Write blog posts for Max's Hugo blog (PaperMod theme). Four entry points: discover topics, expand a vault note, develop an IDEAS.md idea, or write from a free prompt.
Obsidian CLI: See ../_OBSIDIAN.md | Second Brain: See ../_SECOND_BRAIN.md
Quality Notes
- Take your time with each step. A blog post is public, permanent content.
- Quality over speed. Better to write 2500 sharp words than 4000 padded ones.
- Do not skip the humanizer pass. Max's voice is direct, opinionated, evidence-backed.
- Do not skip outline approval. The structure determines the post's quality.
Blog Structure
/Users/maroffo/Development/private/blog/
├── content/posts/YYYY-MM-DD-slug-title.md ← posts go here
├── static/images/ ← cover images
├── IDEAS.md ← structured idea backlog
└── hugo.toml ← site config
Vault Folder
Blog artifacts live in maroffo-blog/ in the Obsidian vault (NOT Mauro-Blog/, that's a different person's blog).
maroffo-blog/
├── Blog Discovery - YYYY-MM.md ← topic discovery results, updated incrementally
└── (future: drafts, outlines)
Discovery note: always read maroffo-blog/Blog Discovery - <latest>.md before scanning the full vault. If it exists and is <30 days old, only scan Timeline entries after the last scan date.
Front Matter and Tags
Hugo front matter template and the Second Brain -> Blog tag mapping live in references/front-matter.md. Apply them when writing the draft.
Entry Points
Mode 1: Discover (no input)
Triggered when the user invokes without a specific topic ("what should I write about?", "blog ideas"). Scan the vault for signals (cached discovery note first, then full scan), cross-check IDEAS.md and published posts, then present 3-5 ranked ideas via AskUserQuestion. Full step-by-step procedure in references/discovery.md.
Mode 2: From Vault Note
User provides a specific vault note path or topic.
obsidian read path="Second Brain/Second Brain - <Topic>.md"
Extract the relevant section, identify what's worth expanding into a post.
Mode 3: From IDEAS.md
User references an idea by number or title. Read IDEAS.md, extract the structured idea (proposed angle, gap, unique value).
Mode 4: Free Prompt
User describes the topic. Search vault for related content:
obsidian search query="<keywords>" path="Second Brain"
obsidian search query="<keywords>" path="Projects"
Writing Workflow (all modes converge here)
Step 1: Gather Context
Based on the chosen topic:
- Read relevant Second Brain notes
- Read project logs/solutions if applicable (
obsidian search query="..." path="Projects") - Read related published posts (for series linking)
- If external research needed, use
WebSearch/WebFetchfor data, studies, citations
Step 2: Outline (requires approval)
Present the outline to Max:
## Proposed Outline
**Title**: "..."
**Angle**: [what makes this post different from existing content]
**Target length**: ~XXXX words
**Language**: English (or Italian if requested)
**Tags**: [proposed tags]
### Sections
1. [Hook/opener] - personal anecdote or observation
2. [Problem statement] - why this matters
3. [Section N] - ...
4. [Practical examples] - code, metrics, real data
5. [Reflection] - what was learned, what's next
6. Methodology note + acknowledgments
**Series context**: [links to previous posts if part of a thread]
Wait for approval. Do NOT proceed without it.
Step 3: Write Draft
Write the full post applying Max's style (see references/style-guide.md). Save to:
/Users/maroffo/Development/private/blog/content/posts/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>.md
Use today's date. Slug: lowercase, hyphens, descriptive (match existing convention).
Step 4: Second Opinion (mandatory)
Run /second-opinion on the draft. Ask Gemini to review for:
- Factual accuracy of cited studies
- Argument coherence and logical gaps
- Tone consistency (personal narrative vs literature review)
- Differentiation from previous posts
- Missing angles and counterarguments
- AI writing artifacts that survived the humanizer
Apply Gemini's feedback before proceeding.
Step 5: Humanize
Run the humanizer skill on the draft (see ../humanizer/SKILL.md), re-running after second-opinion edits. Keep Max's voice: direct, opinionated, self-ironic, evidence-backed. Read the draft back, fix issues in-place with Edit.
Step 6: Cover Image
Generate the cover via the cover-image skill (see ../cover-image/SKILL.md); output to /Users/maroffo/Development/private/blog/static/images/cover-<slug>.png.
Step 7: Report
Post written:
File: content/posts/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>.md
Title: "..."
Words: ~XXXX
Tags: [...]
Cover: static/images/cover-<slug>.png
Status: draft: true
Series: [links to related posts, if any]
Style Guide and Common Issues
Max's voice (structure, tone, endings, anti-patterns, length, language) and the troubleshooting table live in references/style-guide.md. Read it during Step 3 (Write Draft) and when debugging output.