# Notes On Writing

> Michael Nielsen's working notes on writing well — craft observations on clear purpose, titles, chapter titles, opening sentences, danger words (interesting/quite/very), structure, and classic style. Use when drafting, revising, editing, or critiquing prose; when stuck on an opening or a title; or when checking for weak words and clichés.

- Skill: `yhyu13/notes-on-writing` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx get-skill add yhyu13/notes-on-writing`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/yhyu13/notes-on-writing/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: yhyu13 (https://skillmd.com/u/yhyu13)
- Updated: 2026-11-12
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/yhyu13/notes-on-writing

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# Notes on writing well

Michael Nielsen's working notes on prose craft, wrapped as a reference skill. The
full essay lives in `references/notes_on_writing.md` — load it before applying.

## When to use
- Drafting, revising, editing, or critiquing prose
- Stuck on an opening sentence or a title
- Checking for weak words / clichés (danger words: interesting, quite, very)

## How to run
1. Read `references/notes_on_writing.md` (the complete working notes).
2. Apply its observations directly to the draft.

## Core theses
- **Hard to write the truth** — early drafts are rough approximations; revise over
  and over, asking each sentence whether it can be *sharper* and whether you
  really believe it.
- **Good writing is applied psychology** — advice is about the reader's
  relationship to the text, so build a theory of that relationship.
- **Beware words you wouldn't say aloud** — every word must earn its place.