Skill Writer

Use this as the single canonical workflow for skill creation and improvement. Primary success condition: maximize high-value input coverage before authoring so the resulting skill has minimal blind spots.

Load only the path(s) required for the task:

Task	Read
Set skill class and required dimensions	references/mode-selection.md
Apply writing constraints for depth vs concision	references/design-principles.md
Select structure pattern for this skill	references/skill-patterns.md
Select workflow orchestration pattern for process-heavy skills	references/workflow-patterns.md
Select output format pattern for deterministic quality	references/output-patterns.md
Choose workflow path and required outputs	references/mode-selection.md
Load representative synthesis examples by skill type	references/examples/*.md
Synthesize external/local sources with depth gates	references/synthesis-path.md
Author or update SKILL.md and supporting files	references/authoring-path.md
Optimize skill description and trigger precision	references/description-optimization.md
Iterate using positive/negative/fix examples	references/iteration-path.md
Evaluate behavior and compare baseline vs with-skill (opt-in quantitative)	references/evaluation-path.md
Register and validate skill changes	references/registration-validation.md

Step 1: Resolve target and path

1. Resolve target skill path and intended operation (create, update, synthesize, iterate).
2. Read references/mode-selection.md and select the required path(s).
3. Classify the skill (workflow-process, integration-documentation, security-review, skill-authoring, generic).
4. Ask one direct question if class or depth requirements are ambiguous; otherwise state explicit assumptions.

Step 2: Run synthesis when needed

Read references/synthesis-path.md.

1. Collect and score relevant sources with provenance.
2. Apply trust and safety rules when ingesting external content.
3. Produce source-backed decisions and coverage/gap status.
4. Load one or more profiles from references/examples/*.md when the skill is hybrid.
5. Enforce baseline source pack for skill-authoring workflows.
6. Enforce depth gates before moving to authoring.

Step 3: Run iteration first when improving from outcomes/examples

Read references/iteration-path.md first when selected path includes iteration (for example operation iterate).

1. Capture and anonymize examples with provenance.
2. Re-evaluate skill behavior against working and holdout slices.
3. Propose improvements from positive/negative/fix evidence.
4. Carry concrete behavior deltas into authoring.

Skip this step when selected path does not include iteration.

Step 4: Author or update skill artifacts

Read references/authoring-path.md.

1. Write or update SKILL.md in imperative voice with trigger-rich description.
2. Create focused reference files and scripts only when justified.
3. Follow references/skill-patterns.md, references/workflow-patterns.md, and references/output-patterns.md for structure and output determinism.
4. For authoring/generator skills, include transformed examples in references:
   • happy-path
   • secure/robust variant
   • anti-pattern + corrected version

Step 5: Optimize description quality

Read references/description-optimization.md.

1. Validate should-trigger and should-not-trigger query sets.
2. Reduce false positives and false negatives with targeted description edits.
3. Keep trigger language generic across Codex and Claude.

Step 6: Evaluate outcomes

Read references/evaluation-path.md.

1. Run a lightweight qualitative check by default (recommended).
2. For integration/documentation and skill-authoring skills, include the concise depth rubric from references/evaluation-path.md.
3. Run deeper eval playbook and quantitative baseline-vs-with-skill only when requested or risk warrants it.
4. Record outcomes and unresolved risks.

Step 7: Register and validate

Read references/registration-validation.md.

1. Apply repository registration steps.
2. Run quick validation with strict depth gates.
3. Reject shallow outputs that fail depth gates or required artifact checks.

Output format

Return:

1. Summary
2. Changes Made
3. Validation Results
4. Open Gaps