newsletter-events-write

<essential_principles>

How This Skill Works

This skill generates markdown newsletters from events stored in SQLite. The workflow splits responsibility:

1. CLI tool handles fragile data operations (paths, types, queries)
2. Claude handles creative generation (interpreting preferences, formatting)

Key Concept: Natural Language Formatting

Users describe how they want newsletters formatted in plain English. You interpret these instructions directly - no templates or structured syntax needed.

Example preference from config:

formatting_preferences: |
  Organize by date with each day as a section header.
  Use emojis: 🎵 music, 🎨 art, 🍴 food.
  Format: **Title** @ Venue | Time | Price

Data Source

Events are stored in SQLite at ~/.config/local-media-tools/data/events.db. Config is at ~/.config/local-media-tools/sources.yaml.

Output

Generated markdown saved to ./newsletter_YYYY-MM-DD.md in the current working directory. </essential_principles>

<critical> ## Use CLI for Data Loading - Never Inline Python

NEVER write inline Python to load events or config. Use the CLI tool:

# Get plugin directory first
PLUGIN_DIR=$(cat ~/.claude/plugins/installed_plugins.json | jq -r '.plugins["newsletter-events@local-media-tools"][0].installPath')

# Load events and preferences (default: next 7 days)
cd "$PLUGIN_DIR" && uv run python scripts/cli_newsletter.py load --days 7

The CLI tool handles:

• Correct database path resolution
• Proper date type conversions
• Loading formatting preferences from config
• Returning structured JSON

Do NOT:

• Write inline Python to query the database
• Hardcode paths to config or database
• Import schema modules directly </critical>

<workflow> ## Step 0: Get Plugin Directory

cat ~/.claude/plugins/installed_plugins.json | jq -r '.plugins["newsletter-events@local-media-tools"][0].installPath'

Save the output path as PLUGIN_DIR.

Step 1: Load Data with CLI

Run the CLI to get events and formatting preferences:

cd "$PLUGIN_DIR" && uv run python scripts/cli_newsletter.py load --days 7

Or for a specific date range:

cd "$PLUGIN_DIR" && uv run python scripts/cli_newsletter.py load --from 2025-01-01 --to 2025-01-14

Output: JSON containing:

• newsletter_name - Newsletter title
• region - Geographic region
• formatting_preferences - User's natural language formatting instructions
• date_range - Start and end dates
• event_count - Number of events
• events - Array of event objects

If no events found, the CLI returns an error with suggestions.

Step 2: Generate Newsletter (Your Creative Task)

Using the JSON output from Step 1, generate markdown that follows the formatting_preferences.

Your task: Interpret the natural language preferences and apply them creatively:

• Read the formatting_preferences field
• Adapt raw event descriptions to match user's desired style
• Apply emoji rules, formatting patterns, organization
• Generate readable, well-structured markdown

Available Fields Reference

Each event in the events array has:

Field	Description	Example
title	Event name	"Jazz Night"
venue	Venue name	"The Blue Note"
venue_city	Venue city	"Kingston"
date	ISO date	"2025-01-20"
day_of_week	Full day name	"Saturday"
formatted_date	Human-readable date	"January 20"
time	Start time	"8:00 PM" or null
description	Event description	"Live jazz trio..."
category	Event category	"music", "art", "food_drink"
price	Price or null	"$15"
is_free	Boolean	true/false
ticket_url	Link to buy tickets	URL or null
event_url	Link to event page	URL or null
source_url	Where event was found	URL or null

Formatting Guidelines

1. Read preferences carefully - follow user instructions exactly
2. Handle nulls gracefully - skip fields that are null/missing
3. Sort appropriately - events come pre-sorted by date then time
4. Be creative - adapt descriptions to match user's style

Step 3: Save Output

Write the generated markdown to the current working directory:

./newsletter_YYYY-MM-DD.md

Use today's date for the filename.

Step 4: Display Preview

Show the first ~50 lines of generated markdown so user can review.

Report:

• Output file path
• Number of events included
• Date range covered </workflow>

<error_handling>

No Events Found

The CLI will return:

{
  "error": "no_events",
  "message": "No events found from 2025-01-01 to 2025-01-07",
  "suggestion": "Run /newsletter-events:research to scrape new events, or try a wider date range with --days 14"
}

Report this to the user with the suggestion.

No Formatting Preferences

If formatting_preferences is null or empty, use sensible defaults:

Organize events chronologically by date.
Use section headers for each day (e.g., "## Saturday, January 20").
Include event title, venue, time, and price.
Keep formatting simple and readable.

Database Not Found

The CLI will return:

{
  "error": "database_not_found",
  "message": "Database not found at ~/.config/local-media-tools/data/events.db",
  "suggestion": "Run /newsletter-events:research to scrape events first"
}

</error_handling>

<success_criteria> Newsletter generation is complete when:

• CLI tool used to load events (not inline Python)
• Formatting preferences interpreted correctly
• Markdown generated following user's preferences
• Output saved to ./newsletter_YYYY-MM-DD.md
• Preview displayed to user </success_criteria>