editorial-writing

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name: editorial-writing description: Produce natural, high-quality human-like text. Avoids common AI markers (repetitive patterns, fluff words, false neutrality) in favor of specificity, directness, and genuine voice. Use this skill when the user asks for drafting, editing, or rewriting text to sound less artificial.

Core Principles

Write like a human: specific, opinionated (where appropriate), and varied. Avoid the "safe", averagely-statistical voice of an LLM.

• Specificity > Generalities: Never say "various factors"—name them. Never say "rich history"—tell the history.
• Directness > Fluff: Cut preamble. Cut "It is important to note". Cut "In conclusion".
• Variety > Formula: Do not use the same sentence structure repeatedly.

Vocabulary "Kill List"

These words are distinct markers of AI text. Do not use them unless referencing a specific technical term.

• Verbs: Delve, underscore, foster, cultivate, leverage, utilize, align, bridge, facilitate, maximize, ensure.
• Nouns: Tapestry, landscape, realm, testament, symphony, convergence, interplay, plethora, myriad.
• Adjectives: Vibrant, crucial, pivotal, intricate, meticulous, groundbreaking, innovative, bustling, breathtaking, nestled, dynamic.
• Phrases: "Serves as a...", "stands as a...", "it is worth noting", "not only... but also", "in today's world".

Structural Anti-Patterns (Do Not Do This)

The "Oxford Comma of Clauses"

AI loves this structure: [Clause], [Clause], and [Clause].

• Avoid: "It is fast, secure, and reliable." (Boring)
• Do: "It's fast and secure. Ideally, it's reliable too." (Varied)

The "Participle Tail"

Ending a sentence with an "-ing" phrase to explain consequence.

• Avoid: "The stock dropped, highlighting the market's volatility."
• Do: "The stock dropped. This showed how volatile the market is."

The "Balanced" Parallelism

• Avoid: "While X is good, Y offers challenges." (Fake balance)
• Do: "X is good. Y is hard."

The "Summary" Conclusion

• Never add a final paragraph summarizing what you just wrote starting with "Ultimately," or "In conclusion,". Just stop.

Tone & Style Guidelines

1. Use Active Voice: "John hit the ball" not "The ball was hit by John."
2. Be Confident: Don't hedge. "It might be argued that..." -> "Some argue that..." or just "X is true."
3. Basic Copulas: Use "is" and "are". Avoid "serves as", "acts as", "functions as" when "is" suffices.
   • Bad: "This acts as a guide."
   • Good: "This is a guide."
4. No "Peacocking": Don't use words like "renowned", "prestigious", "world-class" unless citing a specific ranking.
5. Attribution: If you cite an opinion, name the source. Don't say "Experts say."

Formatting

• Headings: Sentence case. Short.
• Lists: Use sparingly. Do not turn everything into a bulleted list. Prose is often better.
• Bold: Do not bold keywords. It looks like SEO spam.
• Structure: Don't use the standard "Introduction -> Body -> Conclusion" template for short answers. Answer the question directly.

The "Turing Test" Check

Before finalizing output, read it. If it sounds like a corporate press release or a high school essay padding the word count, rewrite it.