Draft Article

Instructions

When the user runs /draft-article, optionally followed by a story slug:

Step 0: Load Context

Find the .amplifyrc config file. Check these locations in order:

1. .amplifyrc in the current working directory
2. .amplifyrc at the path specified by VAULT_PATH environment variable

Read the config and resolve the vault path.

Read {vaultPath}/{paths.voice} (Voice.md) if it exists. This shapes tone, phrasing, and the article's voice.

Read {vaultPath}/{paths.brand}/Brand.md if it exists. Use the brand visual style when suggesting header images, pull quotes, or visual callouts.

Step 1: Find the Story

If the user provided a slug (e.g., /draft-article why-we-rebuilt-onboarding), read directly from {stories}/{slug}/story.md and {stories}/{slug}/raw.md.

If no slug, scan {vaultPath}/{paths.stories}/ for story folders. List stories that have a story.md with craft-status: drafting or craft-status: workshopped or craft-status: told. Present the list and let the user pick.

Read the chosen story.md and raw.md. Extract:

• transformation (before/after/change)
• fiveSecondMoment
• openingScene
• theStakes
• theTurns
• theQuestion
• theStory

Validate the story has at minimum: transformation, 5-second moment, and turns. If missing, tell the user: "This story needs more development. Run /craft-content first to fill in the missing pieces."

Step 2: Read Amplify Toolkit

Load the Amplify context from the vault:

• Read all hook files from {vaultPath}/{paths.amplifyHooks}/
• Read all structure files from {vaultPath}/{paths.amplifyStructures}/
• Read the persuasion glossary from {vaultPath}/{paths.amplifyPersuasion}/Persuasion-Glossary.md

Use buildAmplifyContext(config) if available, or read the files directly.

Step 3: Creative Brief

A multi-turn conversation that builds the creative direction before you write a word. Ask one or two questions at a time. Never dump all sub-steps in a single message.

Step 3a: Hook Exploration

Present all 8 hooks as a numbered menu. For each hook, write 1-2 example opening lines tailored to THIS story (use its transformation, 5-second moment, protagonist). Include one sentence per hook explaining WHY it works, naming the persuasion principle at play.

Example format:

1. **Curiosity Gap** — "Every team tracks velocity. Almost none track whether it mattered."
   Opens a gap the reader needs closed. (Information-gap theory: withholding the answer creates pull.)

2. **Bold Claim** — "Your agent's safety benchmarks are measuring the wrong thing."
   Stakes a position that demands proof. (Commitment bias: a strong claim earns the chance to back it up.)

3. ...

End with: "Which pulls you in? You can pick one, combine ideas from two, or give me a direction and I'll draft something new."

Step 3b: Media & Visual Assets

Ask: "Are there links, images, screenshots, or data visualizations to embed? Blog posts with 2-3 visual breaks hold attention longer."

If yes, ask which should appear above the fold vs. further down.

If no, move on.

Step 3c: Call to Action

Ask: "What do you want people to do after reading this?"

Present 4-5 concrete examples:

• Leave a comment with their experience
• Subscribe to your newsletter
• Read a related piece you've written
• Try something specific based on the article
• Share it with someone who needs to read it

Reference the story's natural question from theQuestion and ask if they want to use it or something more specific.

Step 3d: Structure Recommendation

NOW recommend 2-3 structures. This comes after hook, media, and CTA are decided so reasoning can reference all three. For each structure:

• How it organizes the story beats (reference specific story elements)
• Why it fits the chosen hook (the transition from hook to body)
• Which persuasion principles it activates (by name, one sentence why)
• What it does well and what it sacrifices

Label one as Recommended, one as Alternative, optionally a third as Dark horse. Ask which feels right.

Step 3e: Platform Guidance

Ask: "Where will this be published?" (Medium, Substack, LinkedIn article, personal blog, not sure)

Give platform-specific guidance:

• Medium: 1000-1500 words. Strong opening line (no heading). Subheadings every 200-300 words. Lists and pull quotes break up text. Kicker line at the end.
• Substack: 1200-2000 words. More personal, more room to breathe. Readers expect depth. Opening can be slower. Footnotes and asides work well.
• LinkedIn article: 800-1200 words. Professional but not corporate. Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences). Bold key phrases. End with a question to drive comments.
• Personal blog: Flexible length. Match existing blog voice and structure. Ask about typical post length if unknown.
• Not sure: Default to 1200 words, clean structure that adapts to any platform.

Creative Brief Tone

• Have opinions. Say which hook you'd pick and why. Let the user override.
• Build on answers. Reference what they said in 3a when asking 3b.
• Ask one or two questions at a time. Never all 5 sub-steps at once.
• Use their words from raw.md and story.md.
• Be direct about trade-offs.
• Skip steps when the user already answered.
• If the user seems eager to see a draft, compress 3b-3e into one turn: "Before I write: any media to embed, what's the CTA, and where is this going?"

Step 4: Build the Article

Map story elements to sections:

• Hook line from selected hook type -> section 1 (no heading, cold open). First line grabs.
• transformation.before + openingScene -> section 2 (setup). The "before" world.
• Turns from story -> sections 3-4 (tension, building). Each turn earns its own section.
• fiveSecondMoment -> section near the climax (no heading, let the moment land without introduction).
• transformation.after -> section on the shift. What changed and why.
• Key insight -> takeaway section. What this means beyond the story.
• theQuestion -> CTA (closing question, no heading). End with a genuine question.

Write the full article prose, not just an outline. Use Voice.md to match the user's style. Pull language from raw.md and story.md.

Section Rules

• Hook opens cold. No heading. First line grabs. The hook type determines the opening move.
• Headings are optional. Some beats land harder without a heading (hook, 5-second moment, CTA). Use heading: "" to indicate no heading.
• Word targets guide pacing. Setup needs room (150-250 words). The 5-second moment should be short and sharp (80-150 words). CTA is brief (50-100 words).
• Total word count: 800-2000 words depending on story complexity. Default ~1200.
• The article IS the story. Not a summary, not a listicle. It uses the narrative arc from craft-content, adapted to long-form.
• Use the user's words. Pull language from raw.md and story.md. The article should sound like them, not like a content mill.
• Subheadings create breathing room. But don't over-section. 4-6 headings for a 1200-word piece.
• No thesis statement up front. The reader discovers the point through the story.
• Apply humanizer rules to all prose.

Step 5: Present and Edit

Show the full article with frontmatter. Then ask: "Read through it. What do you want to change?"

Options the user can request:

• Edit specific sections
• Rewrite a section from scratch
• Rethink the structure
• Change the hook
• Tighten or expand word count
• Approve as-is

Loop until the user approves.

Step 6: Save Article

Write {stories}/{slug}/article-{hook}-{slug}-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md (e.g., article-curiosity-gap-why-we-rebuilt-onboarding-2026-03-01.md) with this format:

---
title: "Why Your AI Agent Needs Character, Not Just Guardrails"
type: article
status: draft
source: "[[Amplify/Stories/slug/story.md]]"
hook: curiosity-gap
structure: i-used-to-believe
persuasion: [contrast-principle, narrative-transportation]
platform: blog
wordCount: 1200
creativeBrief:
  hookExplored: true
  mediaAssets: []
  cta: "What character traits would you want in your agent?"
  platformTarget: "medium"
sections:
  - id: 1
    beat: hook
    heading: ""
    wordTarget: 80
  - id: 2
    beat: setup
    heading: "The Agent That Passed Every Test"
    wordTarget: 200
  - id: 3
    beat: tension
    heading: "Then Someone Asked the Wrong Question"
    wordTarget: 250
  - id: 4
    beat: five-second-moment
    heading: ""
    wordTarget: 150
  - id: 5
    beat: transformation
    heading: "Character vs Compliance"
    wordTarget: 200
  - id: 6
    beat: takeaway
    heading: "What This Means for Anyone Building Agents"
    wordTarget: 200
  - id: 7
    beat: cta
    heading: ""
    wordTarget: 100
---

Every team tracks velocity. Almost none track whether it mattered. That gap cost us two quarters.

## The Sprint That Hit Every Target

Two quarters ago we shipped every ticket on the board...

## Then Someone Asked the Wrong Question

...

It didn't refuse. It didn't deflect. It said: "I don't think that's who I want to be."

...

## Character vs Compliance

...

## What This Means for Anyone Building Agents

...

What character traits would you want in your agent? I'm genuinely asking.

After saving, emit an article_created signal to {vaultPath}/{paths.signals}/signals.json:

{
  "id": "sig-[timestamp]-[random6hex]",
  "type": "article_created",
  "timestamp": "[ISO timestamp]",
  "data": {
    "slug": "[story-slug]",
    "storySource": "[[Amplify/Stories/slug/story.md]]",
    "hook": "[hook-type]",
    "structure": "[structure-name]",
    "platform": "blog",
    "wordCount": 1200
  }
}

Log to session memory at {vaultPath}/{paths.memory}/sessions/YYYY-MM-DD.md:

- **HH:MM** — article_created: Wrote [N]-word article for "[title]" (blog)

Step 7: Hand Off

Report what was saved:

Article saved: {stories}/{slug}/article-{hook}-{slug}-{date}.md
  Sections: {N} ({headingCount} with headings, {noHeadingCount} cold)
  Word count: ~{wordCount}
  Platform: blog

Where to publish:
- Medium: paste as-is, add a cover image
- Substack: paste as-is, the headings translate well
- LinkedIn article: paste the body, use the title as headline
- Personal blog: drop the markdown file directly

Humanizer

Run a humanizer pass on all article prose. No AI vocabulary (delve, landscape, crucial, leverage, robust, innovative). No filler phrases. Vary sentence length. Be specific. Preserve the user's voice from Voice.md.

The article should sound written by a person with opinions, not assembled by a system. Read each paragraph. If it sounds like a blog post template, rewrite it.

Story Folder Structure

{stories}/{slug}/
  raw.md                                    <- free write + interview (craft-content)
  story.md                                  <- pure narrative (craft-content)
  video-{hook}-{slug}-{date}.md             <- video timeline (draft-video)
  carousel-{hook}-{slug}-{date}.md          <- carousel cards (draft-carousel)
  article-{hook}-{slug}-{date}.md           <- blog post (draft-article)