# beautiful-prose

This skill sets firm rules for English prose, steering an agent away from stock phrasing and flat sentence rhythms. Use it when drafting or revising text that needs a sharper voice.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · ★ 60
- Author: SHADOWPR0
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose/tree/HEAD/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/beautiful-prose

## What it does

beautiful-prose gives an agent a set of constraints for English writing. It favors clear claims, vivid nouns, and forceful verbs, while rejecting padded transitions and formulaic rhetorical turns. Sentence lengths should vary, and each paragraph should add meaning rather than echo what came before. The rules also bar therapeutic reassurance and commentary about the writing process.

Four optional controls shape the result: REGISTER selects a voice, DENSITY sets how tightly the text is packed, HEAT adjusts its edge, and LENGTH sets the target size. The default register is literary_modern. To activate the skill, place the instruction Apply the Beautiful Prose skill. before the actual task. Any control tags go on separate lines ahead of the request.

The skill targets English prose and can be installed for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, or OpenCode. For Claude Code, run `npx skills add SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose --skill beautiful-prose -a claude-code`; the installed file is `~/.claude/skills/beautiful-prose/SKILL.md`. Its rules are written for English, so they should be judged on English drafts rather than assumed to work equally well for other languages.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose --skill beautiful-prose -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/beautiful-prose/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/beautiful-prose/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose --skill beautiful-prose -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/beautiful-prose/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose --skill beautiful-prose -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/beautiful-prose/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose beautiful-prose
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/beautiful-prose/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose --skill beautiful-prose -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/beautiful-prose/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose --skill beautiful-prose -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/SHADOWPR0/beautiful_prose/tree/HEAD/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- Rewrite an English draft with fewer stock phrases
- Cut empty transitions from an article
- Vary sentence length to change the pace
- Adjust the voice from restrained to sharp
- Remove reassuring language from formal prose

## Example prompts
- Apply the skill to this English draft and rewrite it with less formulaic phrasing.
- Rewrite this passage using REGISTER: cold_steel and DENSITY: lean.
- Revise the article with REGISTER: literary_modern, HEAT: cool, and LENGTH: medium.

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