# Writing Well

> Writing Well

- Skill: `wimpysworld/writing-well` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add wimpysworld/writing-well`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/wimpysworld/writing-well/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: wimpysworld (https://skillmd.com/u/wimpysworld)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/wimpysworld/writing-well

---


# Writing Well

## Scope

Load for prose artefacts: documentation, READMEs, blog posts, technical guides, migration guides, release notes, narrative and video scripts, and long-form explanatory content.

Do not load for routine operational output: worker status, delegation responses, implementation reports, audit findings, code review findings, test summaries, command output relays, or ticket comments unless the user asks to polish prose.

## Relationship to the other layers

The generated Communication Rules govern vocabulary and brevity on every utterance and are hook-enforced. The `contribution-voice` skill governs the structure of short public text published under the user's name. This skill governs composition inside long-form artefacts.

The Communication Rules say to skip puffery, didactic disclaimers, and superficial '-ing' analysis without defining any of the three. The pattern catalogue below is where those terms are defined.

## Principles

Full comparison tables for each principle are in `reference.md`. Quoted examples keep Strunk's American spelling.

1. **Active voice.** "The team fixed the bug" not "The bug was fixed by the team." Cut perfunctory openers: *there is*, *there are*, *it was*. Strunk does not ban the passive: use it when the receiver of the action is the topic, or when the actor is unknown or unimportant.
2. **Positive form.** Say what is, not what isn't. "He usually came late" not "He was not very often on time."
3. **Concrete language.** Specific beats abstract. "It rained every day for a week" not "A period of unfavorable weather set in."
4. **Omit needless words.** Cut "the fact that", "in order to", "it should be noted that". A sentence needs no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.
5. **Keep related words together.** "Modifiers should come, if possible, next to the word they modify." "He found only two mistakes" not "He only found two mistakes". A stray *only* changes what an instruction orders.
6. **Emphatic endings.** Put the most important words last. The start of a sentence is the other strong position.
7. **Parallel structure.** Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form. Correlatives (both/and, not/but, either/or) take the same construction on each side. When parallelism turns unwieldy, Strunk's escape hatch is a table.
8. **Paragraph discipline.** One topic per paragraph. Open with a topic sentence, close in conformity with it, and vary sentence structure.
9. **One tense in summaries.** Pick present or past and hold it. Shifting tenses signals uncertainty.

## AI patterns

LLMs regress to statistical means, replacing rare specific facts with common inflated ones. Worked examples and full phrase lists are in `reference.md`. Sources and licence are credited there.

**These are observations, not proof.** Text showing them is not necessarily AI-generated; the models learned these habits from human writing, and a 2025 study found humans distinguish LLM text no better than chance. So fix the writing fault, do not accuse the text of being generated, and do not strip a legitimate word only because it appears on a list. Chatbot leakage is the one exception: it is evidence.

- **Puffery.** Claims about broader impact, legacy, or symbolism: "stands as a testament to", "marking a pivotal moment".
- **Superficial '-ing' analysis.** Participle phrases asserting empty significance: "ensuring reliability", "showcasing its capabilities". A person can highlight something; a railway station cannot.
- **Promotional language.** Grandiose sales copy: "nestled in the heart of", "boasts a", "stunning".
- **Copulative avoidance.** The strongest tell. Plain *is* and *are* replaced by *serves as*, *stands as*, *marks*, *functions as*, *represents*, *boasts*, *features*, *maintains*, *offers*. Worst in a README's opening sentence, where the honest line is "X is a Y that does Z."
- **Challenges and future prospects.** "Despite its [positives], [subject] faces challenges", then vague optimism. Remove the whole formula.
- **Formatting overuse.** Bold on every term, inline-header lists, emoji on headings, dashes where a comma would serve. A table carrying real data is not this pattern.
- **Markdown-level tells.** Title Case On Every Heading, and a thematic break before every heading. Both are checkable in our own output.
- **Synonym variance.** Cycling through synonyms to avoid repeating a word. Use the clearest term consistently.
- **False ranges.** "From X to Y" where no scale exists between the endpoints.
- **Rule of three.** "Adjective, adjective, and adjective" when one precise word would do.
- **Negative parallelisms.** "Not only X, but Y", "not just about X, it's about Y". Only when the contrast is genuine.
- **Didactic disclaimers** (dated tell, still a fault). "It's important to note", "it's worth mentioning". Delete them and state the fact.
- **Empty conclusions** (dated tell, still a fault). "In summary", "Overall", "In conclusion" followed by restatement. End on the last substantive point.

**Chatbot leakage** is proof, not probability. Check every artefact for `utm_source=openai`, `utm_source=chatgpt.com`, `referrer=grok.com`; for vendor markup such as `oaicite`, `citeturn0search0`, `[cite: 1]`, `grok_card`, `ppl-ai-file-upload`; and for chat text pasted into the file, such as "I hope this helps", "Certainly!", "Best regards, [Your Name]", `INSERT_SOURCE_URL_30`.

**Steer towards human writing:** plain *is* and *has*, short verbs (*wrote* not *authored*, *used* not *utilised*, *died* not *passed away*), specific odd detail, and uneven rhythm. Prose polished to a uniform sentence length reads as machine output.

**Banned words and phrases** - these are LLM tells:
pivotal, crucial, vital, testament, enduring legacy, indelible mark, nestled, in the heart of, groundbreaking, seamless, robust, cutting-edge, delve, leverage, multifaceted, foster, realm, tapestry, vibrant, nuanced, intricate, intricacies, interplay, landscape (figurative), garnered, underpinning, underscores, showcasing, streamline, aligns with

This list reflects roughly 2024-era models and decays with each generation; *delve* dropped off sharply in 2025. Read it as a signal about quality, not as identification.

## Before and after

<example_bad>
The configuration system plays a crucial role in ensuring seamless deployment
across environments, showcasing the framework's robust architecture and
highlighting its commitment to developer experience.
</example_bad>

<example_good>
The configuration system deploys consistently across environments.
</example_good>

<example_bad>
It's important to note that this feature leverages a multifaceted approach,
delving into the intricacies of the underlying architecture to foster a more
streamlined workflow.
</example_bad>

<example_good>
This feature reduces deployment steps from five to two.
</example_good>

## Reference

`reference.md` holds the full Strunk comparison tables for every principle above, the expanded AI pattern catalogue with complete phrase lists, and the source credits.