--- name: structuring-articles description: Selects and applies journalistic story structures (WSJ Formula, Inverted Pyramid, Hourglass, Tick-Tock). Use when writing or outlining articles, blog posts, essays, or any narrative prose longer than a few paragraphs. --- # Structuring Articles Professional journalists select a structure that serves their material. A trend piece about remote work demands a different architecture than a breaking news story about a policy change. This skill helps you match content to the right framework, then execute it. ## How This Skill Relates to Other Skills This skill handles structure, the bones of an article. It tells you what goes where and why. For voice, tone, sentence rhythm and anti-AI rhetoric, load the `writer` skill. These two skills are designed to work together: structure from here, style from there. For executive and strategy documents (business cases, market analysis), use the `writer` skill's PM persona instead. --- ## Framework Selection Match the content to a framework before writing. The decision depends on three things: what kind of story is it, what's the strongest material you have, and how much space do you have? | You're writing about... | Strongest material | Framework | Reference | |---|---|---|---| | A systemic trend or issue, and you have a compelling person affected by it | A character whose experience illustrates the bigger picture | **WSJ Formula** | `references/wsj-formula.md` | | Breaking news, a new report, or a policy announcement | The headline fact: what just happened and why it matters | **Inverted Pyramid** | `references/inverted-pyramid.md` | | A news event that also needs narrative depth | Both the headline fact AND a rich chronological story behind it | **Hourglass** | `references/hourglass.md` | | A sequential news event you want to narrate after the headline | The headline fact AND a chronological sequence of what happened | **Martini Glass** | `references/martini-glass.md` | | A complex topic you want to ease readers into gradually | A specific person or scene AND broad research/data | **Diamond** | `references/diamond.md` | | A major event and you want to reconstruct how it unfolded | Detailed sourcing on what happened when (timestamps, scenes, dialogue) | **Tick-Tock** | `references/tick-tock.md` | | A story with a dramatic climax moment | A gripping scene you can open with before rewinding | **Nine Structure** | `references/nine-structure.md` | | Two parallel storylines that illuminate each other | Multiple characters or threads that intersect | **Braided Narrative** | `references/braided-narrative.md` | | A data-driven story with a central human character | Both quantitative data AND a compelling personal story | **Accordion** | `references/accordion.md` | | You're on deadline and need to organize material fast | A pile of notes, quotes, and facts that need ordering | **Five Boxes** | `references/five-boxes.md` | If you're unsure, default to the **WSJ Formula** for features/essays or the **Inverted Pyramid** for news. They're the workhorses. After selecting a framework, read the relevant reference file for the step-by-step structure. --- ## Universal Elements Every framework shares a few building blocks. These apply regardless of which structure you choose. ### The Nut Graf The single most important paragraph in any article. It answers "so what?": why this story matters, why now, why the reader should care. If a reader skimmed only your headline and nut graf, they should grasp the central point. In the WSJ Formula, the nut graf appears after the opening anecdote. In the Inverted Pyramid, it's the second or third paragraph. In every other structure, find its natural home, but it has to exist and it has to appear early. A nut graf that's missing or buried is the #1 reason a draft feels aimless. See `references/prose-craft.md` for detailed guidance on writing nut grafs, plus ledes, transitions, kickers, data integration, and quote handling. ### The Lede The opening that earns the reader's attention. Seven major types exist (summary, anecdotal, scene-setting, question, contrast, staccato, delayed), each suited to different material. The framework you choose often implies the lede type: WSJ Formula calls for an anecdotal lede, Inverted Pyramid calls for a summary lede. But these aren't rigid rules. See `references/prose-craft.md` for the full lede taxonomy. ### The Kicker The ending. Six types (circle, quote, echo, future-looking, experiential, surprise/revelation). The best endings are discovered during reporting, not manufactured afterward. If your planned ending isn't working, the real ending is probably a few paragraphs earlier. See `references/prose-craft.md` for kicker guidance. --- ## When NOT to Use This Skill Not everything is an article. Skip this skill for: - Technical documentation, READMEs, API docs → use the `writer` skill's Engineer persona - Commit messages, PRs, changelogs → use the `writer` skill's Contributor persona - UI copy, error messages → use the `writer` skill's UX Writer persona - Executive strategy documents → use the `writer` skill's PM persona - Quick social posts or comments → use the `writer` skill's Poster/LinkedIn persona