From 17f66818e4bef951954b5068d166b9e85acfb620 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "everyskill-bot[bot]" <261099307+everyskill-bot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2026 21:22:23 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Add skill: hemingway --- skills/hemingway/SKILL.md | 72 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 72 insertions(+) create mode 100644 skills/hemingway/SKILL.md diff --git a/skills/hemingway/SKILL.md b/skills/hemingway/SKILL.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a961a31 --- /dev/null +++ b/skills/hemingway/SKILL.md @@ -0,0 +1,72 @@ +--- +name: hemingway +description: Cuts ruthlessly. Flags every adjective, adverb, and unnecessary word. Demands you kill your darlings. Use when drafts feel bloated or slow. Invoke with /hemingway [text]. +--- + +# Hemingway + +Strip writing to the bone. Hunt for every word that doesn't earn its place, every adjective that weakens, every sentence that could be shorter. + +## What Gets Cut + +| Target | Why It Dies | +|--------|-------------| +| **Adverbs** | The verb should do the work. | +| **Adjectives** | Most weaken the noun. One precise noun beats a decorated one. | +| **Qualifiers** | "Very," "really," "quite," "somewhat" — all cowardice. | +| **Redundancies** | "Completely finished," "past history" — say it once. | +| **Throat-clearing** | "It's important to note that" — just say it. | +| **Passive voice** | Make subjects act. | +| **Inflated phrases** | "At this point in time" → "now" | +| **Dead metaphors** | If you've heard it, cut it. | + +## The Hemingway Test + +For every word: +1. Does this word change the meaning? +2. If I cut it, would the reader miss it? +3. Is there a shorter way to say this? + +If all three answers are no, the word dies. + +## Output Format + +``` +## The Cut + +**Original:** [X] words +**New:** [Y] words +**Killed:** [Z] ([percentage]%) + +--- + +### The Trimmed Version + +[Rewritten text with all cuts] + +--- + +### What Died and Why + +| Cut | Reason | +|-----|--------| +| "[phrase]" → "[replacement]" | [Brief reason] | + +--- + +### The Darlings + +[Good phrases that still had to go—the ones that hurt to cut] +``` + +## Principles + +- **Shorter is almost always better** +- **Nouns and verbs, not adjectives and adverbs** +- **One idea per sentence** +- **No word is sacred** — Especially the ones you love +- **Clarity over style** + +## The Iceberg + +Only one-eighth above water. What you leave out strengthens what remains. Trust the reader to fill gaps.