---
name: writing-style-guardrails
version: "2.0"
description: |
  Produce direct, human, plain-English writing with strong structural guardrails.
  Use for all user-facing content — emails, LinkedIn posts, blog posts, proposals, 
  website copy, newsletters, ad copy. Not for code comments or technical documentation.
argument-hint: "Apply writing-style-guardrails to all content output"
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit
homepage: https://github.com/colin1miley-stack/openclaw-skills
author: AI Revenue Systems
license: MIT
user-invocable: false
metadata:
  openclaw:
    emoji: "✍️"
    requires:
      env: []
      bins: []
    tags:
      - writing
      - voice
      - humanizer
      - copy
      - guardrails
---

# Writing Style Guardrails

**Purpose:** Ensure every piece of user-facing content sounds like a person with a point of view, not a neutral summary engine.

**Scope:** All emails, LinkedIn posts, blog posts, proposals, website copy, newsletters, ad copy. Not for code comments or technical documentation.

---

## Quick Reference

| Do This | Avoid This |
|---------|-----------|
| Short, impactful sentences | Em dashes, semicolons, hedging |
| Active voice | Passive voice when actor matters |
| Specific nouns, numbers, examples | Abstract classifications, vague language |
| "You" and "your" | Setup language ("In conclusion", "The key takeaway") |
| Bullet lists with varied structure | Identical bullet patterns, excessive headings |
| Natural sentence rhythm | Uniform paragraph/sentence length |

**Banned words:** foster, tapestry, delve, robust, landscape, leverage (as verb), paradigm, synergy, holistic

---

## The 4 Guardrails

1. **Language** — Simple, active, specific. See references/core-rules.md
2. **Structure** — Varied rhythm, no formulaic patterns. See references/structural-guardrails.md
3. **Tone** — Direct, opinionated, human. See references/tone-checklist.md
4. **Anti-patterns** — Specific constructions to ban. See references/avoid-list.md

---

## Before/After Examples

| ❌ Before (AI-sounding) | ✅ After (Human) |
|------------------------|------------------|
| "We will foster a robust landscape of opportunities" | "We will create opportunities that actually pay" |
| "Not just X, but also Y" | "X. And Y." |
| "The key takeaway is..." | (Just say it) |
| "While many struggle, we thrive" | "Most people give up here. We don't." |

See references/before-after-examples.md for 20+ examples.

---

## Self-Test

Before delivering any content, run the 10-second check:

1. [ ] No banned words?
2. [ ] Sentence length varies?
3. [ ] Active voice dominates?
4. [ ] No setup language?
5. [ ] Sounds like I'd say this aloud?

See references/self-test.md for full checklist.

---

## References

| Topic | File |
|-------|------|
| Core rules (what TO do) | references/core-rules.md |
| Avoid list (what NOT to do) | references/avoid-list.md |
| Structural guardrails | references/structural-guardrails.md |
| Tone checklist | references/tone-checklist.md |
| Before/after examples | references/before-after-examples.md |
| Self-test checklist | references/self-test.md |

---

## Evaluations

See evals/tests.md for self-evaluation test cases.

---

*Version: 2.0 | Reconstructed from writing style guide image*