mp-edit-article

---
name: mp-edit-article
description: Use when editing an article draft — split by headings, model content as a DAG of dependencies, confirm the section order with the author, then tighten each section to ≤240 chars per paragraph.
source: https://github.com/mattpocock/skills/blob/main/skills/personal/edit-article/SKILL.md
generated: 2026-05-12T18:04:59.941Z
category: concept
audience: engineers
---

## When to use

- Restructuring a long-form draft where some sections depend on concepts introduced in others
- Tightening prose paragraph-by-paragraph against a hard character ceiling
- Confirming the section outline with the author before any rewriting starts
- Cutting redundancy where the same idea appears under two different headings

## Key concepts

### sections from headings

First step is to divide the article into sections based on its headings, and think about the main points to make during each section. The heading structure is the skeleton — don't rewrite it before understanding it.

### directed acyclic graph of dependencies

Information depends on other information. A reader needs concept A before concept B if B uses A's vocabulary. Model the article as a DAG and pick a section order that respects every dependency edge. Reordering for flow without respecting dependencies confuses readers.

### confirm sections with the user

Before any rewriting starts, surface the proposed section order to the author and get sign-off. Editing inside an unconfirmed structure wastes work — if the structure changes after, half your edits get thrown out.

### 240 chars per paragraph ceiling

When rewriting a section, use maximum 240 characters per paragraph. That's roughly two short sentences. Forces brevity — long paragraphs hide weak arguments inside soft connective tissue.

## API reference

```
Process (numbered)
```

Two steps. Structure first, prose second. Don't merge them.

```
1. Divide article into sections based on headings
   - Think about the main points per section
   - Model the content as a DAG of dependencies
   - Pick a section order that respects every dependency edge
   - Confirm the section order with the user BEFORE rewriting

2. For each section:
   2a. Rewrite to improve clarity, coherence, and flow
   2b. Use maximum 240 characters per paragraph
```

## Gotchas

- Confirm the section order with the user BEFORE rewriting any prose. Restructuring after edits wastes work.
- The DAG matters: B depends on A means A must come first, even if B reads more interestingly upfront.
- 240 chars per paragraph is a HARD ceiling — about two short sentences. Soft connective tissue is the first thing to cut.
- Don't merge structure-editing and prose-editing into one pass. Structure first, prose second.
- If a section feels redundant with another, the answer is usually 'merge them', not 'rewrite both'.
- Headings are the skeleton — don't rename them in step 1. Understand the structure as given, then propose changes in step 1's confirmation.
- Avoid edits that shift voice — keep the author's tone unless they ask for a tonal change.
- Long paragraphs often hide weak arguments inside connective phrases. The 240-char ceiling surfaces those without needing to call them out.

---
Generated by SkillMake from https://github.com/mattpocock/skills/blob/main/skills/personal/edit-article/SKILL.md on 2026-05-12T18:04:59.941Z.
Verify against source before relying on details.

File: ~/.claude/skills/mp-edit-article/SKILL.md