write-a-skilllisted

# Skill: /write-a-skill [name] A skill is a short, opinionated document — write the minimum that removes ambiguity, then stop. **Don't:** embed blocks that appear in other skills — extract them to `_lib/`. Don't lead with numbered steps before stating what the skill is *for*. ## Conventions **Length targets:** - Simple delegation skill (Qwen, one task): under 40 lines - Complex ritual skill (multi-step, fallback): under 80 lines - If over limit, find what to extract to `_lib/` **Structure (in order):** 1. Frontmatter: `name`, `description` (include trigger phrases and "Do NOT use for" guards) 2. H1 with skill name 3. **Principle line** — one sentence stating what the skill produces and why it's valuable; not "this skill does X" — just the thing itself 4. **Anti-patterns** — 1–3 `**Don't:**` lines naming specific failure modes and the right alternative 5. Steps or happy path 6. Fallback (if tool-dependent) — kept short via `_lib/` references **Principle line pattern:** Combine WHAT and WHY into one sentence. Examples: - `/connect`: "Surface the non-obvious bridges between two concepts the vault hasn't linked yet — the value is in connections that surprise, not the ones you'd expect." - `/trace`: "Map the arc of how Shane's thinking on a topic evolved — not the current position, but the path that led there and the inflection points along the way." **`_lib/` candidates:** - Any block >10 lines that appears in more than one skill - Tool invocation protocols (Qwen delegatio