with proper citations and references
• Improving hooks and introductions
• Getting section-by-section feedback while writing

What This Skill Does

1. Collaborative Outlining: Helps you structure ideas into coherent outlines
2. Research Assistance: Finds relevant information and adds citations
3. Hook Improvement: Strengthens your opening to capture attention
4. Section Feedback: Reviews each section as you write
5. Voice Preservation: Maintains your writing style and tone
6. Citation Management: Adds and formats references properly
7. Iterative Refinement: Helps you improve through multiple drafts

How to Use

Setup Your Writing Environment

Create a dedicated folder for your article:

mkdir ~/writing/my-article-title
cd ~/writing/my-article-title

Create your draft file:

touch article-draft.md

Open Claude Code from this directory and start writing.

Basic Workflow

1. Start with an outline:

Help me create an outline for an article about [topic]

2. Research and add citations:

Research [specific topic] and add citations to my outline

3. Improve the hook:

Here's my introduction. Help me make the hook more compelling.

4. Get section feedback:

I just finished the "Why This Matters" section. Review it and give feedback.

5. Refine and polish:

Review the full draft for flow, clarity, and consistency.

Instructions

When a user requests writing assistance:

1. Understand the Writing Project

   Ask clarifying questions:

   • What's the topic and main argument?
   • Who's the target audience?
   • What's the desired length/format?
   • What's your goal? (educate, persuade, entertain, explain)
   • Any existing research or sources to include?
   • What's your writing style? (formal, conversational, technical)

2. Collaborative Outlining

   Help structure the content:

   # Article Outline: [Title]
   
   ## Hook
   - [Opening line/story/statistic]
   - [Why reader should care]
   
   ## Introduction
   - Context and background
   - Problem statement
   - What this article covers
   
   ## Main Sections
   
   ### Section 1: [Title]
   - Key point A
   - Key point B
   - Example/evidence
   - [Research needed: specific topic]
   
   ### Section 2: [Title]
   - Key point C
   - Key point D
   - Data/citation needed
   
   ### Section 3: [Title]
   - Key point E
   - Counter-arguments
   - Resolution
   
   ## Conclusion
   - Summary of main points
   - Call to action
   - Final thought
   
   ## Research To-Do
   - [ ] Find data on [topic]
   - [ ] Get examples of [concept]
   - [ ] Source citation for [claim]
   

   Iterate on outline:

   • Adjust based on feedback
   • Ensure logical flow
   • Identify research gaps
   • Mark sections for deep dives

3. Conduct Research

   When user requests research on a topic:

   • Search for relevant information
   • Find credible sources
   • Extract key facts, quotes, and data
   • Add citations in requested format

   Example output:

   ## Research: AI Impact on Productivity
   
   Key Findings:
   
   1. **Productivity Gains**: Studies show 40% time savings for 
      content creation tasks [1]
   
   2. **Adoption Rates**: 67% of knowledge workers use AI tools 
      weekly [2]
   
   3. **Expert Quote**: "AI augments rather than replaces human 
      creativity" - Dr. Jane Smith, MIT [3]
   
   Citations:
   [1] McKinsey Global Institute. (2024). "The Economic Potential 
       of Generative AI"
   [2] Stack Overflow Developer Survey (2024)
   [3] Smith, J. (2024). MIT Technology Review interview
   
   Added to outline under Section 2.
   

4. Improve Hooks

   When user shares an introduction, analyze and strengthen:

   Current Hook Analysis:

   • What works: [positive elements]
   • What could be stronger: [areas for improvement]
   • Emotional impact: [current vs. potential]

   Suggested Alternatives:

   Option 1: [Bold statement]

   [Example] Why it works: [explanation]

   Option 2: [Personal story]

   [Example] Why it works: [explanation]

   Option 3: [Surprising data]

   [Example] Why it works: [explanation]

   Questions to hook:

   • Does it create curiosity?
   • Does it promise value?
   • Is it specific enough?
   • Does it match the audience?

5. Provide Section-by-Section Feedback

   As user writes each section, review for:

   # Feedback: [Section Name]
   
   ## What Works Well ✓
   - [Strength 1]
   - [Strength 2]
   - [Strength 3]
   
   ## Suggestions for Improvement
   
   ### Clarity
   - [Specific issue] → [Suggested fix]
   - [Complex sentence] → [Simpler alternative]
   
   ### Flow
   - [Transition issue] → [Better connection]
   - [Paragraph order] → [Suggested reordering]
   
   ### Evidence
   - [Claim needing support] → [Add citation or example]
   - [Generic statement] → [Make more specific]
   
   ### Style
   - [Tone inconsistency] → [Match your voice better]
   - [Word choice] → [Stronger alternative]
   
   ## Specific Line Edits
   
   Original:
   > [Exact quote from draft]
   
   Suggested:
   > [Improved version]
   
   Why: [Explanation]
   
   ## Questions to Consider
   - [Thought-provoking question 1]
   - [Thought-provoking question 2]
   
   Ready to move to next section!
   

6. Preserve Writer's Voice

   Important principles:

   • Learn their style: Read existing writing samples
   • Suggest, don't replace: Offer options, not directives
   • Match tone: Formal, casual, technical, friendly
   • Respect choices: If they prefer their version, support it
   • Enhance, don't override: Make their writing better, not different

   Ask periodically:

   • "Does this sound like you?"
   • "Is this the right tone?"
   • "Should I be more/less [formal/casual/technical]?"

7. Citation Management

   Handle references based on user preference:

   Inline Citations:

   Studies show 40% productivity improvement (McKinsey, 2024).
   

   Numbered References:

   Studies show 40% productivity improvement [1].
   
   [1] McKinsey Global Institute. (2024)...
   

   Footnote Style:

   Studies show 40% productivity improvement^1
   
   ^1: McKinsey Global Institute. (2024)...
   

   Maintain a running citations list:

   ## References
   
   1. Author. (Year). "Title". Publication.
   2. Author. (Year). "Title". Publication.
   ...
   

8. Final Review and Polish

   When draft is complete, provide comprehensive feedback:

   # Full Draft Review
   
   ## Overall Assessment
   
   **Strengths**:
   - [Major strength 1]
   - [Major strength 2]
   - [Major strength 3]
   
   **Impact**: [Overall effectiveness assessment]
   
   ## Structure & Flow
   - [Comments on organization]
   - [Transition quality]
   - [Pacing assessment]
   
   ## Content Quality
   - [Argument strength]
   - [Evidence sufficiency]
   - [Example effectiveness]
   
   ## Technical Quality
   - Grammar and mechanics: [assessment]
   - Consistency: [assessment]
   - Citations: [completeness check]
   
   ## Readability
   - Clarity score: [evaluation]
   - Sentence variety: [evaluation]
   - Paragraph length: [evaluation]
   
   ## Final Polish Suggestions
   
   1. **Introduction**: [Specific improvements]
   2. **Body**: [Specific improvements]
   3. **C