Author Voice Skill

Create a maximally information-dense AUTHOR_VOICE.md document through iterative refinement. The resulting document enables any LLM to write content that authentically matches your voice.

Overview

This skill supports both creating a new voice doc and refining an existing one. Users often come back multiple times to adjust their doc as their voice evolves or as they notice issues in generated content.

This skill guides you through: 0. Check Existing - Look for existing AUTHOR_VOICE.md; let user choose to refine or start fresh

1. Discovery - Clarifying questions about your voice characteristics and goals
2. Initial Draft - Generate first AUTHOR_VOICE.md based on your inputs (good enough to start!)
3. Refinement Cycles - Generate sample texts, collect your ratings/feedback, update the doc ⬅️ THE REAL MAGIC
4. Completion - Final honed document ready for AI content generation

Returning users can skip straight to Phase 3 to run more feedback cycles on their existing doc.

Where the Value Comes From

The discovery questions give you a solid starting point - but the real magic happens in Phase 3. That's where you:

• See actual generated samples in your "voice"
• Judge them ("this doesn't sound like me")
• Give specific feedback ("too formal", "wrong words")
• Watch the voice doc evolve until it truly captures YOU

Each feedback cycle sharpens the doc. Most users need 3-5 cycles to get from "this is okay" to "this is actually me."

Tool Requirements

AskUserQuestion Tool: This skill REQUIRES the AskUserQuestion tool to minimize user cognitive load. Before starting:

1. Check availability: Verify AskUserQuestion is in your available tools list
2. If available: Use it for ALL questions - present options as multiple choice to reduce typing and thinking effort
3. If NOT available: Inform the user that the experience will be degraded (they'll need to type responses), then present numbered options they can respond to by number

The goal is to make this as low-effort as possible for the user - clicking/selecting options is far easier than formulating responses.

Workflow

Phase 0: Check for Existing Document

Before starting discovery, check if the user already has an AUTHOR_VOICE.md:

1. Search for existing doc: Use Glob to search for **/AUTHOR_VOICE.md in the current directory and common locations
2. If found: Read it and ask the user what they want to do

header: "Existing Voice Doc Found"
question: "I found an existing AUTHOR_VOICE.md. What would you like to do?"
options:
  - "Refine it - run feedback cycles to improve accuracy"
  - "Start fresh - create a new voice doc from scratch"
  - "Review it - just read through what's there"

If "Refine it": Skip to Phase 3 (Refinement Cycles) - the user is coming back to improve their existing doc.

If "Start fresh": Proceed to Phase 1 (Discovery) - will overwrite the existing doc.

If "Review it": Read and display the doc, then ask what they want to do next.

3. If NOT found: Proceed directly to Phase 1 (Discovery)

Phase 1: Discovery

Use AskUserQuestion tool with multi-choice options for EVERY question to minimize cognitive load. If AskUserQuestion is unavailable, present numbered options and ask the user to reply with the number(s).

Question 1: Primary Content Type

header: "Content Type"
question: "What's your PRIMARY content format?"
options:
  - "Twitter/X posts (short-form, punchy)"
  - "LinkedIn posts (professional, insights)"
  - "Blog articles (long-form, detailed)"
  - "Newsletter (conversational, regular)"
  - "Technical documentation (precise, instructional)"
  - "Mixed - I write across multiple formats"

Question 2: Voice Personality

header: "Voice Tone"
question: "How would you describe your voice personality?"
options:
  - "Authoritative expert - confident, direct, no-nonsense"
  - "Friendly mentor - approachable, encouraging, educational"
  - "Provocateur - contrarian, challenges assumptions, bold"
  - "Storyteller - narrative-driven, uses examples, personal"
  - "Analyst - data-driven, logical, objective"
  - "Conversational peer - casual, relatable, human"
multiSelect: true (pick up to 2)

Question 3: Signature Elements

header: "Signatures"
question: "What signature elements define your writing?"
options:
  - "Strong opening hooks"
  - "Numbered lists and frameworks"
  - "Personal anecdotes and stories"
  - "Contrarian takes and hot takes"
  - "Data and research citations"
  - "Metaphors and analogies"
  - "Direct calls-to-action"
  - "Questions to engage readers"
  - "Short punchy sentences"
  - "Long flowing prose"
multiSelect: true

Question 4: Vocabulary Style

header: "Vocabulary"
question: "What's your vocabulary style?"
options:
  - "Simple and accessible - anyone can understand"
  - "Technical jargon - domain-specific terms expected"
  - "Casual slang - internet-native, memes okay"
  - "Formal professional - polished, corporate-appropriate"
  - "Academic - precise, nuanced, scholarly"

Question 5: Emotional Range

header: "Emotion"
question: "What emotions do you convey in your writing?"
options:
  - "Enthusiasm and excitement"
  - "Calm confidence"
  - "Urgency and importance"
  - "Humor and wit"
  - "Empathy and understanding"
  - "Skepticism and critical thinking"
  - "Inspiration and motivation"
multiSelect: true

Question 6: Target Audience

header: "Audience"
question: "Who is your primary audience?"
options:
  - "Developers/Engineers"
  - "Founders/Entrepreneurs"
  - "Product managers"
  - "Executives/Leaders"
  - "General tech audience"
  - "Non-technical professionals"
  - "Students/Learners"

Question 7: Writing Goals

header: "Goals"
question: "What do you want your writing to achieve?"
options:
  - "Build authority and thought leadership"
  - "Drive engagement and discussion"
  - "Educate and inform"
  - "Entertain and delight"
  - "Convert/sell (subtly)"
  - "Build community and connection"
multiSelect: true

Question 8: Anti-patterns

header: "Avoid"
question: "What should your writing NEVER do?"
options:
  - "Use corporate buzzwords"
  - "Sound robotic or AI-generated"
  - "Be preachy or condescending"
  - "Use excessive emojis"
  - "Be overly promotional"
  - "Use clickbait tactics"
  - "Be wishy-washy or hedging"
  - "Use filler phrases"
multiSelect: true

Question 9: Sample Topics (free text acceptable here)

header: "Topics"
question: "List 2-3 topics you frequently write about (or paste examples of your past writing)"

Phase 2: Initial Document Generation

After discovery, generate the first AUTHOR_VOICE.md. This draft is intentionally a "good enough" starting point - not perfect, but solid enough to generate samples and start the feedback loop.

Use this structure:

# AUTHOR_VOICE.md

> This document defines [Author]'s writing voice for AI content generation.
> Feed this to any LLM before requesting content to match the author's style.

## Voice Identity

[1-2 sentences capturing the core voice essence]

## Tone Parameters

- **Primary tone**: [e.g., "Confident mentor with occasional humor"]
- **Emotional range**: [comma-separated emotions from discovery]
- **Formality level**: [1-10 scale with description]
- **Warmth level**: [1-10 scale with description]

## Structural Patterns

- **Opening style**: [how posts/articles begin]
- **Paragraph length**: [short/medium/long, typical sentence count]
- **List usage**: [when and how lists are used]
- **Closing style**: [how content ends - CTA, question, statement]

## Vocabulary Rules

### USE:
- [Specific words/phrases the author uses]
- [Technical terms that are okay]
- [Signature expressions]

### AVOID:
- [Words that feel off-brand]
- [Overused phrases to skip]
- [Tone markers to avoid]

## Content Patterns

### Hooks
[How the author grabs attention - examples of opening patterns]

### Arguments
[How the author builds points - numbered, narrative, comparison]

### Evidence
[How claims are supported - data, anecdotes, logic, authority]

### Transitions
[How ideas connect - explicit markers, implicit flow]

## Signature Moves

1. [Specific technique the author uses regularly]
2. [Another signature element]
3. [Third distinguishing characteristic]

## Anti-Patterns

NEVER:
- [Specific thing to avoid]
- [Another anti-pattern]
- [Third prohibition]

## Example Transformations

### Generic version:
"[Common way to express an idea]"

### In author's voice:
"[Same idea in the author's distinctive style]"

---

## Quick Reference

**One-line voice summary**: [Author] writes like [analogy/comparison].

**Before generating content, ensure**:
- [ ] [Checklist item 1]
- [ ] [Checklist item 2]
- [ ] [Checklist item 3]

Write this file to the current working directory as AUTHOR_VOICE.md.

Phase 3: Refinement Cycles (Where the Magic Happens)

This is the most important phase. The initial doc from Phase 2 captures the basics, but YOUR feedback on generated samples is what transforms it from generic to authentic. Don't skip this.

After generating the initial document, begin iterative refinement:

Step 3.1: Generate Sample Texts

IMPORTANT: Do NOT generate samples yourself. You MUST use the voice-writer agent to generate samples. The agent is specifically designed to read the voice doc and produce authentic samples - attempting to generate them inline will produce inferior results.

Use the voice-writer agent to generate 3 sample texts.
Voice doc path: [path to AUTHOR_VOICE.md]
Mode: Sample generation

The agent will read the voice doc and output 3 samples:

1. Short-form (~280 chars)
2. Medium-form (2-3 paragraphs)
3. Conversational reply

Step 3.2: Collect Feedback Per Sample

For EACH of the 3 generated samples, use AskUserQuestion tool (or numbered options if unavailable):

header: "Sample [N]"
question: "Rate this sample and share what's off:"
[Display the sample text]
options:
  - "Perfect - captures my voice exactly"
  - "Close - minor tweaks needed"
  - "Okay - something feels off but hard to pinpoint"
  - "Wrong - this doesn't sound like me"

If not "Perfect", follow up with:

header: "Feedback"
question: "What specifically needs adjustment in Sample [N]?"
options:
  - "Too formal/stiff"
  - "Too casual/unprofessional"
  - "Wrong vocabulary/word choices"
  - "Missing my signature style elements"
  - "Tone is off (wrong emotion)"
  - "Structure doesn't match how I write"
  - "Too long/wordy"
  - "Too short/choppy"
  - "Other - let me explain"
multiSelect: true

If "Other" selected or if more detail needed, prompt for free-text: "Describe what's wrong and how you'd actually write this:"

Step 3.3: Update Document

Based on ALL feedback from the 3 samples:

1. Identify patterns in the feedback (what's consistently wrong?)
2. Update the AUTHOR_VOICE.md with new/refined rules
3. Add specific "instead of X, use Y" examples where needed
4. Strengthen anti-patterns if certain issues keep appearing

Step 3.4: Check Completion

header: "Continue?"
question: "Want to run another refinement cycle?"
options:
  - "Yes - generate 3 more samples with the updated doc"
  - "No - the voice doc is good enough for now"
  - "Almost done - one more cycle should perfect it"

If "Yes" or "Almost done", return to Step 3.1 with the updated document.

Phase 4: Completion

When user indicates completion:

1. Add a "Version History" section noting refinement cycles completed
2. Add a "Usage Instructions" section for how to use with LLMs
3. Display final document summary
4. Remind user to keep the AUTHOR_VOICE.md with their projects

Key Principles

Information Density

• Every line in the doc must be actionable for an LLM
• No fluff, no explanations "for humans"
• Concrete examples over abstract descriptions
• Specific word lists over vague guidelines

Iterative Refinement

• 3-5 refinement cycles typically needed for high accuracy
• Each cycle should fix specific issues identified
• Track what changes between versions

Reduce Cognitive Load

• ALWAYS use AskUserQuestion tool when available - this is critical for UX
• Present multi-choice questions to minimize user typing/thinking
• Limit options to 6-8 max per question
• Use multiSelect for non-exclusive choices
• Only use free-text for examples/samples or when AskUserQuestion unavailable

Output Location

Write AUTHOR_VOICE.md to the current working directory (or user-specified path).