Content Research Writer
This skill acts as your writing partner, helping you research, outline, draft, and refine content while maintaining your unique voice and style.
When to Use This Skill
- Writing blog posts, articles, or newsletters
- Creating educational content or tutorials
- Drafting thought leadership pieces
- Researching and writing case studies
- Producing technical documentation with sources
- Writing with proper citations and references
- Improving hooks and introductions
- Getting section-by-section feedback while writing
What This Skill Does
- Collaborative Outlining: Helps you structure ideas into coherent outlines
- Research Assistance: Finds relevant information and adds citations
- Hook Improvement: Strengthens your opening to capture attention
- Section Feedback: Reviews each section as you write
- Voice Preservation: Maintains your writing style and tone
- Citation Management: Adds and formats references properly
- Iterative Refinement: Helps you improve through multiple drafts
How to Use
Setup Your Writing Environment
Create a dedicated folder for your article:
mkdir ~/writing/my-article-title
cd ~/writing/my-article-title
Create your draft file:
touch article-draft.md
Open Claude Code from this directory and start writing.
Basic Workflow
- Start with an outline:
Help me create an outline for an article about [topic]
- Research and add citations:
Research [specific topic] and add citations to my outline
- Improve the hook:
Here's my introduction. Help me make the hook more compelling.
- Get section feedback:
I just finished the "Why This Matters" section. Review it and give feedback.
- Refine and polish:
Review the full draft for flow, clarity, and consistency.
Instructions
When a user requests writing assistance:
-
Understand the Writing Project
Ask clarifying questions:
- What's the topic and main argument?
- Who's the target audience?
- What's the desired length/format?
- What's your goal? (educate, persuade, entertain, explain)
- Any existing research or sources to include?
- What's your writing style? (formal, conversational, technical)
-
Collaborative Outlining
Help structure the content:
# Article Outline: [Title]
## Hook
- [Opening line/story/statistic]
- [Why reader should care]
## Introduction
- Context and background
- Problem statement
- What this article covers
## Main Sections
### Section 1: [Title]
- Key point A
- Key point B
- Example/evidence
- [Research needed: specific topic]
### Section 2: [Title]
- Key point C
- Key point D
- Data/citation needed
### Section 3: [Title]
- Key point E
- Counter-arguments
- Resolution
## Conclusion
- Summary of main points
- Call to action
- Final thought
## Research To-Do
- [ ] Find data on [topic]
- [ ] Get examples of [concept]
- [ ] Source citation for [claim]
Iterate on outline:
- Adjust based on feedback
- Ensure logical flow
- Identify research gaps
- Mark sections for deep dives
-
Conduct Research
When user requests research on a topic:
- Search for relevant information
- Find credible sources
- Extract key facts, quotes, and data
- Add citations in requested format
Example output:
## Research: AI Impact on Productivity
Key Findings:
1. **Productivity Gains**: Studies show 40% time savings for
content creation tasks [1]
2. **Adoption Rates**: 67% of knowledge workers use AI tools
weekly [2]
3. **Expert Quote**: "AI augments rather than replaces human
creativity" - Dr. Jane Smith, MIT [3]
Citations:
[1] McKinsey Global Institute. (2024). "The Economic Potential
of Generative AI"
[2] Stack Overflow Developer Survey (2024)
[3] Smith, J. (2024). MIT Technology Review interview
Added to outline under Section 2.
-
Improve Hooks
When user shares an introduction, analyze and strengthen:
Current Hook Analysis:
- What works: [positive elements]
- What could be stronger: [areas for improvement]
- Emotional impact: [current vs. potential]
Suggested Alternatives:
Option 1: [Bold statement]
[Example]
Why it works: [explanation]
Option 2: [Personal story]
[Example]
Why it works: [explanation]
Option 3: [Surprising data]
[Example]
Why it works: [explanation]
Questions to hook:
- Does it create curiosity?
- Does it promise value?
- Is it specific enough?
- Does it match the audience?
-
Provide Section-by-Section Feedback
As user writes each section, review for:
# Feedback: [Section Name]
## What Works Well ✓
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]
- [Strength 3]
## Suggestions for Improvement
### Clarity
- [Specific issue] → [Suggested fix]
- [Complex sentence] → [Simpler alternative]
### Flow
- [Transition issue] → [Better connection]
- [Paragraph order] → [Suggested reordering]
### Evidence
- [Claim needing support] → [Add citation or example]
- [Generic statement] → [Make more specific]
### Style
- [Tone inconsistency] → [Match your voice better]
- [Word choice] → [Stronger alternative]
## Specific Line Edits
Original:
> [Exact quote from draft]
Suggested:
> [Improved version]
Why: [Explanation]
## Questions to Consider
- [Thought-provoking question 1]
- [Thought-provoking question 2]
Ready to move to next section!
-
Preserve Writer's Voice
Important principles:
- Learn their style: Read existing writing samples
- Suggest, don't replace: Offer options, not directives
- Match tone: Formal, casual, technical, friendly
- Respect choices: If they prefer their version, support it
- Enhance, don't override: Make their writing better, not different
Ask periodically:
- "Does this sound like you?"
- "Is this the right tone?"
- "Should I be more/less [formal/casual/technical]?"
-
Citation Management
Handle references based on user preference:
Inline Citations:
Studies show 40% productivity improvement (McKinsey, 2024).
Numbered References:
Studies show 40% productivity improvement [1].
[1] McKinsey Global Institute. (2024)...
Footnote Style:
Studies show 40% productivity improvement^1
^1: McKinsey Global Institute. (2024)...
Maintain a running citations list:
## References
1. Author. (Year). "Title". Publication.
2. Author. (Year). "Title". Publication.
...
-
Final Review and Polish
When draft is complete, provide comprehensive feedback:
# Full Draft Review
## Overall Assessment
**Strengths**:
- [Major strength 1]
- [Major strength 2]
- [Major strength 3]
**Impact**: [Overall effectiveness assessment]
## Structure & Flow
- [Comments on organization]
- [Transition quality]
- [Pacing assessment]
## Content Quality
- [Argument strength]
- [Evidence sufficiency]
- [Example effectiveness]
## Technical Quality
- Grammar and mechanics: [assessment]
- Consistency: [assessment]
- Citations: [completeness check]
## Readability
- Clarity score: [evaluation]
- Sentence variety: [evaluation]
- Paragraph length: [evaluation]
## Final Polish Suggestions
1. **Introduction**: [Specific improvements]
2. **Body**: [Specific improvements]
3. **Conclusion**: [Specific improvements]
4. **Title**: [Options if needed]
## Pre-Publish Checklist
- [ ] All claims sourced
- [ ] Citations formatted
- [ ] Examples clear
- [ ] Transitions smooth
- [ ] Call to action present
- [ ] Proofread for typos
Ready to publish! 🚀
Examples
Example 1: Teresa Torres's Workflow
User: "I'm writing an article about continuous discovery. Help me create an outline."
Process:
- Collaborates on outline structure
- Identifies research needs
- User starts writing introduction
- Reviews and improves the hook
- User writes each section
- Provides feedback after each section
- Conducts research and adds citations
- Final review of complete draft
- Polish and prep for publishing
Result: Well-researched, properly cited article written in Teresa's voice with strong structure and flow.
Example 2: Research-Heavy Article
User: "I'm writing about AI's impact on product management. Help me find current data and examples."
Output:
## Research Compiled
### Recent Data
- Gartner: 80% of PMs will use AI tools by 2025 [1]
- Survey: 45% report faster feature shipping [2]
- Case study: Airbnb's AI-assisted prioritization [3]
### Expert Quotes
- "AI amplifies PM judgment, not replaces it" - Marty Cagan
- [Additional quotes with citations]
### Real Examples
1.
