# Article Author > Write a complete evergreen pillar article in Alan Hirsch's voice — with corpus research from his books, full SEO/GEO architecture, and proper citations. This is the main writing skill. It runs planning, corpus research, and writing in sequence. Use when writing any new article for the platform. - Skill: `joshuashepherd/article-author-2` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add joshuashepherd/article-author-2` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/joshuashepherd/article-author-2/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: JoshuaShepherd (https://skillmd.com/u/joshuashepherd) - Updated: 2026-09-21 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/joshuashepherd/article-author-2 --- 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): | Pillar | Core Q | Key Concepts | |--------|--------|-------------| | **APEST / 5Q** | What gifts does the whole church need? | Five-fold ministry, APEST gifts, 5Q, Ephesians 4 | | **Apostolic Genius / mDNA** | What makes movements tick? | mDNA, Apostolic Genius, 6 elements, movement DNA | | **Missional Church** | What does "sent" mean? | Incarnational mission, sentness, everyday mission | | **Movemental Thinking** | How do movements form? | Movemental, apostolic future, movement dynamics | | **Metanoia / Discipleship** | What does real conversion demand? | Metanoia, transformation, formation, discipleship | | **Christology / Lordship** | Who is Jesus and what does his lordship cost? | Christocentric, ReJesus, Jesus-shaped, Lordship | **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: | Pillar | Primary Books | Secondary | |--------|--------------|-----------| | APEST / 5Q | `5q` | `reframation`, `on-the-verge` | | Apostolic Genius / mDNA | `on-the-verge`, `fast-forward-to-mission` | `5q` | | Missional Church | `right-here-right-now` | `rejesus`, `on-the-verge` | | Movemental Thinking | `on-the-verge`, `fast-forward-to-mission` | `5q` | | Metanoia / Discipleship | `metanoia`, `disciplism` | `rejesus` | | Christology / Lordship | `rejesus`, `reframation` | `metanoia` | ### 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): ```sql 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: | Marker | Weight | Target | |--------|--------|--------| | **Christocentric Anchoring** | 30% | ≥0.7 — 2–3 explicit Jesus/Christ/Kingdom/Gospel references | | **Pastoral Warmth** | 20% | ≥0.5 — "we" (45%), "you" (35%), "I" (20%) | | **Narrative Imagery** | 15% | ≥0.6 — ~8.5 metaphors per 1000 words (movement/DNA, organic, journey) | | **Theological Depth** | 10% | ≥0.7 — 1–2 historical examples per substantial section | | **Prophetic Intensity** | 25% | 0.5–0.8 — ~3.2 questions per 1000 words | **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.