Article Writer

Create technical articles with companion projects and multi-language support.

Quick Start

1. Determine author (from task or first in authors.json)
2. Create folder structure (including code/ folder)
3. Load author profile
4. Load settings.json (including article_limits.max_words)
5. Follow phases: Initialize → Plan → Research → Draft → Companion Project → Integrate → Review → Condense → Translate → Finalize

Workflow Overview

Plan → Research → Draft (initial) → Create Companion Project → Update Draft → Review → Condense → Translate → Finalize
                         ↑                              ↓               ↓
                         └──────── Iterate ─────────────┘               │
                                                                        ↓
                                                            (if over max_words)

Folder Structure

content/articles/YYYY_MM_DD_slug/
├── 00_context/              # author_profile.json
├── 01_planning/             # classification.md, outline.md
├── 02_research/
│   ├── sources.json         # All researched sources
│   └── research_notes.md
├── 03_drafts/
│   ├── draft_v1.{lang}.md   # Initial draft
│   └── draft_v2.{lang}.md   # After companion project integration
├── 04_review/               # checklists
├── 05_assets/images/
├── code/                    # COMPANION PROJECT
│   ├── README.md            # How to run the companion project
│   ├── src/                 # Companion project source code/files
│   └── tests/               # Tests (if applicable)
├── {slug}.{primary_lang}.md # Primary article
└── {slug}.{other_lang}.md   # Translations

Phases

Phase 0: Initialize

• Get author, generate slug, create folder
• Create code/ directory for companion project
• Copy author profile to 00_context/
• Load article_limits.max_words from settings.json

Phase 1: Plan

• Classify article type
• Create outline
• Plan companion project type and scope
• CHECKPOINT: Get approval

Phase 2: Research (Web Search)

• Search official documentation
• Find recent news (< 1 year for technical)
• Record all sources

Phase 3: Draft (Initial)

• Write initial draft in primary language
• Mark places where example code will go: <!-- EXAMPLE: description -->
• Save as 03_drafts/draft_v1.{lang}.md

Applying Author Voice

Use ALL author profile data when writing:

1. Manual Profile Data

   • tone.formality: 1=very casual, 10=very formal
   • tone.opinionated: 1=always hedge, 10=strong opinions
   • phrases.signature: Use naturally (don't overdo)
   • phrases.avoid: Never use these
   • vocabulary.use_freely: Assume reader knows these
   • vocabulary.always_explain: Explain on first use

2. Voice Analysis Data (if present in voice_analysis)

   • sentence_structure.avg_length: Target this sentence length
   • sentence_structure.variety: Match style (short/moderate/long)
   • communication_style: Reflect top traits in tone
   • characteristic_expressions: Sprinkle these naturally
   • sentence_starters: Use these patterns
   • signature_vocabulary: Prefer these words

Example:

For author with:

{
  "tone": { "formality": 4, "opinionated": 7 },
  "voice_analysis": {
    "sentence_structure": { "avg_length": 14, "variety": "moderate" },
    "communication_style": [{ "trait": "enthusiasm", "percentage": 32 }],
    "characteristic_expressions": ["na prática", "o ponto é"],
    "sentence_starters": ["Então", "O interessante é"]
  }
}

Write with:

• Conversational but confident tone
• Medium sentences (~14 words)
• Enthusiastic energy
• Occasional "na prática" and "o ponto é"
• Some sentences starting with "Então" or "O interessante é"

Phase 4: Create Companion Project ⭐

Use Skill(companion-project-creator) for this phase

CRITICAL: Companion projects must be COMPLETE, RUNNABLE, and VERIFIED.

A Laravel companion project is a FULL Laravel installation. A Node companion project is a FULL Node project.

The companion project is NOT complete until you have actually run and tested it.

Step 1: Load Companion Project Defaults from Settings

Read .article_writer/settings.json first:

# View defaults for the companion project type
bun run "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}"/scripts/show.ts settings code

Or read JSON and extract:

const settings = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('.article_writer/settings.json'));
const codeDefaults = settings.companion_project_defaults.code;
// codeDefaults.scaffold_command
// codeDefaults.verification.install_command
// codeDefaults.verification.run_command
// codeDefaults.verification.test_command

Step 2: Merge with Article Overrides

If article task has companion_project field, those values override settings defaults.

Step 3: Execute Scaffold Command

# From settings.companion_project_defaults.code.scaffold_command
composer create-project laravel/laravel code --prefer-dist

Step 4: Add Article-Specific Code

Add your custom code on top of the scaffolded project:

• Models, Controllers, Routes
• Migrations, Seeders
• Tests

Never create partial projects with just a few files.

Step 5: VERIFY (Mandatory) ⚠️

You MUST actually run these commands and confirm they succeed:

cd code

# 1. Install dependencies - MUST SUCCEED
composer install
# ✓ Check: No errors, vendor/ directory exists

# 2. Setup - MUST SUCCEED
cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate
touch database/database.sqlite
php artisan migrate
# ✓ Check: No errors

# 3. Run application - MUST START
php artisan serve &
# ✓ Check: "Server running on http://127.0.0.1:8000"
# Stop the server after confirming

# 4. Run tests - ALL MUST PASS
php artisan test
# ✓ Check: "Tests: X passed" with 0 failures

If ANY step fails:

1. Read the error message
2. Fix the code
3. Re-run verification from step 1
4. Repeat until ALL steps pass

DO NOT proceed to Phase 5 until verification passes.

Companion Project Types

Article Topic	Project Type	What to Create
Laravel/PHP code	code	Full Laravel project via composer create-project
JavaScript/Node	node	Full Node project via npm init
Python	python	Full Python project with venv
DevOps/Docker	config	Complete docker-compose setup
Architecture	diagram	Complete Mermaid diagrams
Project management	document	Complete templates + filled examples

Verification Checklist

Before proceeding to Phase 5:

• Scaffold command executed successfully
• All article-specific code added
• install_command succeeded (vendor/node_modules exists)
• run_command starts application without errors
• test_command runs with 0 failures
• README.md explains setup and usage

For Code Companion Projects (Laravel)

code/
├── README.md              # Setup and run instructions
├── app/
│   └── ...                # Minimal app code
├── database/
│   ├── migrations/
│   └── seeders/
├── tests/
│   └── Feature/           # Pest tests for main features
├── composer.json
└── .env.example           # SQLite by default

Standards for Laravel companion projects:

• Use SQLite (no external DB needed)
• Use Pest for tests
• Include at least 2-3 tests for main features
• Add comments referencing article: // See article section: "Rate Limiting Basics"
• Keep dependencies minimal
• Include setup script if complex

For Document Companion Projects

code/
├── README.md              # What the documents demonstrate
├── templates/
│   └── ...                # Reusable templates
└── examples/
    └── ...                # Filled-in examples

Phase 5: Integrate Companion Project into Draft

• Replace <!-- EXAMPLE: --> markers with actual code snippets
• Add file references: "See code/app/Models/Post.php"
• Add run instructions in appropriate sections
• Save as 03_drafts/draft_v2.{lang}.md

Phase 6: Review (Comprehensive)

Review the article as a whole:

1. Explanation Flow

   • Does the narrative flow logically?
   • Are concepts introduced before being used?
   • Does the companion project appear at the right time?

2. Companion Project Integration

   • Do code snippets match the full companion project?
   • Are file paths correct?
   • Can readers follow along?

3. Voice Compliance

   • Matches author's formality level?
   • Uses signature phrases appropriately?
   • Avoids forbidden phrases?
   • Opinions expressed match author's positions?
   • If voice_analysis present:
     • Sentence length matches avg_length?
     • Communication style traits reflected?
     • Characteristic expressions used (not overused)?

4. Technical Accuracy

   • Code snippets are correct?
   • Companion project actually runs?
   • Tests pass?

5. Completeness

   • All outline points covered?
   • Sources properly cited?
   • Companion project fully demonstrates topic?

CHECKPOINT: Confirm article + companion project are ready

Phase 6b: Condense (Word Limit Enforcement) ⚠️

This phase is MANDATORY if article exceeds max_words from settings.

Step 1: Check Word Count

# Count words in article (excluding frontmatter and code blocks)
# Frontmatter: lines between first --- and second ---
# Code blocks: lines between ``` markers

# Simple word count of prose content only:
sed '/^---$/,/^---$/d; /^```/,/^```$/d' draft_v2.{lang}.md | wc -w

Step 2: Load Word Limit from Settings

# Read max_words from settings.json
bun run "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}"/scripts/show.ts settings
# Or read JSON directly:
# jq '.article_limits.max_words' .article_writer/settings.json

Step 3: Condense if Over Limit

If word count > max_words:

1. Identify Condensation Targets (in order of priority):

   • Redundant explanations of the same concept
   • Overly verbose transitions
   • Repeated caveats or disclaimers
   • Extended tangents not central to the topic
   • Excessive examples when fewer would suffice

2. Condensation Techniques (preserve quality):

   • Combine related paragraphs
   • Replace lengthy explanations with concise summaries
   • Convert verbose lists to compact bullet points
   • Remove filler words and phrases
   • Tighten sentence structure

3. CRITICAL: Preserve Author Voice

   • Keep signature phrases and expressions
   • Maintain the same tone (formality level)
   • Preserve the author's opinion style
   • Keep characteristic sentence structures
   • Retain enthusiasm/energy level from voice profile

4. DO NOT Remove:

   • Code examples or snippets (these don't count toward word limit)
   • Critical technical explanations
   • Prerequisites or setup instructions
   • Safety warnings or important notes
   • References to the companion project

Step 4: Verify Condensed Version

After condensing:

• Word count is now ≤ max_words
• Article still reads naturally (not choppy)
• All key points are preserved
• Technical accuracy maintained
• Author voice is consistent throughout
• Flow and narrative structure intact

Step 5: Save Condensed Draft

# Save as draft_v3 (condensed version)
# 03_drafts/draft_v3.{lang}.md

If unable to condense below max_words without quality loss:

• Document the reason in the task
• Note the final word count achieved
• Flag for human review

CHECKPOINT: Article is within word limit while maintaining quality

Phase 7: Translate

• Create versions for other languages
• Keep code snippets unchanged
• Translate comments in code if needed

Phase 8: Finalize

• Write final article with frontmatter
• Update article_tasks.json with:
  • output_files
  • sources_used
  • companion_project info
• Verify companion project README is complete

When to Skip Companion Projects

Only skip if a companion project makes absolutely no sense:

• Pure opinion pieces with no actionable content
• News/announcement summaries
• Historical retrospectives
• Philosophical discussions

If skipping, document in task:

{
  "companion_project": {
    "skipped": true,
    "skip_reason": "Opinion piece with no actionable code or templates"
  }
}

Companion Project README Template

# Companion Project: [Topic]

Demonstrates [what this companion project shows] from the article "[Article Title]".

## Requirements

- PHP 8.2+
- Composer
- (any other requirements)

## Setup

\`\`\`bash
composer install
cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate
php artisan migrate --seed
\`\`\`

## Run Tests

\`\`\`bash
php artisan test
\`\`\`

## Key Files

| File | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `app/Models/Post.php` | Demonstrates eager loading |
| `tests/Feature/QueryTest.php` | Tests N+1 detection |

## Article Reference

This companion project accompanies the article:
- **Title**: [Article Title]
- **Section**: See "Implementing Eager Loading" section

Companion Project Comments Style

<?php
// ===========================================
// ARTICLE: Rate Limiting in Laravel 11
// SECTION: Creating Custom Rate Limiters
// ===========================================

namespace App\Providers;

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\RateLimiter;

class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
{
    public function boot(): void
    {
        // Custom rate limiter for API endpoints
        // See article section: "Dynamic Rate Limits"
        RateLimiter::for('api', function (Request $request) {
            return Limit::perMinute(60)->by($request->user()?->id ?: $request->ip());
        });
    }
}

Recording Companion Project in Task

{
  "companion_project": {
    "type": "code",
    "path": "code/",
    "description": "Minimal Laravel app demonstrating rate limiting",
    "technologies": ["Laravel 11", "SQLite", "Pest 3"],
    "has_tests": true,
    "files": [
      "app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php",
      "routes/api.php",
      "tests/Feature/RateLimitTest.php"
    ],
    "run_instructions": "composer install && php artisan test"
  }
}

References

• references/article-types.md
• references/companion-project-templates.md
• references/checklists.md
• references/frontmatter.md
• references/research-templates.md