# Doc Writer

> Use when writing or improving documentation — READMEs, module docs, API references, runbooks, or tutorials.

- Skill: `dream-zjk/doc-writer` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add dream-zjk/doc-writer`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/dream-zjk/doc-writer/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- Author: dream-zjk (https://skillmd.com/u/dream-zjk)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/dream-zjk/doc-writer

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# Doc Writer

## When to use
- A new project or feature needs a README.
- Existing docs are stale, missing, or confusing.
- You must explain a runbook or onboarding guide for other engineers.

## Workflow
1. **Know the reader.** A README for users, an onboarding guide for newcomers, and an API
   reference for integrators are different documents. Pick one.
2. **Lead with the why.** What problem does this solve, and for whom? State it in the first
   paragraph.
3. **Show the fastest path to value.** Install + a minimal working example before anything
   else.
4. **Document the contract:** inputs, outputs, errors, and side effects. Link to source,
   not copies of it.
5. **Add a "next steps" section** so the reader is never at a dead end.
6. **Read it aloud.** If a sentence needs the code open beside it to make sense, rewrite it.

## Constraints
- Don't document trivia; document decisions and gotchas.
- Keep examples runnable and copy-pasteable.
- Update docs in the same change as the code they describe.

## Definition of done
- A new reader can install, run the example, and understand the contract unaided.
- No outdated or contradictory statements remain.
- Links resolve and code samples are valid.