# Article Iteration

> Use when helping a writer develop an article iteratively from a rough idea into a locked outline, first draft, framework revisions, repeated draft passes, and final editorial review. The workflow starts by interviewing the user about intent, target audience, argument, evidence, style, and constraints; may include targeted research; saves the agreed article framework before drafting; and treats draft feedback as a chance to rediscover structure, hook, title, subtitle, and voice.

- Skill: `ericfflynn/article-iteration` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ericfflynn/article-iteration`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ericfflynn/article-iteration/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- Author: ericfflynn (https://skillmd.com/u/ericfflynn)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ericfflynn/article-iteration

---


# Article Iteration

Use this skill to help a writer turn an early article idea into a structured,
draftable plan, first draft, revised framework, and publishable final version.
Default all saved article artifacts to Markdown unless the user requests another
format. Default the locked article framework to `article-framework.md` and the
working article draft to `article-draft.md` unless the user specifies different
paths or the project already has a naming convention.

## Core Workflow

Work in phases. Do not skip ahead to drafting until the article framework is
explicitly locked or the user asks to bypass the framework phase. After drafting,
expect feedback to reshape the framework, not just the prose.

1. **Idea Intake**
   - Ask the user to explain the general idea in their own words.
   - Ask what they want the article to accomplish.
   - Define the target audience early, including expertise level: beginner,
     intermediate, advanced, expert, mixed, or unknown.
   - Identify the likely article type: argument, explainer, narrative,
     analysis, critique, guide, profile, or essay.

2. **Development Interview**
   - Ask focused follow-up questions based on the user's idea.
   - Prefer 3-7 high-signal questions at a time instead of a long survey.
   - Use `references/interview-questions.md` when a deeper question bank is
     useful.
   - Clarify audience, thesis, stakes, evidence, examples, tone, style,
     publication target, and constraints.
   - Treat hook, title, and subtitle as provisional. It is acceptable if they
     are weak or missing before the first draft.

3. **Style Capture**
   - Before drafting, derive a practical style profile for the author.
   - Ask for writing samples when available, especially pieces the user feels
     sound like them. If samples are unavailable, infer style from the user's
     phrasing during the interview and ask targeted preference questions.
   - Lock concrete style decisions:
     - sentence length and rhythm
     - vocabulary level
     - directness versus lyricism
     - humor, skepticism, warmth, or restraint
     - tolerance for first person
     - preferred transitions
     - examples of phrases, moves, or structures that sound like the author
     - examples of phrases, moves, or structures to avoid
   - Convert vague style goals into testable rules. For example, replace
     "smart but approachable" with specific notes about sentence length,
     jargon, contractions, examples, and how directly the article should state
     its claims.
   - Explicitly avoid prose that sounds obviously AI-generated. Do not use em
     dashes, inflated vocabulary, overlong run-on sentences, generic summary
     paragraphs, repetitive sentence scaffolding, or polished-but-empty
     transitions unless the author specifically wants them.
   - Treat the style profile as part of the article framework and preserve it
     through every draft pass unless the user reopens it.

4. **Research, If Needed**
   - If the idea depends on current facts, disputed claims, statistics,
     quotes, laws, events, products, or named people/companies, verify with
     reliable sources before treating those details as settled.
   - Keep research targeted to gaps that affect the article's argument or
     structure.
   - Track source links and distinguish verified facts from interpretation.

5. **Framework And Outline**
   - Synthesize the article framework:
     - working title
     - provisional subtitle, if useful
     - provisional hook, if known
     - intended reader
     - target expertise level
     - article goal
     - thesis or central claim
     - stakes
     - key sections
     - evidence needed
     - open questions
     - tone and author style profile
     - explicit style rules and anti-patterns
   - Turn the framework into an outline with section-level purpose notes.
   - Ask the user to approve, revise, or lock the framework.

6. **Save The Locked Framework**
   - Once locked, save the framework and outline before drafting.
   - If working in a repo or project folder, save it as
     `article-framework.md` unless the user specifies a different path or the
     project already has a naming convention.
   - Treat the saved framework as the source of truth for the first draft.

7. **First Draft**
   - Draft from the locked outline.
   - Save the draft as `article-draft.md` unless the user specifies a different
     path or the project already has a naming convention.
   - Preserve the intended thesis, audience, structure, and author style
     profile.
   - Use placeholders only when missing evidence is known and unavoidable.
   - After drafting, summarize what changed and identify remaining gaps.

8. **Feedback And Reframework**
   - Expect the first draft to reveal better structure, a clearer hook, and
     stronger title/subtitle options.
   - Ask for feedback on argument, flow, missing sections, confusing sections,
     tone, examples, and reader fit.
   - When feedback changes the article's direction, update the framework and
     outline before revising the draft.
   - Save revised framework versions when the structure meaningfully changes.
   - Keep title, subtitle, and hook candidates visible as working options until
     one is chosen.

9. **Revision Passes**
   - Run as many draft passes as the user needs.
   - Make the purpose of each pass explicit: structure, argument, evidence,
     reader clarity, style, compression, expansion, or polish.
   - At each pass, preserve decisions from the latest framework unless the user
     explicitly reopens them.

10. **Final Review**
   - Only enter final review when the user says the piece feels close to ready.
   - Review the article separately from drafting and revision.
   - Check overall flow, section order, argument clarity, evidence, transitions,
     title/subtitle fit, hook effectiveness, conclusion, voice consistency,
     adherence to the author style profile, and unresolved claims.
   - Flag any draft passages that read as generic AI prose, including em
     dashes, bloated diction, unnecessary abstractions, unnatural transitions,
     repetitive cadence, or sentences that are too long for the author's style.
   - Check audience fit by expertise level:
     - beginner: identify jargon, missing context, and assumptions to simplify
     - intermediate: identify where context can be tighter and examples sharper
     - advanced: identify oversimplification, missing nuance, or weak evidence
     - mixed: identify places that need layered explanation without slowing the
       article for knowledgeable readers
   - Return a concise readiness assessment with required fixes, optional
     improvements, and any remaining research or fact-checking needs.

## Output Format

- Use Markdown by default for frameworks, outlines, drafts, revision notes, and
  final reviews.
- Use clear headings, concise section labels, and stable filenames.
- Save the locked framework as `article-framework.md` by default.
- Save the working draft as `article-draft.md` by default.
- Prefer `revision-notes.md` and `final-review.md` for later artifacts unless
  the project already has a naming convention.
- Do not switch to another format unless the user asks or the target publication
  requires it.

## Operating Principles

- Lead with questions until the article has a real shape.
- Ask questions that force useful editorial decisions, not generic preference
  gathering.
- Make uncertainty visible. Separate what the writer has decided from what
  still needs research or judgment.
- Keep the user involved at phase boundaries.
- Do not flatten the writer's voice into generic polished prose. Preserve the
  user's phrasing when it carries intent, style, or point of view.
- Draft like the author is a specific person, not like a neutral assistant.
  Match their cadence, level of directness, preferred vocabulary, and tolerance
  for messiness.
- Avoid obvious AI tells unless the author explicitly asks for them: em dashes,
  needless throat-clearing, inflated words where plain ones work, long run-on
  sentences, symmetrical three-part phrasing, generic conclusions, and
  transitions that sound polished but say little.
- Treat drafting as discovery. The best hook, title, subtitle, and structure may
  emerge after the first or second draft.