# writing-clearly-and-concisely

A Claude skill that pushes the agent toward Strunk's rules for clear prose and away from the stock phrasing language models fall into.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code · 206 installs
- Author: davila7
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates/tree/HEAD/cli-tool/components/skills/enterprise-communication/writing-clearly-and-concisely
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/writing-clearly-and-concisely

## What it does

The skill kicks in whenever the agent writes something a person will read: documentation, README files, pull request descriptions, commit messages, error text, UI copy, reports. It carries a summary of William Strunk Jr.'s rules from “The Elements of Style” — active voice, positive statements, definite and concrete wording, no needless words, one topic per paragraph, the emphatic word last. A second section lists the tells of machine-written text to drop: puffed-up adjectives, empty phrases built on participles, promotional vocabulary, tired words like “leverage” and “delve”, bullets and emoji everywhere.

The rules sit in four files under `elements-of-style/`: grammar and punctuation, principles of composition, matters of form, and commonly misused words. Most jobs need only the composition file, which covers active voice, concrete language and cutting words. There is also a trick for tight context: write the draft as usual, then hand it to a subagent along with the one relevant section instead of the whole set.

Nothing here runs a linter or checks your output. The skill is an instruction to the model, so what you get depends on the text you asked it to write.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **claude-code-templates**
```bash
npx claude-code-templates@latest --skill enterprise-communication/writing-clearly-and-concisely
```

2. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill writing-clearly-and-concisely -a claude-code
```

3. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/writing-clearly-and-concisely/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/writing-clearly-and-concisely/

### Codex

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/writing-clearly-and-concisely/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install davila7/claude-code-templates writing-clearly-and-concisely
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/writing-clearly-and-concisely/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --path cli-tool/components/skills/enterprise-communication/writing-clearly-and-concisely
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### 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/davila7/claude-code-templates/tree/HEAD/cli-tool/components/skills/enterprise-communication/writing-clearly-and-concisely

## When to use it
- write a README that reads without stumbling
- rewrite a commit message in the active voice
- strip filler and stiff phrasing from a draft
- copyedit a pull request description before sending it
- turn vague UI labels into concrete ones

## Example prompts
- Rewrite this README with the skill's rules and cut the filler
- Draft a commit message in the active voice for the changes in `auth.py`
- Copyedit the error text on the checkout page and give me a shorter version

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From the same set: [davila7/claude-code-templates](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/davila7/claude-code-templates.md) — 205 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md