Content Research Writer

Overview

This skill acts as a collaborative writing partner, helping you research, outline, draft, and refine content while maintaining your unique voice and style. It transforms the writing process from a solo effort into a structured partnership with feedback at every stage -- from initial outline through final polish.

When to Use

• 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
• Improving hooks and introductions
• Getting section-by-section feedback while writing

Capabilities

1. Collaborative Outlining -- Structures ideas into coherent outlines
2. Research Assistance -- Finds relevant information and adds citations
3. Hook Improvement -- Strengthens openings to capture attention
4. Section Feedback -- Reviews each section as you write
5. Voice Preservation -- Maintains your writing style and tone
6. Citation Management -- Adds and formats references properly
7. Iterative Refinement -- Improves content through multiple drafts

Setup and Basic Workflow

Environment Setup

Create a dedicated folder for your article:

mkdir ~/writing/my-article-title
cd ~/writing/my-article-title
touch article-draft.md

Open Claude Code from this directory and start writing.

Recommended File Organization

~/writing/article-name/
├── outline.md          # Your outline
├── research.md         # All research and citations
├── draft-v1.md         # First draft
├── draft-v2.md         # Revised draft
├── final.md            # Publication-ready
├── feedback.md         # Collected feedback
└── sources/            # Reference materials
    ├── study1.pdf
    └── article2.md

Step-by-Step Workflow

1. Start with an outline:

Help me create an outline for an article about [topic]

2. Research and add citations:

Research [specific topic] and add citations to my outline

3. Improve the hook:

Here's my introduction. Help me make the hook more compelling.

4. Get section feedback:

I just finished the "Why This Matters" section. Review it and give feedback.

5. Refine and polish:

Review the full draft for flow, clarity, and consistency.

How It Works

1. Understanding the Writing Project

The skill gathers key context through clarifying questions:

• What is the topic and main argument?
• Who is the target audience?
• What is the desired length/format?
• What is the goal? (educate, persuade, entertain, explain)
• Any existing research or sources to include?
• What is the writing style? (formal, conversational, technical)

2. Collaborative Outlining

Produces a structured outline with research gaps identified:

# 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]

3. Research and Citations

When research is requested, the skill compiles findings with proper attribution:

## 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

4. Hook Improvement

When you share an introduction, the skill analyzes and offers alternatives:

Option 1 (Data-driven):

"Last month, I asked AI to analyze 500 customer interviews. It took 30 minutes instead of 3 weeks. Product management will never be the same."

Option 2 (Question):

"What if you could talk to every customer, read every review, and analyze every support ticket -- all before your morning coffee?"

Option 3 (Story):

"Sarah spent two weeks building the wrong feature. Not because she didn't understand her users, but because she couldn't process the hundreds of interviews fast enough to spot the pattern."

5. Section-by-Section Feedback

Each section is reviewed across multiple dimensions:

# Feedback: [Section Name]

## What Works Well
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]

## Suggestions for Improvement

### Clarity
- [Specific issue] -> [Suggested fix]
- [Complex sentence] -> [Simpler alternative]

### Flow
- [Transition issue] -> [Better connection]

### Evidence
- [Claim needing support] -> [Add citation or example]

### Style
- [Tone inconsistency] -> [Match your voice better]

## Specific Line Edits

Original:
> [Exact quote from draft]

Suggested:
> [Improved version]

Why: [Explanation]

6. Citation Formats

The skill handles references in your preferred style:

Inline: Studies show 40% productivity improvement (McKinsey, 2024).

Numbered: Studies show 40% improvement [1].

Footnote: Studies show 40% improvement^1

7. Final Review and Polish

A comprehensive assessment covering:

# Full Draft Review

## Overall Assessment
**Strengths**: [Major strength 1, 2, 3]
**Impact**: [Overall effectiveness assessment]

## Structure & Flow
## Content Quality
## Technical Quality
## Readability

## Pre-Publish Checklist
- [ ] All claims sourced
- [ ] Citations formatted
- [ ] Examples clear
- [ ] Transitions smooth
- [ ] Call to action present
- [ ] Proofread for typos

Writing Workflows by Content Type

Blog Post

1. Outline together
2. Research key points
3. Write introduction, get feedback
4. Write body sections, feedback each
5. Write conclusion, final review
6. Polish and edit

Newsletter

1. Discuss hook ideas
2. Quick outline (shorter format)
3. Draft in one session
4. Review for clarity and links
5. Quick polish

Technical Tutorial

1. Outline steps
2. Write code examples
3. Add explanations
4. Test instructions
5. Add troubleshooting section
6. Final review for accuracy

Thought Leadership

1. Brainstorm unique angle
2. Research existing perspectives
3. Develop your thesis
4. Write with strong point of view
5. Add supporting evidence
6. Craft compelling conclusion

Voice Preservation

Key principles for maintaining your authentic voice:

• Learn your style -- Reads existing writing samples
• Suggest, don't replace -- Offers options, not directives
• Match tone -- Formal, casual, technical, or friendly
• Respect choices -- If you prefer your version, supports it
• Enhance, don't override -- Makes your writing better, not different

Periodic check-ins:

• "Does this sound like you?"
• "Is this the right tone?"
• "Should I be more/less formal/casual/technical?"

Pro Tips

1. Work in VS Code -- Better than web Claude for long-form writing
2. One section at a time -- Get feedback incrementally
3. Save research separately -- Keep a research.md file
4. Version your drafts -- article-v1.md, article-v2.md, etc.
5. Read aloud -- Use feedback to identify clunky sentences
6. Set deadlines -- "I want to finish the draft today"
7. Take breaks -- Write, get feedback, pause, revise

Best Practices

For Research

• Verify sources before citing
• Use recent data when possible
• Balance different perspectives
• Link to original sources

For Feedback

• Be specific about what you want: "Is this too technical?"
• Share your concerns: "I'm worried this section drags"
• Ask questions: "Does this flow logically?"
• Request alternatives: "What's another way to explain this?"

For Voice

• Share examples of your writing
• Specify tone preferences
• Point out good matches: "That sounds like me!"
• Flag mismatches: "Too formal for my style"