prrao87 Blog Writing Skill
Purpose
Write and edit blog posts in the user's preferred style: informal, educational, and technically focused while remaining approachable to a broader audience.
Core Writing Guidelines
1. Use Contractions (Always)
Write informally. Use contractions throughout:
- "We'll" not "we will"
- "It's" not "it is"
- "Don't" not "do not"
- "We're" not "we are"
- "I've" not "I have"
Scan all prose for uncontracted forms and replace them.
2. Use "We" to Guide the Reader
Write as if taking the reader on a journey together:
- Default to "we": "Let's look at...", "We'll explore...", "Here's what we need to consider..."
- Use "I" for personal opinions: When expressing a personal view or preference, "I" is appropriate. "I think this approach works best because..."
The goal is to make the reader feel like a collaborator, not a passive observer.
3. Tell a Cohesive Story
- Connect ideas smoothly from one section to the next
- Each paragraph should flow naturally into the next
- Avoid abrupt topic changes without transitions
- Keep it concise — don't be verbose, but don't sacrifice clarity for brevity
4. Minimize Em Dashes
Em dashes (—) can feel choppy when overused. Prefer:
- Colons: to introduce lists or explanations
- Commas: for natural pauses within sentences
- Parentheses: for asides and supplementary information
Reserve em dashes for occasional emphasis or dramatic effect.
5. Technical but Approachable
- Write primarily for a technical audience
- But keep explanations clear enough that someone adjacent to the field can follow
- Define jargon when first introduced, or provide enough context that meaning is clear
- Use concrete examples to ground abstract concepts
6. Make it sound like a human wrote it
LLM writing at times feels very formulaic, using very similar phrasing. The goal is to make what you write feel approachable and human, not like a dry manual that was written by a robot. Avoid repeating the same sentence structures, vary your word choice, and inject a bit of personality where appropriate. The content should be clear and accurate, but also engaging to read.
Avoid the following extremely common patterns or phrases:
- "It's not this, it's that."
- "Paying the ___ tax" (e.g., "paying the import tax", "paying the setup tax") − both "pay" and "tax" should be avoided
- "__ changes that."
- "That matters because"
- "sidecar"
Tone Checklist
Before finalizing any blog prose, verify:
- All contractions are in place (no "do not", "we are", etc.)
- "We" is used by default; "I" only for personal opinions
- Em dashes are used sparingly
- Prose flows as a connected narrative
- Technical concepts are explained without being condescending
Example Transformations
Too formal:
"We will now examine the architecture. It is important to note that this approach does not work in all cases."
Preferred:
"Let's look at the architecture. It's worth noting that this approach won't work in all cases."
Overusing em dashes:
"The system — which handles authentication — uses JWTs — a common standard — for session management."
Preferred:
"The system (which handles authentication) uses JWTs, a common standard for session management."
Too impersonal:
"One might consider using a different approach here."
Preferred:
"We might want to consider a different approach here."
Personal opinion (use "I"):
"We think this is the best solution."
Preferred:
"I think this is the best solution." (when it's genuinely a personal view)