Skill Stack Newsletter Writer
This skill handles newsletter FORMAT only. Writing style comes from the root writing-style skill.
Newsletter Structure
Frontmatter Schema
---
title: "[Skill Name]"
issue: [number]
date: "YYYY-MM-DD"
skill: [skill-slug]
thumbnail: "/images/thumbnails/[slug].png"
description: "[SEO description: 150-160 chars, keyword + insight + deliverable]"
tags: ["tag1", "tag2", "tag3"]
---Field Notes:
title: The skill name, clean. No subtitles like "The X That Changed Y"skill: Maps to the downloadable skill package slugthumbnail: Risograph style (see image-prompt-generator)description: SEO-optimized but punchy (see writing-style for guidelines)tags: 3-5 relevant keywords, lowercase
Content Sections
Each newsletter follows this rhythm:
1. Opening Hook (150-200 words)
Personal story or observation. Ground the reader in something real before introducing the skill concept.
- Specific place, time, sensory detail
- Something you found, discovered, encountered
- The seed that led to the insight
No throat-clearing. Start in media res.
2. The Discovery (100-150 words)
Bridge from story to skill. The moment you understood something about how this works.
- "Fast forward..."
- "Here's what I discovered..."
- A single key insight, stated directly
3. Core Mechanism (200-300 words)
Explain HOW the skill works. This is the teaching section.
- What most people get wrong
- The counterintuitive insight
- Concrete examples (actual prompts, actual output)
Use section break (---) not headers here. Let prose flow.
4. The Wizard/Workflow (100-150 words)
Walk through how to use it. Conversational but specific.
- Step 1, step 2, step 3
- What the user does at each stage
- What they get at the end
5. Skill Package (formatted block)
Always include this exact structure:
**The skill package includes:**
- `SKILL.md` — [Brief description]
- `WIZARD.md` — [Brief description]
- `templates/` — [Brief description]
- `references/` — [Optional: examples, samples]Plus setup requirements: time, inputs needed.
6. Ways to Use (2-4 bullet points)
Concrete applications. Three sentences max per use case.
7. Next Week Teaser (1-2 sentences)
Preview next skill. Build anticipation without overselling.
8. Closing + CTA
One sentence that lands. Then download link.
[Download the [Skill Name] →]Section Breaks
Use --- (horizontal rule) between major sections instead of headers.
Only use H1 for the title. Avoid H2/H3 within the body. Let prose breathe.
Length Target
800-1200 words total. Dense but readable.
Example: Issue 1 Structure
# Voice Matching
[Opening: Didion discovery at Berkeley, 180 words]
---
[Discovery: Client project, 120 words]
---
[Core mechanism: Why examples beat descriptions, 250 words]
---
[Wizard walkthrough, 100 words]
---
**The skill package includes:**
[Package block]
[Ways to use, 80 words]
[Next week teaser]
[Closing line + CTA]Checklist Before Publish
- Title is clean (no AI-tell subtitles)
- Description is 150-160 chars, SEO-optimized
- Thumbnail exists at path and uses risograph style
- Opening starts with specific scene, not abstract concept
- No headers in body (use --- breaks)
- Core mechanism includes concrete examples
- Skill package block is complete
- Next week teaser included
- CTA link present
- writing-style checklist passed (separate skill)
*This skill handles structure. Run writing-style for prose quality.*