# write-concisely

Apply William Strunk Jr.'s *The Elements of Style* principles to documentation. Makes writing clearer, stronger, and more professional.

* Purpose - Cut ruthlessly, write directly, eliminate weak constructions
* Output - Documentation with improved clarity and reduced word count

```bash
/write-concisely ["text or file to improve"]
```

## Arguments

Optional target specification:

* **File path** (e.g., `docs/README.md`) - Apply writing rules to specific document
* **Inline text** - Direct text to improve
* **No argument** - Review recent documentation changes

## Core Principles

The skill enforces six essential writing rules:

| Rule                       | Principle                          | Bad → Good                                                                                    |
| -------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Active voice**           | Subject performs action            | "was completed by team" → "team completed"                                                    |
| **Positive form**          | State what is, not what isn't      | "not many" → "few"                                                                            |
| **Concrete language**      | Specific over abstract             | "period of unfavorable weather" → "it rained every day"                                       |
| **Omit needless words**    | Every word must earn its place     | "the fact that" → delete                                                                      |
| **Related words together** | Modifiers next to what they modify | "He only found two" → "He found only two"                                                     |
| **Emphatic endings**       | Important words at sentence end    | "...though it has advanced in many other ways" → "...but it has hardly advanced in fortitude" |

## Common Fixes Applied

**Wordy Expressions:**

| Original                   | Revision     |
| -------------------------- | ------------ |
| the question as to whether | whether      |
| owing to the fact that     | because      |
| in a hasty manner          | hastily      |
| he is a man who            | he           |
| this is a subject which    | this subject |

**Weak Constructions:**

| Original                             | Revision                       |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------ |
| There were dead leaves on the ground | Dead leaves covered the ground |
| He was not very often on time        | He usually came late           |
| did not remember                     | forgot                         |
| not important                        | trifling                       |

**Passive to Active:**

| Original                       | Revision                           |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- |
| A survey was made in 1900      | We surveyed in 1900                |
| The army was rapidly mobilized | Command mobilized the army rapidly |

## Usage Examples

```bash
# Improve a specific document
> /write-concisely docs/getting-started.md

# Apply to inline text
> /write-concisely "There is no doubt but that the system is working"
# Result: "The system works"

# Review recent documentation changes
> /write-concisely
```

## Quality Metrics

**Word Count Reduction:**

* Target 20-40% reduction without losing meaning
* Every sentence should justify its length

**Clarity Improvements:**

* Active voice percentage increases
* Abstract nouns decrease
* Sentence length becomes more varied

**Signs of Good Writing:**

* Reader understands on first pass
* No re-reading required for clarity
* Specific details replace vague generalities


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://cek.neolab.finance/plugins/docs/write-concisely.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.