# Article Author > Writes a complete evergreen pillar article in the author's voice, including source research, SEO/GEO architecture, and citations. - Skill: `joshuashepherd/article-author` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add joshuashepherd/article-author` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/joshuashepherd/article-author/raw - Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth, Content Marketing, Copywriting, SEO - Tags: Citations, Content Writing, Geo, Pillar Article, Research, Seo - Author: JoshuaShepherd (https://skillmd.com/u/joshuashepherd) - Updated: 2026-08-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/joshuashepherd/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.