motlin/writing-instructions
plugins/plugin-and-skill-dev/skills/writing-instructions/SKILL.md
MUST be loaded before creating, editing, or reviewing any SKILL.md, agent markdown, or command markdown file. Contains formatting rules that prevent common mistakes like numbered steps, which cause git churn. Also use when the user asks about instruction formatting best practices, header structure, or how to avoid unnecessary diffs.
$ install --global
skillsauthnpx skillsauth add motlin/claude-code-plugins writing-instructionsInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
Security Scan Results
3 of 9 scanners reported clean
Some scanners were skipped, did not run, or reported a non-clean status. Review each row below.
3
Scanners Passed
9
Scanners in report
Clean
TrivyContainer and dependency vulnerability scanner
95%
Clean
SemgrepStatic code analysis for vulnerabilities
95%
Clean
mcp-scan (Snyk)Model Context Protocol security validation
95%
Skipped
Snyk (dep)Open source security scanning
50%
Skipped
Socket.devSupply chain security analysis
50%
Skipped
VirusTotalMulti-engine malware detection
50%
Skipped
CrowdStrikeAdvanced threat intelligence
50%
Skipped
OSV-ScannerOpen Source Vulnerability database check
50%
Skipped
OWASP Dep-Check
50%
Last scanned: Apr 19, 2026, 4:11 AM20.9s1 file scanned
SKILL.md
- name:
- writing-instructions
- description:
- >-
Writing Instructions for Skills, Agents, and Commands
Use descriptive headers, not numbered steps
Never use numbered steps (e.g., ## Step 1:, ## Step 2:) in skill, agent, or command instructions.
Why: LLMs reorder steps during routine edits, creating unnecessary git churn. Numbered headers force renumbering on every insertion or deletion, generating large diffs with no meaningful change.
Instead: Use headers that name the action or outcome.
Bad:
### Step 1: Run the build
### Step 2: Extract errors
### Step 3: Check for auto-formatted changes
Good:
### Run the build
### Extract errors
### Check for auto-formatted changes
When order matters, the document's top-to-bottom flow communicates sequence. When order does not matter, descriptive headers make each section independently understandable.
Related Skills
motlin/finish
tools
VerifiedTrustedCommunity
This skill should be used after completing any task, before returning control to the user. Always run this skill — it handles the case where there's nothing to do.
13SKILL.mdUpdated Apr 19, 2026
motlin/git-workflow
development
VerifiedTrustedCommunity
Commit message format and git workflow rules. ALWAYS use this skill for every git commit — no exceptions — and whenever rewording an existing commit message.
12SKILL.mdUpdated Apr 19, 2026
motlin/cli
tools
VerifiedTrustedCommunity
CLI guidelines. Use whenever using the Bash tool, which is almost always. Also use when you see "command not found: __zoxide_z" errors.
11SKILL.mdUpdated Apr 19, 2026
motlin/maven-cli
tools
VerifiedTrustedCommunity
Maven CLI invocation patterns. Use whenever running `mvn` commands in Java/Maven projects. Covers when `-am` is required, why `-o` (offline) mode hides bugs in multi-worktree setups, and how to verify compile/test cleanly without trusting stale `~/.m2` artifacts.
10SKILL.mdUpdated May 7, 2026