writing-dna-discovery — Claude Code skill: document your writing voice
A skill that interviews you and reads your samples to build a voice document a ghost writer skill can follow.
npx skills add robertguss/claude-code-toolkit --skill writing-dna-discovery -a claude-codeWhat writing-dna-discovery does
The skill talks with you and reads your writing samples at the same time. What comes out is a Voice DNA Document: the patterns that make your prose recognisable, the habits to avoid, and instructions another skill can act on. One session covers one register — fiction, blog posts, technical writing. Separate documents can cover separate registers.
It is a working conversation, not a questionnaire. The skill offers its own observations, questions vague answers, and asks one thing at a time. Exercises include picking between two phrasings, finishing a sentence you started, and rewriting a deliberately generic AI-sounding paragraph in your own words. With few samples, discovery runs on interview answers alone, and the skill marks its confidence as lower until real text confirms the picture.
The document is meant to grow. You add samples, drill into a single dimension, or turn complaints about the ghost writer into anti-patterns. The stated target is a first draft that lands at roughly 80%, with the writer supplying the rest. Install runs through npx skills add, except on GitHub Copilot, where the command is gh skill install. Come without samples and without patience for questions, and the profile stays thin — the whole method leans on your own phrasing.
What it helps with
- describe your style so another skill can follow it
- turn ghost writer complaints into anti-patterns
- keep fiction and technical voices in separate profiles
- fold new samples into an existing profile
- list the words you would never use
Example prompts for the agent
- Run a voice discovery session on the samples in
posts/, register: blog - Go deeper on sentence rhythm only this time
- The ghost writer keeps opening the same way — add that as an anti-pattern
How to install writing-dna-discovery
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add robertguss/claude-code-toolkit --skill writing-dna-discovery -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/writing-dna-discovery/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/writing-dna-discovery/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add robertguss/claude-code-toolkit --skill writing-dna-discovery -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/writing-dna-discovery/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add robertguss/claude-code-toolkit --skill writing-dna-discovery -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/writing-dna-discovery/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install robertguss/claude-code-toolkit writing-dna-discovery2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/writing-dna-discovery/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add robertguss/claude-code-toolkit --skill writing-dna-discovery -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/robertguss/claude-code-toolkit --path skills/writing/writing-dna-discoveryManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/writing-dna-discovery/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add robertguss/claude-code-toolkit --skill writing-dna-discovery -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about writing-dna-discovery
How do I install writing-dna-discovery in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add robertguss/claude-code-toolkit --skill writing-dna-discovery -a claude-code. The skill lands at ~/.claude/skills/writing-dna-discovery/SKILL.md.
What does writing-dna-discovery do?
It reads your samples and interviews you, then writes a Voice DNA Document with patterns, anti-patterns and guidance. A ghost writer skill uses that document to draft in your voice.
Can one session cover several registers?
No. A session handles a single register — fiction, blog posts or technical writing. Other registers get their own documents, since the voice differs between them.
