writing-great-skills

Provides vocabulary and principles for writing predictable AI agent skills.

Updated Jul 16, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/The-Focus-AI/walking-thoughts --skill writing-great-skills-the-focus-ai
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: writing-great-skills
Source: https://github.com/The-Focus-AI/walking-thoughts/tree/main/.agents/skills/writing-great-skills
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/The-Focus-AI/walking-thoughts --skill writing-great-skills-the-focus-ai

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Writing skills for AI agents often produces bloated, unreliable instructions that fire inconsistently or steer the agent unpredictably. This Skill supplies a shared vocabulary and decision framework for structuring, invoking, and pruning skills so the agent behaves the same way on every run. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Invocation Design: Decide between model-invoked and user-invoked skills by weighing context load against cognitive load, and write trigger-rich descriptions. - Information Hierarchy: Organize content into steps, in-file reference, and disclosed reference behind context pointers, using progressive disclosure and co-location. - Failure-Mode Diagnosis: Identify and fix premature completion, duplication, sediment, sprawl, no-ops, and negation in existing skills. - Use Case: When editing a skill whose agent keeps rushing steps, consult the failure modes section to sharpen completion criteria or split the sequence before rewriting. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to review your SKILL.md using the writing-great-skills principles and suggest improvements to its description and structure.

Frequently Asked Questions about writing-great-skills

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I write a good skill description for an AI agent?

Front-load the skill's leading word, list one trigger per distinct branch, and cut identity statements already covered in the body. Every word adds context load, so prune descriptions even harder than the body text.

When should a skill be model-invoked vs user-invoked?

Choose model-invocation only when the agent or another skill must reach it autonomously, accepting the permanent context load of an always-loaded description. If it only ever fires by hand, set disable-model-invocation and pay no context load.

What is progressive disclosure in skill writing?

Progressive disclosure moves reference material out of SKILL.md into linked files reached by context pointers, keeping the top of the file legible. Inline what every branch needs and disclose what only some branches reach.

Why does my agent rush through skill steps?

Rushing is premature completion, caused by vague completion criteria and visible upcoming steps. Sharpen the completion criterion first; only split the sequence to hide later steps if the criterion is irreducibly fuzzy and the rush is observed.

What are leading words in prompt engineering for skills?

Leading words are compact pretrained concepts like 'fog of war' or 'tracer bullets' that anchor agent behavior in few tokens by recruiting existing model priors. They improve both invocation reliability in descriptions and execution consistency in the body.