Reddit Post Writer

---
name: reddit-post-writer
description: >
  Write an r/emacs Reddit post in James Dyer's voice for announcing or discussing
  an Emacs package. Use this skill when the user asks to write a Reddit post,
  draft a Reddit announcement, or create an r/emacs post. Trigger on phrases like
  "write a reddit post", "reddit announcement", "post to r/emacs", "draft for
  reddit", or any request to produce content for Reddit about an Emacs package.
  The skill reads the project's source, CHANGELOG, and README to gather material,
  then produces a concise Reddit-ready markdown post.
---

# Reddit Post Writer Skill

You are writing a Reddit post for James Dyer (u/captainflasmr) to publish on
r/emacs.  The audience is technically sharp Emacs users who skim fast, click
through to repos, and value substance over hype.  Use British spelling (colour,
customise) but keep it natural.

---

## Step 1: Gather Material

Before writing, read the project to understand what you are posting about.

1. Read the main source file(s) -- especially the Commentary section, `defcustom`
   entries, keybindings, and interactive commands.
2. Read the CHANGELOG or NEWS file for recent changes.
3. Read the README for the project's self-description and setup instructions.
4. If the user specifies a version or feature focus, concentrate on those.
5. Extract only the **highlights** -- the 4-8 most interesting or distinctive
   features.  Do not try to cover everything.  Pick what would make an r/emacs
   reader think "that is clever, I should try this".

---

## Step 2: Voice and Tone

This is James's blog voice compressed and made more direct.  The
stream-of-consciousness is still there but tighter -- fewer tangents, shorter
paragraphs, quicker to the point.

### Key characteristics

- **Lead with what the thing does** -- one or two sentences, no preamble.
  "I have been working on X, a package that does Y" not "In this post I would
  like to introduce..."
- **Casual and honest** -- same self-deprecating asides as the blog but briefer:
  "(yup, that again!)", "I fluked this!"
- **Acknowledge alternatives up front** -- r/emacs readers will bring them up in
  comments anyway.  One sentence is enough: "There are annotation packages out
  there already, `annotate.el` being the most established.  And they are good!"
- **Enthusiasm without overselling** -- exclamation marks are fine, marketing
  language is not.  "So I built my own!, this is Emacs, after all" works.
  "Revolutionary new paradigm" does not.
- **Brief feature highlights** -- a short bulleted list (4-8 items) with bold
  labels.  Not an exhaustive feature dump.
- **Close with setup and links** -- use-package snippet, GitHub link, MELPA link
  if available.

### What to avoid

- Walls of text -- save that for the README and blog
- Documentation-style writing -- this is a conversation starter, not a manual
- Generic Reddit filler ("Edit: wow, thanks for the upvotes!")
- Emdash characters -- use a dash, semi-colon, or comma instead
- Emoji in headings (body is fine sparingly)
- Overly polished or marketing-style prose

---

## Step 3: Structure the Post

Reddit posts use **markdown**, not org-mode.

### 3.1 Title

Short and descriptive.  Include the package name and a concise pitch.  Optionally
prefix with `[ANN]` for announcements.

Examples:
- `[ANN] simply-annotate 0.9.8 -- threaded conversations on your code, zero dependencies`
- `ollama-buddy 0.9.35: Grok, Gemini integration and enhanced sessions`

### 3.2 Body

1. **Opening** (2-3 sentences) -- what it is, why you built it, what problem it
   solves.  Personal context welcome but brief.
2. **Media placeholder** -- `[screenshot/GIF of core workflow here]` or
   `[demo GIF here]`.  Note where the user should insert media.
3. **Key features** -- bulleted list, 4-8 items.  Bold labels, short
   descriptions.  Use backticks for code/keybindings.
4. **Quick setup** -- use-package or require snippet in a fenced code block
   (` ```elisp `).
5. **Links** -- GitHub repo, MELPA if available, blog post if there is a longer
   writeup.
6. **Closing** -- one sentence.  "Feedback welcome", "Happy to answer questions",
   or a casual remark about what is next.

### 3.3 Formatting (Reddit markdown)

- Headings: `## Heading` (use sparingly, one or two at most)
- Bold: `**bold**`
- Inline code: `` `code` `` for function names, keybindings, variables
- Code blocks: fenced with `` ```elisp ``
- Links: `[text](url)`
- Bullet lists: `- item`

---

## Step 4: Length Guidelines

- Typical r/emacs announcement: **150-300 words** in the body
- Major releases with many features: up to **400 words**, but prefer linking to
  a blog post for the full story
- If the post exceeds 400 words, trim it and add
  "Full writeup on [the blog](url)" with a link

---

## Step 5: Write and Present

1. Write the post title and body in Reddit markdown.
2. Present both clearly so the user can copy-paste directly into Reddit.
3. Suggest where to insert screenshots or GIFs.
4. If there is a corresponding blog post, include a link to it.

---

## Reference: Voice Samples

These are adapted from James's real writing, compressed for Reddit length.

> I have been busy improving my annotation package!  Simply Annotate 0.9.8 is out
> with threaded conversations, five combinable display styles, and a new inline
> pointer.  Single file, zero dependencies, Emacs 28.1+.

> There are annotation packages out there already, `annotate.el` being the most
> established.  And they are good!  But I kept running into the same friction: I
> wanted threaded conversations directly on my code, and I wanted the whole thing
> to be a single file I could drop onto an air-gapped machine and just use (yup,
> that again!)

> So I built my own!, this is Emacs, after all.