Expert guidance for creating consistent, scannable blog posts about projects and technical work. Optimized for capturing work in progress and sharing accomplishments.
When to Use This Skill
| Use this skill when... | Use blog-post instead when... |
|---|---|
| You need the full style guide and post-type templates as reference | You want to create a blog post file now with guided prompts (/blog:post) |
| Auto-loading consistent voice/structure rules while drafting prose | You need git context and frontmatter auto-populated into a new post |
| Documenting which post type (quick-update / project-update / retrospective / tutorial / deep-dive) fits the situation | You already know the type and want the file scaffolded |
Core Expertise
- Low-friction capture: Quick entry formats that reduce blank-page anxiety
- Consistent structure: Predictable patterns for easy scanning later
- Multiple post types: From quick updates to detailed tutorials
- Project context: Automatic metadata for tracking work across projects
- Future-proof: Structure that supports later automation and publishing
When This Skill Activates
This skill activates when:
- User wants to write about work they've done
- User needs to document a project update
- User wants to create a devlog entry
- User requests a blog post or article about technical work
- User mentions "write up", "blog", "post", or "devlog"
Post Types
| Type | When to Use | Typical Length |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Update | Captured something small, daily log | 100-300 words |
| Project Update | Milestone, feature complete, notable progress | 300-800 words |
| Retrospective | Looking back at a project or time period | 500-1500 words |
| Tutorial | Teaching how to do something | 800-2000 words |
| Deep Dive | Explaining complex concepts or decisions | 1000-3000 words |
Universal Post Structure
Every post uses this metadata frontmatter:
---
title: <descriptive title>
date: YYYY-MM-DD
type: quick-update | project-update | retrospective | tutorial | deep-dive
project: <project-name>
tags: [tag1, tag2]
status: draft | published
---
Quick Update Format
Capture small wins fast. No fluff.
---
title: <What you did>
date: YYYY-MM-DD
type: quick-update
project: <project-name>
tags: []
status: draft
---
# <Title>
<What you did. One sentence.>
## Changes
- <Concrete change>
- <Another change>
---
*~Xh*
Project Update Format
Document meaningful progress.
---
title: <Project>: <What was done>
date: YYYY-MM-DD
type: project-update
project: <project-name>
tags: []
status: draft
---
# <Title>
<One sentence: what changed and why it matters>
## What I Did
<Details. Code if relevant.>
```language
// code
Problems Solved
<What broke, how you fixed it>
Results
Next
Reflection (optional)
- Energy: <flow state / steady / scattered / grinding>
- Felt: <satisfying / frustrating / tedious / exciting>
~Xh
## Retrospective Format
Look back at a project or time period.
```markdown
---
title: "Retro: <Project or Period>"
date: YYYY-MM-DD
type: retrospective
project: <project-name>
tags: [retrospective]
status: draft
---
# <Title>
## Timeline
- **Start**: <Initial state>
- **Milestone**: <What happened>
- **End**: <Current state>
## Worked
- <Success>
## Didn't Work
- <Failure or challenge>
## Lessons
<What you know now>
## Next
<Plans or closure>
## Reflection
- **Overall feel**: <How did this project/period feel?>
- **Energy pattern**: <When were you in flow? When grinding?>
- **Do differently**: <What would you change?>
---
*Duration: <timeframe> | Status: ongoing/paused/complete*
Tutorial Format
Teach how to do something.
---
title: "How to <Do the Thing>"
date: YYYY-MM-DD
type: tutorial
project: <project-name>
tags: [tutorial]
status: draft
---
# <Title>
## Prerequisites
- <What you need>
## Steps
### 1. <Step>
```language
// code
2.
// code
Troubleshooting
:
Resources
Tested:
## Deep Dive Format
Explain a complex topic or decision.
```markdown
---
title: "<Topic>"
date: YYYY-MM-DD
type: deep-dive
project: <project-name>
tags: [deep-dive]
status: draft
---
# <Title>
<The question you're answering>
## Background
<Minimum context needed>
## Problem
<What prompted this>
## Analysis
### <Aspect>
<Details, code, examples>
## Insights
1. <Key takeaway>
2. <Another>
## Implications
<What this means going forward>
## Reflection (optional)
- **Confidence**: <How sure are you about these conclusions?>
- **Gaps**: <What don't you know yet?>
---
*~Xh | Confidence: low/medium/high*
Writing Style Guidelines
Voice & Tone
| Guideline | Example |
|---|---|
| Direct statements | "Fixed the auth bug" not "I was able to successfully fix..." |
| Facts first | Lead with what happened, not buildup |
| No filler phrases | Cut "basically", "actually", "in order to", "the fact that" |
| Specific over vague | "Reduced load time from 3s to 400ms" not "Made it faster" |
| One idea per sentence | Split compound sentences |
What to Cut
| Remove | Replace With |
|---|---|
| "I decided to..." | Just state what you did |
| "It's worth noting that..." | State the fact directly |
| "As you can see..." | Nothing - let the content speak |
| "In this post I will..." | Nothing - just do it |
| Introductory paragraphs | Jump to the point |
| Redundant conclusions | End when you're done |
Formatting
- Headers for navigation - scan-friendly structure
- Bullet points - faster to read than prose
- Code blocks - show, don't describe
- Bold sparingly - only for key terms
- One paragraph = one point - 1-3 sentences max
ADHD-Friendly Patterns
| Pattern | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Start with templates | Reduces blank-page paralysis |
| Metadata first | Context capture before you forget |
| What/Why structure | Focused prompts guide writing |
| Time tracking | Builds awareness of effort |
| Next steps section | Creates continuity between sessions |
| Draft status | Permission to be incomplete |
File Organization
Recommended directory structure for blog posts:
blog/
├── posts/
│ ├── YYYY/
│ │ ├── MM/
│ │ │ ├── YYYY-MM-DD-slug.md
├── drafts/
│ ├── <working-title>.md
└── assets/
├── images/
└── diagrams/
Alternative flat structure:
blog/
├── YYYY-MM-DD-slug.md
└── drafts/
Quick Reference
Post Type Decision Tree
Did you learn something you want to teach?
→ Yes → Tutorial
→ No ↓
Are you looking back at past work?
→ Yes → Retrospective
→ No ↓
Is this about a complex topic or decision?
→ Yes → Deep Dive
→ No ↓
Did you make significant progress?
→ Yes → Project Update
→ No → Quick Update
Essential Metadata
| Field | Required | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| title | Yes | Findability |
| date | Yes | Timeline |
| type | Yes | Structure selection |
| project | Yes | Cross-project tracking |
| tags | No | Categorization |
| status | Yes | Draft vs published |
Time Estimates
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Quick Update | 5-15 min |
| Project Update | 20-45 min |
| Retrospective | 45-90 min |
| Tutorial | 1-3 hours |
| Deep Dive | 2-5 hours |
Integration with Other Skills
This skill works alongside:
- Git Commit Workflow - Reference commits in posts
- Ticket Drafting - Similar structured writing patterns
- Project Blueprint - Link to PRDs and PRPs
Success Indicators
This skill is working when:
- Posts follow consistent structure
- Writing starts quickly (low friction)
- Posts are easy to scan later
- Project context is captured
- Progress is documented even when small