spb/ultra-sharp-agent-skills Public

1---2name: editing-and-proofreading3description: Edits and proofreads existing prose through a fixed four-pass method — structure, then paragraphs, then sentences, then mechanics — cutting 10-20% while preserving the author's voice. Use when the user asks to edit, revise, proofread, tighten, polish, or shorten a draft, document, article, or any written text they provide. Do not use for writing new content from scratch, translation, or code review.4---56<!--7Author: Simon-Pierre Boucher8Contact: contact@spboucher.ai9-->1011# Editing and Proofreading1213## When to use / when NOT to use14- **Use for:** revising an existing draft the user provides — documents, articles, reports, web copy, any prose.15- **Do NOT use for:** writing new content from scratch (use the matching writing skill), translation, or code review. If the "draft" is three bullet points, that's writing, not editing.1617## House rules18191. **Never edit in one pass.** Four passes, in fixed order — structure, paragraphs, sentences, mechanics. Fixing commas in a paragraph you'll later delete is wasted work.20   - ✅ Pass 1 moves section 4 before section 2; commas wait for pass 4.21   - ❌ Perfecting the wording of the intro before checking whether the intro should exist.22232. **Pass 1 — structure.** Does the order serve the reader? Lead with what the reader needs; every section earns its place or goes.24   - ✅ "The recommendation is in §5; it becomes §1. Background §1–2 compress into one paragraph."25   - ❌ Keeping the author's discovery order because it's already written.26273. **Pass 2 — paragraphs.** One idea per paragraph; first sentences alone should carry the whole argument (the first-sentence skim test).28   - ✅ Reading only first sentences yields a coherent summary.29   - ❌ Paragraphs that change topic midway, or open with throat-clearing ("It is worth noting that…").30314. **Pass 3 — sentences.** Active voice; verbs over nominalizations; cut hedges and intensifiers.32   - ✅ "The team missed the deadline because the API changed."33   - ❌ "The deadline was unfortunately not met due to the occurrence of changes in the API." ("occurrence of changes" → "changes"; who missed it?)34355. **Cut 10–20% on principle.** Every draft is padded; if nothing feels cuttable, the cuts are hiding in redundant pairs ("each and every"), double qualifiers, and repeated points.36   - ✅ 1,000 words in → ~850 out, same content.37   - ❌ Returning the same length with synonyms swapped.38396. **Preserve the author's voice.** Edit for clarity, not to your taste. Judgment calls (tone, humor, a deliberate fragment) get flagged as comments, not silently rewritten.40   - ✅ "[flag] This joke may not land with the exec audience — keep or cut?"41   - ❌ Rewriting a casual post into corporate neutral.42437. **Pass 4 — mechanics, with verification.** Spelling, punctuation, and consistency (terms, capitalization, number formats) — and verify every number, name, and link against the source or flag it as unverified.44   - ✅ "Total says $84k here, $48k in the table — which is correct?"45   - ❌ Proofreading around a number that contradicts itself.46478. **Read the key passages aloud.** Openings, transitions, and anything rhythmic: if you stumble reading it, the reader will too.4849## Workflow50511. Ask/infer the target audience and any length limit; note the author's register (formal/casual) to preserve it.522. Pass 1 (structure): reorder/cut sections; confirm big moves with the user if they change meaning or scope.533. Pass 2 (paragraphs): one idea each; run the first-sentence skim test.544. Pass 3 (sentences): active voice, strong verbs, cut hedges/fillers; track the word count toward the 10–20% cut.555. Pass 4 (mechanics): spelling, punctuation, consistency; verify or flag every number, name, and link.566. Deliver: the edited text, plus a short list of judgment-call flags and the before/after word count. Do not list every mechanical fix.5758## Edge cases59- **The draft needs rewriting, not editing** (structure unsalvageable) → say so, propose the new outline, and get agreement before rewriting.60- **User asks for proofreading only** → run pass 4 alone; note (once, briefly) if a structural problem is glaring, then respect the request.61- **Text in a style you'd never choose** → their voice wins; edit only what impedes the reader.6263## References64Extended before/after examples: see [references/examples.md](references/examples.md).65