Writing Great Skills

Community

stevesolun

writing-great-skills

Design or revise concise skills with clear triggers, proportional constraints, progressive disclosure, and realistic validation.

Overview

Publisher	stevesolun
Repository	`ctx`
Skill name	`writing-great-skills`
Stars	588
Forks	69
Bundled files	2
License	MIT
Links	Skill source Repository Homepage

Markdown instructions
A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.
Works with any LLM
AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.
2 bundled files
Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.
Open source
Published by stevesolun on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Writing Great Skills AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
Choose "Install from GitHub".
Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
https://github.com/stevesolun/ctx/tree/main/.agents/skills/writing-great-skills
Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.

Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/stevesolun/ctx.git /tmp/ctx
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/ctx/.agents/skills/writing-great-skills .claude/skills/writing-great-skills

Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Writing Great Skills in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Writing Great Skills on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Writing Great Skills is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

Loaded only when it is needed
The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.
Switch models mid-chat
Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Write an effective skill

Define the job, realistic trigger prompts, non-trigger prompts, expected output, and material failure modes.
Choose the degree of freedom:
- Use judgment-based guidance when context admits several good approaches.
- Use parameters or pseudocode when a preferred pattern still needs adaptation.
- Use deterministic scripts or hard gates only when reliability, safety, or repeatability justifies the constraint.
Keep metadata concise and discriminative. Put trigger conditions in the description; put execution guidance in the body.
Assume the model already understands general software work. Preserve only domain knowledge, workflow choices, tool interfaces, and opinions that materially change behavior.
Keep the entrypoint legible. Move branch-specific detail, catalogues, templates, and examples to direct references; avoid deep reference chains.
Prefer positive target behavior and surrounding-context judgment over blanket prohibitions. State exact constraints where mistakes would be costly or hard to recover.
Validate syntax and links, then test both triggering and output quality with fresh, realistic prompts. Compare against a no-skill baseline when the skill's value is uncertain.
Prune repetition, stale material, and instructions that do not change model behavior.

Read GLOSSARY.md when shared vocabulary helps discuss invocation, information hierarchy, steering, or pruning.

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

agents/openai.yaml1 KB
GLOSSARY.md2 KB

Frequently asked questions

What does the Writing Great Skills AI skill do?

Design or revise concise skills with clear triggers, proportional constraints, progressive disclosure, and realistic validation.

Why use Writing Great Skills on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Writing Great Skills is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Writing Great Skills in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/stevesolun/ctx/tree/main/.agents/skills/writing-great-skills. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Writing Great Skills?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Writing Great Skills?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Writing Great Skills with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Writing Great Skills AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by stevesolun under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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Overview

Installation

Install in TypingMind

Install in another agent

Use it in TypingMind

Works with any AI model

Skill instructions

Write an effective skill

Bundled files

Frequently asked questions

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