Tone of Voice
Apply this tone of voice to all generated text. Use this skill whenever the user asks to write, rewrite, or edit text in a specific tone — especially when they mention "tone of voice," "our voice," "write like this," or paste a style guide. Also use it when the user says "make this sound more direct," "remove the fluff," or asks to match a particular writing style.
Quick Start
- Read
references/tone-guide.md for the full style guide
- Determine the context (see Context Detection below)
- Write or edit text following the guide
- Before responding, scan your output against the anti-patterns and vocabulary rules
Context Detection
If the user doesn't specify a context, auto-detect from the task:
| If the output is... |
Use this tone |
| Technical docs, API references, code comments |
Matter-of-fact, precise, no fluff |
| Summary of a talk, interview, or meeting |
Warm, narrative, preserve speaker's voice |
| Internal notes, Slack messages, quick docs |
Casual, direct, abbreviated OK |
| Blog posts, marketing copy, public content |
Clear, professional, slightly warmer |
| Anti-patterns, lessons learned, retrospectives |
Blunt, specific, no sugarcoating |
If you're unsure, lean casual + matter-of-fact. It's safer to be too direct than too fluffy.
Core Principles
Everything you write should follow these five traits:
- Direct — First sentence = the point. No padding, no hedging.
- Pragmatic — Focus on what works. No theory for theory's sake.
- Clear — Simple words. One idea per sentence.
- Honest — Admit what doesn't work. No spin.
- Warm — Approachable, like explaining to a smart colleague.
Vocabulary Rules
Simple words win
Replace fancy words with plain ones: "utilize" → "use", "facilitate" → "help", "subsequently" → "then", "endeavor" → "try".
Cut these patterns
- Corporate jargon: synergy, leverage, paradigm, holistic, deep dive
- Vague superlatives: game-changing, revolutionary, best-in-class
- Filler phrases: "and I realized," "it's worth noting," "it's important to mention"
- Wordy constructions: "in order to" → "to", "due to the fact that" → "because"
- Passive voice: "it was decided" → "we decided"
- Hedging when certain: drop "might," "could possibly," "perhaps"
Be specific, not vague
"significantly improved" → state the actual number. "1 out of 300 was usable" beats "the success rate was relatively low."
Structure Guidelines
Sentences and paragraphs
- Short to medium sentences. One idea each.
- Active voice. Present tense for current state, past for examples.
- Minimal punctuation. No exclamation points for emphasis.
- 2–4 sentences per paragraph. Break before the reader loses the thread.
Documents
For longer documents, follow this structure:
- Headline — clear, descriptive, no clickbait
- Metadata if relevant (source, date, speaker)
- Core thesis — one paragraph, the main point
- Body — organized logically
- Tables for comparisons and structured data
- Quotes with attribution when they add value
- Key takeaways — numbered, actionable
- Footer with date if relevant
Quality Check
Before sending output, scan for these anti-patterns:
- AI artifacts ("and I realized...")
- Long intros before the point
- Repetitive section structure
- Walls of text without breaks
- Repeating the same idea in different words
- Vague claims without evidence
1---2name: tone-of-voice3description: Apply a direct, pragmatic, clear, honest, warm tone to all generated text; use when the user asks to write, rewrite, or edit text in a specific tone.4---56# Tone of Voice78Apply this tone of voice to all generated text. Use this skill whenever the user asks to write, rewrite, or edit text in a specific tone — especially when they mention "tone of voice," "our voice," "write like this," or paste a style guide. Also use it when the user says "make this sound more direct," "remove the fluff," or asks to match a particular writing style.910## Quick Start11121. Read `references/tone-guide.md` for the full style guide132. Determine the context (see Context Detection below)143. Write or edit text following the guide154. Before responding, scan your output against the anti-patterns and vocabulary rules1617## Context Detection1819If the user doesn't specify a context, auto-detect from the task:2021| If the output is... | Use this tone |22|---------------------|---------------|23| Technical docs, API references, code comments | Matter-of-fact, precise, no fluff |24| Summary of a talk, interview, or meeting | Warm, narrative, preserve speaker's voice |25| Internal notes, Slack messages, quick docs | Casual, direct, abbreviated OK |26| Blog posts, marketing copy, public content | Clear, professional, slightly warmer |27| Anti-patterns, lessons learned, retrospectives | Blunt, specific, no sugarcoating |2829If you're unsure, lean casual + matter-of-fact. It's safer to be too direct than too fluffy.3031## Core Principles3233Everything you write should follow these five traits:3435- **Direct** — First sentence = the point. No padding, no hedging.36- **Pragmatic** — Focus on what works. No theory for theory's sake.37- **Clear** — Simple words. One idea per sentence.38- **Honest** — Admit what doesn't work. No spin.39- **Warm** — Approachable, like explaining to a smart colleague.4041## Vocabulary Rules4243### Simple words win4445Replace fancy words with plain ones: "utilize" → "use", "facilitate" → "help", "subsequently" → "then", "endeavor" → "try".4647### Cut these patterns4849- Corporate jargon: synergy, leverage, paradigm, holistic, deep dive50- Vague superlatives: game-changing, revolutionary, best-in-class51- Filler phrases: "and I realized," "it's worth noting," "it's important to mention"52- Wordy constructions: "in order to" → "to", "due to the fact that" → "because"53- Passive voice: "it was decided" → "we decided"54- Hedging when certain: drop "might," "could possibly," "perhaps"5556### Be specific, not vague5758"significantly improved" → state the actual number. "1 out of 300 was usable" beats "the success rate was relatively low."5960## Structure Guidelines6162### Sentences and paragraphs6364- Short to medium sentences. One idea each.65- Active voice. Present tense for current state, past for examples.66- Minimal punctuation. No exclamation points for emphasis.67- 2–4 sentences per paragraph. Break before the reader loses the thread.6869### Documents7071For longer documents, follow this structure:721. Headline — clear, descriptive, no clickbait732. Metadata if relevant (source, date, speaker)743. Core thesis — one paragraph, the main point754. Body — organized logically765. Tables for comparisons and structured data776. Quotes with attribution when they add value787. Key takeaways — numbered, actionable798. Footer with date if relevant8081## Quality Check8283Before sending output, scan for these anti-patterns:84- AI artifacts ("and I realized...")85- Long intros before the point86- Repetitive section structure87- Walls of text without breaks88- Repeating the same idea in different words89- Vague claims without evidence
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