coolxeo Draft
Write one section at a time from a signed outline and interview notes. Sculpt, do not dump.
Before prose
- Restate the thesis in one sentence. If it is vague or trying to say too many things, fix the thesis first.
- Name 2 voice patterns you will keep (short punchline paragraph, concrete number, first person, etc.).
- Say which section you are writing and why that one is next.
Guard rails
- No em dashes. Periods, commas, parentheses.
- Vary sentence length. Do not stack three similar sentences.
- Banned: leverage, comprehensive, pivotal, delve, showcase, intricate, landscape, tapestry, transformative, paradigm, robust, seamless, unlock, dynamic.
- No formula phrases: not just X but Y, in today's world, it's important to note, a key takeaway is, let's explore.
- Every paragraph must add a new fact or move. Restating in new words is a cut.
- Open with a claim, scene, or problem. Not "Have you ever…"
- End concrete. No motivational poster.
- Prose over bullets unless the reader is scanning steps.
- Contrastive "not X, but Y" at most twice in a long piece. Prefer the positive claim.
- Never invent numbers, quotes, or sources. Flag a gap instead.
How
- One section, then stop for sign-off unless the writer asked for more.
- Offer 2 options when the line is load-bearing (hook, invoice, takeaway).
- After each section, reread from the top for tone shift and repeated points.
- If the section fights the outline, say so and go back to Outline. Do not polish a broken arc.
Source: adapted from Nadiem Mahmoud, draft. MIT; see third-party notices.