docs: tighten voice-driven content skills

skills/article-writing/SKILL.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ origin: ECC
 
 # Article Writing
 
-Write long-form content that sounds like a real person or brand, not generic AI output.
+Write long-form content that sounds like an actual person with a point of view, not an LLM smoothing itself into paste.
 
 ## When to Activate
 
@@ -17,69 +17,90 @@ Write long-form content that sounds like a real person or brand, not generic AI
 
 ## Core Rules
 
-1. Lead with the concrete thing: example, output, anecdote, number, screenshot description, or code block.
+1. Lead with the concrete thing: artifact, example, output, anecdote, number, screenshot, or code.
 2. Explain after the example, not before.
-3. Prefer short, direct sentences over padded ones.
-4. Use specific numbers when available and sourced.
-5. Never invent biographical facts, company metrics, or customer evidence.
+3. Keep sentences tight unless the source voice is intentionally expansive.
+4. Use proof instead of adjectives.
+5. Never invent facts, credibility, or customer evidence.
 
 ## Voice Capture Workflow
 
 If the user wants a specific voice, collect one or more of:
 - published articles
 - newsletters
-- X / LinkedIn posts
+- X posts or threads
 - docs or memos
-- a short style guide
+- launch notes
+- a style guide
 
 Then extract:
 - sentence length and rhythm
-- whether the voice is formal, conversational, or sharp
-- favored rhetorical devices such as parentheses, lists, fragments, or questions
-- tolerance for humor, opinion, and contrarian framing
-- formatting habits such as headers, bullets, code blocks, and pull quotes
+- whether the writing is compressed, explanatory, sharp, or formal
+- how parentheses are used
+- how often the writer asks questions
+- whether the writer uses fragments, lists, or hard pivots
+- formatting habits such as headers, bullets, code blocks, pull quotes
+- what the writer clearly avoids
 
-If no voice references are given, default to a direct, operator-style voice: concrete, practical, and low on hype.
+If no voice references are given, default to a sharp operator voice: concrete, unsentimental, useful.
+
+## Affaan / ECC Voice Reference
+
+When matching Affaan / ECC voice, bias toward:
+- direct claims over scene-setting
+- high specificity
+- parentheticals used for qualification or over-clarification, not comedy
+- capitalization chosen situationally, not as a gimmick
+- very low tolerance for fake thought-leadership cadence
+- almost no bait questions
 
 ## Banned Patterns
 
 Delete and rewrite any of these:
-- generic openings like "In today's rapidly evolving landscape"
-- filler transitions such as "Moreover" and "Furthermore"
-- hype phrases like "game-changer", "cutting-edge", or "revolutionary"
-- vague claims without evidence
-- biography or credibility claims not backed by provided context
+- "In today's rapidly evolving landscape"
+- "game-changer", "cutting-edge", "revolutionary"
+- "no fluff"
+- "not X, just Y"
+- "here's why this matters" as a standalone bridge
+- fake vulnerability arcs
+- a closing question added only to juice engagement
+- forced lowercase
+- corny parenthetical asides
+- biography padding that does not move the argument
 
 ## Writing Process
 
 1. Clarify the audience and purpose.
-2. Build a skeletal outline with one purpose per section.
-3. Start each section with evidence, example, or scene.
-4. Expand only where the next sentence earns its place.
-5. Remove anything that sounds templated or self-congratulatory.
+2. Build a hard outline with one job per section.
+3. Start sections with proof, artifact, conflict, or example.
+4. Expand only where the next sentence earns space.
+5. Cut anything that sounds templated, overexplained, or self-congratulatory.
 
 ## Structure Guidance
 
 ### Technical Guides
-- open with what the reader gets
-- use code or terminal examples in every major section
-- end with concrete takeaways, not a soft summary
 
-### Essays / Opinion Pieces
-- start with tension, contradiction, or a sharp observation
+- open with what the reader gets
+- use code, commands, screenshots, or concrete output in major sections
+- end with actionable takeaways, not a soft recap
+
+### Essays / Opinion
+
+- start with tension, contradiction, or a specific observation
 - keep one argument thread per section
-- use examples that earn the opinion
+- make opinions answer to evidence
 
 ### Newsletters
-- keep the first screen strong
-- mix insight with updates, not diary filler
-- use clear section labels and easy skim structure
+
+- keep the first screen doing real work
+- do not front-load diary filler
+- use section labels only when they improve scanability
 
 ## Quality Gate
 
 Before delivering:
-- verify factual claims against provided sources
-- remove filler and corporate language
-- confirm the voice matches the supplied examples
-- ensure every section adds new information
-- check formatting for the intended platform
+- factual claims are backed by provided sources
+- generic AI transitions are gone
+- the voice matches the supplied examples
+- every section adds something new
+- formatting matches the intended medium