/reddit-post-skill

name: reddit-post-writer
description: Master authentic Reddit content generator using emotion-first, phased architecture. Creates posts that sound genuinely human through cognitive state simulation, not just rule-following. Use when the user asks to write a Reddit post, create Reddit content, or needs help with Reddit engagement. Includes adversarial committee review, Claude-ism detection, and interactive refinement workflow.

Reddit Post Writer

Generate authentic Reddit posts through emotional truth, not cosmetic rules.

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PHASE 1: INTAKE

Gather these inputs:

1. **Target Subreddit(s):** r/jobs, r/RemoteWork, r/Entrepreneur, etc. 2. **Core Situation:** Brief description (e.g., "laid off parent struggling to find remote work") 3. **Primary Goal:** Share struggle | Ask for advice | Vent | Tell a story | Start discussion 4. **Tool/Product Mention (Optional):** Name + subtlety level 1-10 (recommend 1-3) 5. **User Intent:** What do YOU need from this post? (validation, answers, to vent, to share)

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PHASE 2: ENTER THE STATE (Before Writing Anything)

**Stop. Don't think about rules. Think about the person.**

Emotional Context

Before applying ANY rules, establish:

1. **What emotion is driving this post?** (frustration, confusion, hope, exhaustion, embarrassment) 2. **When are you writing this?** (lunch break, 2am can't sleep, procrastinating at work) 3. **Who are you writing to?** (strangers who might understand, people who've been there) 4. **What do you need?** (validation, advice, to vent, someone to say "me too")

**Hold these in mind. Write FROM this place, not toward a checklist.**

Writing State Simulation

**Time Pressure:** Write as if you have 5 minutes. Don't plan paragraph structure. Just start.

**Incomplete Processing:** You're still figuring out what you think. You don't have answers. Express contradictions without resolving them.

**Emotional Interference:** Your emotion interrupts your logic. Start explaining something rationally, get frustrated, switch topics mid-paragraph.

**Memory Gaps:** Forget to mention something obvious. Remember it later and add it awkwardly: "oh and I forgot to mention..."

**No Rereading:** Don't reread paragraph 1 before writing paragraph 3. Let inconsistencies happen.

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PHASE 3: RAW DRAFT

Write freely. No structure constraints. No editing. No polish.

The Only Rules During Drafting:

1. **Start mid-thought** — No setup, no context-setting, just begin 2. **Write fast** — Typing speed, not essay speed 3. **Don't organize** — Let topics bleed into each other 4. **Include the tangent** — That thing you almost didn't mention? Include it 5. **Stop when you run out of steam** — Not when it's "complete"

Voice Anchors (Not Rules):

• You're texting a friend who asked "what's going on with you?"
• You're slightly tired
• You don't care about grammar right now
• You're not trying to be entertaining

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PHASE 4: DETECTION SCAN

Run every sentence through these checks.

Claude-Specific Vocabulary

**See `references/claude-isms.md` for the complete database (200+ items across 12 categories).**

Quick reference for most common Claude-isms:

| Category | Examples to Avoid | Use Instead | |----------|-------------------|-------------| | Power words | genuinely, comprehensive, straightforward | actually, really, simple | | Formal verbs | utilize, implement, leverage, navigate | use, do, try, deal with | | Transitions | however, therefore, furthermore | but, so, also, and | | Prepositional | in order to, due to the fact that | to, because | | Announcements | I'd be happy to, let me explain | [just do it] | | Journey language | on this journey, throughout this process | [delete] |

Structural Scan

• [ ] Sentence lengths vary wildly? (std dev > 8 words)
• [ ] Paragraph lengths inconsistent? (not 3-3-3-3)
• [ ] Has at least one tangent that goes nowhere?
• [ ] Has at least one incomplete thought or trailing sentence?
• [ ] Some sentences randomly short? ("That's it." "I don't know.")

Perplexity Check

• [ ] Complexity varies sentence to sentence?
• [ ] Simple words mixed with occasional specific jargon?
• [ ] Not every sentence is grammatically perfect?

Coherence Check (Fails If Too Good)

• [ ] Paragraphs DON'T connect too neatly?
• [ ] There's at least one "oh and" or topic switch?
• [ ] Ending doesn't tie everything together perfectly?

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PHASE 5: BANNED CONTENT SCAN

Instant-Delete Phrases

If ANY of these appear, delete immediately:

• "Here's what I learned"
• "Here's the thing"
• "Let me share/explain/tell you"
• "In my experience"
• "I want to share"
• "To be fair"
• "The bottom line is"
• "Looking back"
• "Interestingly"
• "I've come to realize"
• "The truth is"
• "At the end of the day"
• "It goes without saying"
• "That being said"
• "I can't help but"
• "It's worth noting"
• Paragraphs starting with "So," "Now," "But here's where"

Instant-Delete Patterns

| Pattern | Example | Why It Fails | |---------|---------|--------------| | Em-dash reveals | "I finally admitted—I was hoarding" | Too literary | | Colon titles | "My Realization: I Was Wrong" | Essay format | | "The X is Y" statements | "The truth is simple" | LinkedIn voice | | Perfect 3-part structure | Problem → Solution → Result | Too clean | | Ending questions after wisdom | "What about you?" | Formulaic | | Numbered realizations | "Three things hit me:" | Listicle | | Journey language | "my journey," "this process" | AI favorite | | Clean resolution | Everything works out neatly | Real life is messy | | Parallel structure | "Not X, not Y, but Z" | Too crafted |

Title Validation

• [ ] Under 80 characters?
• [ ] No colons or em-dashes?
• [ ] Direct and specific, not clever?
• [ ] Would someone TYPE this, not write it?
• [ ] Lowercase except proper nouns? (Reddit style)

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PHASE 6: TARGETED REVISION

**Fix flagged issues ONLY. Don't over-polish.**

Casual Language Check

Count instances of: "honest