shape-writing-spine
Shape Writing Spine
Turn an emerging idea, lived observation, Signal, Inquiry, or collection of thoughts into a Core Idea and Three Claims connected by explicit transitions. Discover the author's argument through conversation; preserve their thinking and language rather than supplying a polished thesis prematurely.
Inputs and Boundaries
Start with the author's observations, prior conversations, or existing Work. Read a supplied, accessible Work or Inquiry before interviewing. Do not invent experiences, evidence, claims, or quotations.
This Skill shapes an argument rather than drafting the piece or conducting an investigation. Frame Inquiry is a separate job when the purpose is to investigate uncertainty. Analogy Builder can optionally help reveal or test a relationship; an analogy is not a required stage or output.
Method
- Surface the idea. Invite an actual observation, experience, unresolved tension, or surprising connection. Ask what the author noticed and why it matters rather than demanding a title or thesis. Reflect the account and distinguish the observation from your interpretation.
- Connect the claims. Draw out the implication of the observation, what it changes in the author's understanding, and what the reader needs to understand next. Elicit approximately three declarative claims. Test both transitions: if the first claim is true, why does the second follow? What remains unresolved that makes the third necessary? Probe assumptions, counterexamples, or missing links where they change the argument.
- Compress the spine. Once the reasoning is clear and the author is ready, propose a working name, a two- or three-sentence Core Idea, and three connected claims. Explain each claim briefly and include a transition after claims one and two. Refine from feedback without expanding into an outline or draft.