r-bart Metadata
- inherits:
../short-form-voice-adjustments/SKILL.md - input: a long-form piece from skills/long-form-* output (devlog, hot-take, how-to, launch-retro, manifesto)
- formats: X thread, LinkedIn post, Threads post
short-form-thread-from-longform
Takes a finished long-form piece and produces 1-3 short-form derivatives. This is the engine that makes the writing system sustainable — without it, you're writing twice.
The repurposing principle: one well-structured long-form should yield 6-12 candidate short-form pieces; ship 2-4 of them, spread over 1-2 weeks.
Inputs
The long-form post — must be already drafted and ideally already through editing-pass.
Workflow
- Read the long-form. Identify the 1 thesis sentence. That's your thread hook anchor.
- Identify 3-7 substantive sub-points that compose the argument. These become thread tweets.
- Identify 1-2 standalone observations that work without the rest of the post. These become candidates for
short-form-observation-style standalone posts. - Identify 1 listicle-shaped section if any (lessons, mistakes, steps). Candidate for
short-form-listicle. - Pick the format that earns its keep. Don't always do all 3. The thread is usually mandatory, the LinkedIn post often, the standalone observation only when one really stands out.
Structure — X thread
1/ [Hook tweet — the thesis as a scroll-stopper. Number-led if applicable. Promise of what the thread delivers.]
2/ [Setup — 1-2 lines of context. The pain or the conventional wisdom you're addressing.]
3/ [Sub-point 1 — declarative line + 1 short example/number.]
4/ [Sub-point 2 — same.]
...
N/ [Closer tweet — the rule, the punch, the takeaway.]
N+1/ [Soft CTA: "Wrote about this in detail here: [link to long-form]"]
Structure — LinkedIn post derivative
[Hook = thesis sentence, possibly rephrased to land in 1-2 lines.]
[3-5 short paragraphs walking the argument:
- The pain
- Why conventional wisdom fails (if hot-take) OR the surprise (if devlog/launch-retro)
- 2-3 concrete points
- The rule]
[Soft CTA to the long-form: "Full breakdown: [link]" — only if you have a destination.]
Structure — Threads post derivative
[Often the hook tweet of the X thread, slightly more conversational.]
[Optional 1-2 line follow-up.]
[Threads tolerates more first-person, more "btw" energy than X. Use it.]
Rules
- Don't paste long-form sentences verbatim. Threads need shorter, punchier construction. Rewrite, don't extract.
- Each thread tweet must stand alone. Reader who only sees tweet #4 should still get something useful.
- Hook tweet is 80% of the work. Spend disproportionate time on it. If the hook is weak, the rest is wasted.
- No "1/" if you're not numbering. Either number all or none.
- Always link back to the long-form in the closer if it's published. Drives the long-form's reach.
- Quota check: don't ship the thread + LinkedIn + Threads + observation all on the same day. Stagger across the week, or further (1-2 weeks for derivatives of a single long-form).
Anti-patterns
- Thread that's just the long-form's H2s. Lazy. Each tweet must earn its place.
- Hook tweet that's clickbait without payoff. Reader will resent you.
- Closing tweet that's only "Follow me for more". Always lead with substance, then link.
- Cross-posting the EXACT same text on X, LinkedIn, and Threads. Each platform deserves a slight rewrite.
Output
For a single long-form input, the default output is:
- 1 X thread (5-9 tweets)
- 1 LinkedIn post (rephrased, ~150-300 words)
- 0-1 Threads post
- 0-1 standalone observation (if one stood out)
That's 2-4 short-form pieces from 1 long-form. Spread over the next 1-2 weeks.