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 (one of six):

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 "Alan Hirsch [concept]" as a GEO disambiguation variant.

Draft the outline using the section architecture in Step 3.

Step 2 — Corpus Research

Before writing, pull relevant passages from Alan's books. This grounds the article in his actual words and enables proper citations.

Local corpus path:

/Users/joshuashepherd/Desktop/Dev/repos/alan-books/corpus/alan_hirsch/

Pillar-to-book map:

Research process:

1. Use the manifest to identify the most relevant chapter titles before reading full content:
   • Glob: /Users/joshuashepherd/Desktop/Dev/repos/alan-books/corpus/alan_hirsch/**/*.md
   • Grep for the topic keyword across those files
2. Read the 3–6 most relevant chapters in full (not every chapter — 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 Alan explains the concept step by step)
   • Stories and historical examples he uses in context
4. Note the citation for each: Book Title — ch[N] "[Chapter Title]"

If Supabase has richer content (run a search if local files seem incomplete):

SELECT b.title, bc.chapter_number, bc.title as ch_title,
       LEFT(bc.content, 500) as excerpt
FROM book_chapters bc
JOIN books b ON bc.book_id = b.id
WHERE bc.content ILIKE '%{keyword}%'
ORDER BY b.title, bc.chapter_number
LIMIT 20;

Project ID: vhaiiiykcukrlyvwlgip

Citation format: **Source:** Book Title — ch[N] "[Chapter Title]" 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.

Alan's Voice (Apply to Every Section)

All five markers required — same as the alan-voice skill:

Rhetorical posture: Speaking From Ahead — Alan describes what the reader doesn't yet see as if it's already visible. Not "imagine if…" but "here's what I've seen."

Antithesis prohibition: Never "not X, but Y." Always additive, forward-building, integrative.

Order of ideas: Reframe → Meaning → Theological 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 scripture quote, never a thesis statement
• Primary keyword appears naturally within the first 100 words
• Establishes why this matters NOW — prophetic urgency, not academic framing
• Alan's posture: he's already been where the reader is going. Speak from there.
• No antithesis patterns
• 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. "APEST 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 Alan's framework map: 2–3 sentences connecting it to the broader ecosystem (mDNA, APEST, Metanoia, etc.)
• GEO disambiguation line: "Alan Hirsch coined/developed [term] in [book/year] as a framework for..." — helps AI attribute correctly

Tone: Definitional precision + Alan's pastoral register. More clarity here, less prophetic intensity — that comes later.

If the term has components (like APEST = 5 gifts, or mDNA = 6 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 the Church Can't Afford to Ignore This", "What We've Lost — and Why It Matters")

This is the Diagnosis section. Uses Pattern C opening: name what the church has lost, reduced, or domesticated.

• Use one of Alan's diagnostic terms: "eclipse," "amnesia," "reduction," "domestication," "taming"
• Follow immediately with a historical parallel — the early church, Chinese underground church, Methodist movement, or SMRC — with specific data, not vague generalities
• Draw the transferable principle from the historical 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.

Historical examples to use (with specificity):

• Early church: grew from ~25,000 to 20 million between AD 100–310, with no buildings, no centralized hierarchy, under active persecution
• Chinese underground church: grew from 2 million to 120 million in 60 years under the same conditions
• SMRC: South Melbourne Restoration Community, 1983–1998, inner-city Melbourne, marginalized communities
• Methodist movement, CMA, Pentecostal revivals — with specific data where available

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

The substantive framework content. This is where Alan's corpus 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 historical example → Extract principle → Connect to framework → Land prophetically
• Pattern B: Story → Tension → Scripture woven → Theological resolution → Application preview
• Choose the pattern that fits; patterns can nest across the H2s

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

"Verbatim Alan quote..." — Book Title, ch[N] "[Chapter Title]"

For paraphrases, close-reference: (Drawing from *Book Title*, ch[N])

Metaphor density: Actively embed — movement/DNA, organic/biological, journey/travel. ~8.5 per 1000 words target.

Scripture: Woven where it clarifies, not where it proves. No stacked quotations. No "As Paul says in..." sermon openings.

If the concept has enumerable components (APEST = 5 gifts; mDNA = 6 elements): 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" (exception to antithesis rule — this section names the misconception in order to dissolve it)

2–3 H3s, each one:

• Names the misunderstanding directly (readers recognize themselves)
• Opens into the fuller, richer understanding ("The fuller reality is...")
• Alan's first-person: "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.

Do not use antithesis structure even here — name the misunderstanding, then expand the reality. Don't say "not X, but Y." Say "X tends to flatten into [reduction]. The fuller reality is [expansion]."

Section 6: Biblical Foundation (200–350 words)

H2: Something theological and specific (e.g., "The Ephesians 4 Architecture", "What Jesus Modeled in His Mission")

• 1–2 scripture passages — paraphrased or quoted sparingly, introduced because they clarify, not prove
• Brief theological insight connecting the passage to the concept
• Historical or linguistic note where relevant (Alan loves etymology and early church interpretation)
• No sermon-like structure. No "In [verse], we read that..." This is argument, not homily.

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 for Your Church", "Living Into the [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.
• Prophetic challenge woven in: "What would it mean if your community 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 Alan's 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 a prophetic challenge or open question — leaves productive tension
• Christocentric where natural — ground the invitation in Jesus's mission, not personal growth

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 Alan's voice — complete and self-contained, GEO-ready]

Best FAQ questions:

• "What does [term] mean in the Bible?"
• "What is the difference between [term] and [related term]?"
• "How do you apply [term] in a small church?"
• "Who developed the [term] framework?"
• "What is Alan Hirsch'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 — Alan Hirsch
• 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
• "Alan Hirsch [concept]" disambiguation phrase present
• Factual specificity in historical examples (numbers, dates, locations — not vague)
• Direct quotes from corpus present with citations
• FAQ section included (or note that it should be added before publishing)
• Author byline references Alan Hirsch and Forge Mission Training Network

Voice:

• All five markers present (run against alan-voice pre-output checklist)
• No antithesis patterns
• No corporate consultant vocabulary
• No detached academic phrasing
• Application appears after meaning and theology (Section 7, not before Section 4)
• First-person narrative present (minimum 2 instances)
• Christocentric anchoring in opening, core teaching, and close
• Ends with prophetic challenge or open question
• Overall voice coherence ≥0.75

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]
books_cited: [list of book slugs used]
cta_target: [pathway or course slug]
---

[Full article content in markdown]

If saving to a file: content-library/articles/[slug].md

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