Article Author

Write an evergreen article about: $ARGUMENTS

$ARGUMENTS should include the topic and optionally: pillar, tier (1/2/3), target keyword, style variant, or an existing article-plan brief to execute. If a brief is provided, skip to Step 3. If only a topic is given, run the full flow.

Step 1 — Strategic Plan

Before writing, establish the brief. If an article-plan brief was provided in $ARGUMENTS, use it directly and skip to Step 3.

Otherwise, run the planning logic from article-plan:

Assign pillar — Read pillar definitions from {{CONFIG_PATH}} or {{BRAND_CONFIG}} to determine which pillar this topic belongs to.

Assign tier:

• Tier 1 (Pillar Page): Broadest term in the pillar -- 3,500-4,500 words
• Tier 2 (Cluster): Specific facet -- 2,200-3,200 words
• Tier 3 (Long-tail): Narrow, high-intent -- 1,500-2,200 words

Establish keywords: Primary keyword + 3-5 semantic variants. Include "{{AUTHOR_NAME}} [concept]" as a GEO disambiguation variant.

Draft the outline using the section architecture in Step 3.

Step 2 — Source Research

Before writing, pull relevant passages from {{CONTENT_CORPUS}}. This grounds the article in the author's actual words and enables proper citations.

Source material path:

{{CORPUS_PATH}}

Research process:

1. Identify the most relevant source files before reading full content:
   • Glob for available source files
   • Grep for the topic keyword across those files
2. Read the 3-6 most relevant sections in full (not every section -- be selective)
3. Extract:
   • Direct quotes (2-5 sentences; verbatim; strong enough to blockquote)
   • Definitional passages (crisp enough to be GEO-quoted)
   • Framework explanations (how the author explains the concept step by step)
   • Stories and historical examples used in context
4. Note the citation for each extract with full attribution

Citation format: **Source:** [Source Title] -- [Section/Chapter Reference] Never invent quotes. If paraphrasing, mark it as such.

Step 3 — Write the Article

Write the complete article in markdown following this exact section architecture. All sections are mandatory unless marked optional.

Author Voice (Apply to Every Section)

Read {{VOICE_GUIDE}} for the author's voice markers and apply them consistently throughout.

Key voice principles:

• Maintain the author's characteristic rhetorical posture and tone
• Use the author's signature vocabulary and metaphor systems
• Follow the author's typical argument structure and idea progression
• Avoid vocabulary or phrasing patterns flagged as off-brand in the voice guide

Order of ideas: Reframe -- Meaning -- Depth -- Complexity -- Implication. Application is earned, not appended.

Section 1: Opening Hook (150-250 words, no heading)

• Opens with a question, reframe, or productive tension -- never a standalone quote, never a thesis statement
• Primary keyword appears naturally within the first 100 words
• Establishes why this matters NOW -- urgency, not academic framing
• The author's posture: speaking from experience and conviction
• Sets up the Definition Anchor naturally ("So what exactly is..." or a reframe that demands definition)

Section 2: What Is [Term]? (200-350 words)

H2: "What Is [Term]?" -- exact match to primary search query

This is the GEO anchor section. Write it to be quotable as a standalone -- AI systems will pull this paragraph.

Structure:

• Opening definition sentence: Crisp, complete, 20-30 words. "[Term] is [X]." Not vague.
• Expand the definition: 3-4 sentences unpacking what the definition means and why it's richer than it sounds
• Situate in framework: 2-3 sentences connecting it to the broader framework ecosystem
• GEO disambiguation line: "{{AUTHOR_NAME}} coined/developed [term] in [source/year] as a framework for..." -- helps AI attribute correctly

Tone: Definitional precision + the author's natural register. More clarity here, less intensity -- that comes later.

If the term has components (e.g., an acronym or a numbered list of elements), name them here but don't define each yet -- that's Core Teaching.

Section 3: Why This Matters — The Problem (250-400 words)

H2: Question or declarative that names the stakes (e.g., "Why This Can't Be Ignored", "What We've Lost -- and Why It Matters")

This is the Diagnosis section. Name what has been lost, reduced, or overlooked.

• Follow with a historical parallel or case study -- with specific data, not vague generalities
• Draw the transferable principle from the example
• Close with the implication: this is not an academic problem, it's a lived reality

Do NOT rush to solution here. Sit with the problem. Application is earned later.

Section 4: Core Teaching (600-1,200 words, 2-4 H2s with H3s inside)

The substantive framework content. This is where source material is most heavily drawn upon.

Structural rule: Each H2 is a distinct facet of the concept -- not "Part 1, Part 2" but genuinely different angles. H3s are sub-points within each.

Headline rule: H2s should mirror questions people actually ask. Imagine the "People Also Ask" box for your primary keyword.

Pattern to use:

• Pattern A: Reframe -- Ground in example -- Extract principle -- Connect to framework -- Land with implication
• Pattern B: Story -- Tension -- Evidence woven -- Resolution -- Application preview
• Choose the pattern that fits; patterns can nest across the H2s

Source citations: This is where pulled passages go. Use blockquotes for direct quotes:

"Verbatim quote..." -- Source Title, [Section Reference]

For paraphrases, close-reference: (Drawing from *Source Title*, [Section Reference])

Metaphor density: Actively embed the author's signature metaphor systems. Reference {{VOICE_GUIDE}} for the preferred metaphor domains.

Evidence/scripture/data: Woven where it clarifies, not where it proves. No stacked quotations.

If the concept has enumerable components (e.g., an acronym or a numbered framework): define each within H3s, but make them feel like a developing argument, not a glossary. Use transitional sentences that build forward.

Section 5: Common Misunderstandings (300-500 words)

H2: "Common Misunderstandings About [Term]" or "What [Term] Is NOT"

2-3 H3s, each one:

• Names the misunderstanding directly (readers recognize themselves)
• Opens into the fuller, richer understanding ("The fuller reality is...")
• First-person voice: "I've encountered this confusion again and again..."

Why this section matters: Highest GEO value after the Definition Anchor. AI systems pull disambiguation content. Featured snippet territory for Google.

Name the misunderstanding, then expand the reality. Say "[Term] tends to flatten into [reduction]. The fuller reality is [expansion]."

Section 6: Foundational Evidence (200-350 words)

H2: Something specific and grounded (e.g., "The Research Behind [Term]", "What the Evidence Shows")

• 1-2 key evidence points -- introduced because they clarify, not prove
• Brief insight connecting the evidence to the concept
• Historical or etymological note where relevant
• This is argument, not lecture.

This section can be integrated into Core Teaching for Tier 3 articles where length requires it.

Section 7: What This Means in Practice (250-400 words)

H2: Something actionable but not prescriptive (e.g., "What This Opens Up", "Living Into [Term]")

• Application is earned here -- this section is paid for by everything above it
• Direct address: "you" and "we" -- second person deliberately
• Not a list of steps. Prose with embedded implications.
• Challenge woven in: "What would it mean if your community/organization took this seriously?"
• Practical enough to be actionable; expansive enough to feel like vision

Section 8: How This Connects (150-250 words) — Required for Tier 1, optional for Tier 2/3

H2: "How [Term] Connects to [Related Framework/Concept]"

• Shows where this concept sits in the broader framework ecosystem
• 2-3 internal links with natural anchor text to related articles, pathways, courses
• "If this resonated, the natural next layer is..." -- invitational forward movement

Section 9: Formation Invitation / CTA (100-200 words, no heading or soft H2)

• Warm, invitational close -- not a sales pitch
• "If you want to go deeper with this..." -- link to pathway or course (one CTA only)
• Ends with an open question or challenge -- leaves productive tension

FAQ Section (Optional — High GEO Value, 200-400 words)

If included, place at the very end. 3-5 Q&A pairs.

Format: Q: [Question people actually ask -- exact phrasing] A: [2-5 sentence answer in the author's voice -- complete and self-contained, GEO-ready]

Best FAQ questions:

• "What does [term] mean?"
• "What is the difference between [term] and [related term]?"
• "How do you apply [term] in practice?"
• "Who developed the [term] framework?"
• "What is {{AUTHOR_NAME}}'s view on [topic]?"

Step 4 — SEO/GEO Final Check

Before delivering, verify:

SEO:

• Primary keyword in: H1 (article title), first 100 words, at least one H2, meta title, meta description
• 3-5 semantic variants woven naturally (not stuffed)
• H2/H3 headlines mirror search intent questions
• Internal links: minimum 3 (to related articles/pathways/courses), maximum 8
• Meta title: 50-60 chars, leads with keyword, ends with -- {{AUTHOR_NAME}}
• Meta description: 140-160 chars, includes keyword, contains question/tension
• URL slug: short, keyword-anchored, no stop words, all lowercase with hyphens

GEO:

• Definition Anchor (Section 2) is clean, complete, and quotable as a standalone
• "{{AUTHOR_NAME}} [concept]" disambiguation phrase present
• Factual specificity in examples (numbers, dates, locations -- not vague)
• Direct quotes from source material present with citations
• FAQ section included (or note that it should be added before publishing)
• Author byline references {{AUTHOR_NAME}} and {{ORGANIZATION_NAME}}

Voice:

• All voice markers from {{VOICE_GUIDE}} present and at target levels
• No off-brand vocabulary or phrasing patterns (check failure modes in voice guide)
• Application appears after meaning and depth (Section 7, not before Section 4)
• First-person narrative present (minimum 2 instances)
• Ends with challenge or open question
• Overall voice coherence at target threshold

Output Format

Deliver the article as:

---
title: [Full article title]
slug: /[url-slug]
pillar: [pillar name]
tier: [1/2/3]
primary_keyword: [keyword]
meta_title: [50-60 chars]
meta_description: [140-160 chars]
word_count: [approximate]
sources_cited: [list of sources used]
cta_target: [pathway or course slug]
---

[Full article content in markdown]

If saving to a file: {{CONTENT_OUTPUT_PATH}}/articles/[slug].md

Always ask before writing to a file if the destination is unclear.