mblode/blog-post

Blog Post

• IS: long-form editorial articles meant to be read top to bottom: listicles, tutorials, how-to guides, narrative essays, thought leadership.
• IS NOT: short marketing or product copy (use copywriting), slide decks (use presentation-creator), or technical reference docs and API pages (use docs-writing).

Workflow

Blog post progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Lock format and angle
- [ ] Step 2: Read every source completely
- [ ] Step 3: Extract insights and outline
- [ ] Step 4: Draft from the matching template
- [ ] Step 5: On-page SEO and polish
- [ ] Step 6: Run the quality gate

Step 1: Lock format and angle

Pick the format before writing a word; the format dictates the template in Step 4. If the request is ambiguous, ask one question rather than guessing.

| Format | Best for | Spine | |--------|----------|-------| | Listicle | Surprising takeaways from sources | Numbered insights, each with analysis | | Tutorial / how-to | Teaching a process step by step | Problem, steps, result | | Narrative | Personal experience or journey | Scene, tension, resolution | | Thought leadership | Industry opinion or commentary | Thesis, evidence, implications |

Also lock the angle in one sentence: what does the reader believe or do differently after reading? A post without an angle becomes a summary, the most common failure mode.

Step 2: Read every source completely

Read files, fetch URLs, or accept pasted text. Read each source end to end before outlining; skimming produces posts that miss the buried lede.

If the user gives a topic with no sources, research it first. Accept messy input (scattered notes, bullet dumps, half-formed observations). The mess is the input; structure is the output.

Step 3: Extract insights and outline

• Pull the most surprising, counter-intuitive, or high-impact takeaways. Rank by reader value and lead with the strongest.
• Mark 2 to 4 quotes worth blockquoting (only the strongest), and discard the rest.
• Find the curiosity gap or concrete problem that anchors the introduction.
• Check for a narrative thread: is there a shift from one understanding to another worth tracing?

Write a section outline, one line of purpose per section, before drafting. If a section has no purpose beyond "more detail," cut it.

Step 4: Draft from the matching template

Load only the matching format block from references/format-templates.md. Do not load all four. Follow its structure, then write through.

Step 5: On-page SEO and polish

• Title: under 60 characters, main keyword near the front, sentence case, no trailing period.
• Meta description: 150 to 160 characters that sell the click, not a dry summary.
• Keyword: place it in the title, the first paragraph, and 2 to 4 times across the body. Do not stuff; repetition that reads unnaturally hurts more than it helps.
• Headers: descriptive H2/H3 that make sense when read alone in a table of contents.
• Internal links: suggest 2 to 3 if the user has related content; never invent URLs.

Step 6: Run the quality gate

Walk this list and fix any failing item before declaring the post done. A post that fails any check is not finished.

- [ ] Hook lands in the first 1-2 sentences
- [ ] Headline is specific, under 60 chars, and the body delivers on it
- [ ] Every paragraph is 2-4 sentences
- [ ] Each section adds analysis or insight, not just restated source
- [ ] Blockquotes total 2-4, no more
- [ ] Conclusion looks forward (question, CTA, or provocation), not a recap
- [ ] Voice is conversational throughout, no academic register
- [ ] Meta description present, 150-160 chars
- [ ] Markdown renders: headings nest, blockquotes/bold/code are well-formed

Blog-specific voice

These cut against Claude's defaults, which trend toward neutral, hedged, summary prose:

• Write to one smart friend, not a committee. Authenticity beats authority.
• Bold the load-bearing phrase in a dense paragraph; readers skim before they commit.
• Show, do not tell: one concrete example with real names and numbers beats three vague claims.
• Admit genuine uncertainty instead of bluffing expertise; readers trust the seams.

Headline patterns

• Number + insight: "7 Things [Source] Reveals About [Topic]"
• Surprising tension: "Why [Common Belief] Gets [Topic] Wrong"
• How-to framing: "How to [Outcome] Without [Common Obstacle]"
• Provocative question: "What If [Reframe of the Obvious]?"

Gotchas

• A conclusion that restates the body teaches the reader nothing new; the close must add a forward look, a CTA, or a provocation, or readers leave with no reason to act.
• Blockquoting every source turns analysis into a clip reel; cap quotes at 2 to 4 and paraphrase the rest, or the post reads like notes.
• Writing from assumptions when sources were provided produces confident wrong claims; read every source in Step 2 before outlining.
• Keyword-stuffing to hit a count makes sentences read like spam and can trip search penalties; place the keyword where it reads naturally and stop.
• Paragraphs over four sentences kill mobile scannability where most blog traffic reads; split them.
• Clickbait the body cannot pay off (headline promises a number or result the post lacks) burns trust and raises bounce; only promise what the draft delivers.
• Inventing internal-link URLs ships dead links; only suggest links to content the user confirms exists.

Skill handoffs

| When | Run | |------|-----| | Audit the finished prose against documentation/style rules | docs-writing | | Turn the post into a slide deck | presentation-creator | | Sharpen marketing hooks, CTAs, or strip AI writing tells | copywriting | | Deepen on-page SEO beyond the basics here | optimise-seo |