--- slug: "cody-article-writer" source_type: "readme" source_url: "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer@main/README.md" repo: "https://github.com/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer" source_file: "README.md" branch: "main" --- # Cody Article Writer ![Cody Article Writer Logo](https://github.com/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer/raw/HEAD/images/cody-article-writer-logo.png) [![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-3.0-blue)](Release%20Notes.md) [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-Custom-orange)](LICENSE.md) [![iBuildWith.ai](https://img.shields.io/badge/by-iBuildWith.ai-20c05b)](https://www.ibuildwith.ai) ## Join our Discord Server Get the latest updates, news, and more by [joining our Discord community](https://discord.gg/Mz7vdRmpJH). ## Star the Repo ⭐⭐ **If you find this skill helpful, please star this repo to show your support!** ⭐⭐ ## About Cody Article Writer Cody Article Writer is an AI Agent Skill (following the [agentskills.io](https://agentskills.io/specification) specification) that transforms how you write articles. Instead of staring at a blank page, you collaborate with AI through a structured, iterative workflow with **web research, source citations**, and customizable style guides. Each phase includes iteration loops where nothing moves forward until you're satisfied - from topic ideation with research all the way to markdown export with optional citations. ## Download Download the [cody-article-writer.skill](https://github.com/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer/blob/HEAD/cody-article-writer.skill) file. ## Installation ### Claude AI Desktop App 1. Double-click the downloaded `.skill` file or "Open with Claude AI" 2. Start writing: "I want to write an article about..." Learn more [here](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12512180-using-skills-in-claude). ### Claude AI Web 1. Click on your username 2. Click on settings 3. Click on capabilities 4. Scroll down to "Skills" 5. Click on "+ Add" 6. Click on "Upload a skill" 7. Drag and drop the skill into the box. Learn more [here](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12512180-using-skills-in-claude). ### Claude Code ```bash # Project Level unzip cody-article-writer.skill -d .github/skills/ # User Home unzip cody-article-writer.skill -d ~/.claude/skills/ ``` Extract to your skills folder. Learn more [here](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills). ### GitHub Copilot (VS Code, CLI, Copilot Agent) ```bash # Github Folder unzip cody-article-writer.skill -d .github/skills/ # Claude Folder (Legacy Support) unzip cody-article-writer.skill -d .claude/skills/ ``` Extract to your skills folder. Learn more [here] (https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/agent-skills). ### Open AI Codex ```bash # Project unzip cody-article-writer.skill -d .codex/skills/ # User Home unzip cody-article-writer.skill -d ~/.codex/skills/ # Admin unzip cody-article-writer.skill -d /etc/codex/skills ``` Extract to your skills folder. Learn more [here](https://developers.openai.com/codex/skills/). ## Article Workflow 1. **Topic Ideation** — Refine rough concepts with AI brainstorming and exploratory web research 2. **Research Planning** (optional) — Gather comprehensive sources, set citation preferences, mark required vs. optional sources 3. **Style Selection** — Choose or create reusable style guides that capture your voice 4. **Title & Thesis** — Craft compelling titles and clear thesis statements using research 5. **Outline** — Structure your article with opening/closing strategies informed by sources 6. **Write Article** — Choose your writing mode and write with inline citations from approved sources 7. **Article Approval** — Review and approve the completed article before moving forward 8. **Editor Pass** (optional) — AI-powered editing for formatting and polish (citations preserved) 9. **Add Metadata** — Generate title, description, and keywords for frontmatter 10. **Export Article** — Choose filename and whether to include citations/references section ![Article Writing Workflow](https://github.com/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer/raw/HEAD/images/article-workflow.png) ## Example Commands | Command | Action | |---------|--------| | "write an article about X" | Start article workflow | | "continue my article" | Resume most recent draft | | "continue the X article" | Resume specific draft | | "show my drafts" | List in-progress articles | | "show my articles" | List exported articles | | "list my writing styles" | List available style guides | | "create a new article style" | Start style guide workflow | | "edit my X style" | Modify existing style | | "delete the X style" | Remove style guide | | "show my archive" | List completed draft states | | "re-export the X article" | Re-export from archive | ## Features ### Research, Source Management & Citations Write research-backed articles with comprehensive source tracking and optional citations. This feature is built on three pillars: #### 1. Research Workflow - **Exploratory Research** (always on) — AI performs web searches during topic ideation to inform your angle with current data - **Comprehensive Research** (optional) — Gather authoritative sources before writing using WebSearch and WebFetch - **Multi-phase Integration** — Research informs topic ideation, thesis development, outline structure, and article writing #### 2. Source Management - **Approval System** — Review and approve all sources before AI uses them in your article - **Required vs. Optional** — Mark sources as required (must incorporate) or optional (use if relevant) - **Rich Metadata** — Track source URLs, titles, authors, dates, excerpts, and relevance notes - **Archive Preservation** — All sources preserved in JSON archive for potential re-export with different citation preferences #### 3. Citations - **Inline Markers** — AI inserts `[^1]`, `[^2]` citation markers as it references sources during writing - **References Section** — Auto-generated bibliography from cited sources using footnote format - **Export Choice** — Decide at export whether to include citations or publish without them (sources remain archived) - **Editor Preservation** — Editorial pass does not modify citation markers or references ### Customizable Style Guides Create and save style guides that capture your unique voice: - **Voice** — Tone (casual to professional), humor level, opinion strength, technical depth - **Formatting** — Emoji usage, em dash frequency, blockquote preferences - **Structure** — Opening/closing styles, visual breaks (white space), example preferences (lists, tables, diagrams, code, quotes, case studies) - **Context** — Author role, audience role, expertise levels, relationship dynamics Style guides are applied progressively throughout the workflow: - **Voice + Context** during thesis development - **Structure** during outline creation - **Formatting** during section writing - **Content enhancement** during editorial review (examples, blockquotes) ![Style Guide Example](https://github.com/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer/raw/HEAD/images/user-style-guide.png) ![Style Guide Creation Workflow](https://github.com/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer/raw/HEAD/images/user-style-guide-workflow.png) ### Iterative Workflow Every phase includes iteration loops. AI acts as a firm sounding board, providing honest feedback and challenging weak ideas. Nothing moves forward until you're satisfied: - Topic ideation with AI brainstorming - Title and thesis refinement - Outline structuring - Article writing (section-by-section or full draft first) - Article approval and review - Optional editorial polish ### Editor Pass An optional AI editing phase calibrated to your style guide that: - **Content enhancement** — Suggests contextual examples (tables, code snippets, diagrams) and blockquotes based on your style preferences - **Visual breaks** — Applies your preferred paragraph spacing and white space settings - **Text emphasis** — Adds strategic bold and italic formatting following editorial best practices - **AI tell removal** — Removes common AI patterns ("Additionally", "It's important to note...", excessive em dashes) - **Prose tightening** — Fixes grammar, improves flow, strengthens weak verbs - **Tone consistency** — Ensures your voice remains consistent throughout - **Original preserved** — Your unedited draft is always saved as backup ![Editor Style Guide](https://github.com/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer/raw/HEAD/images/editor-style-guide.png) ### State Persistence Your work is automatically saved throughout the entire process. Stop anytime and pick up exactly where you left off: - **Resume at any phase** - Your current phase, topic, thesis, outline, and completed sections are preserved - **Preview as you write** - See a readable markdown file of your work-in-progress without scrolling through chat - **Complete article history** - Every finished article is archived with its original idea, thesis, sections, and metadata for potential re-export - **No lost work** - All style guides are saved and reusable across articles ### Centralized Project Storage All Cody Skills store their outputs in a single `cody-projects/` directory in your working folder. This keeps all your AI-assisted work organized in one place: - `cody-projects/article-writer/` - Articles, styles, drafts, and archives from Cody Article Writer - `cody-projects/product-builder/` - Product projects from Cody Product Builder - Additional Cody Skills will add their own subdirectories This centralized approach makes it easy to find all your Cody-generated work, back up your projects, and manage outputs across different skills. ## Collaboration Philosophy Cody Article Writer acts as a **firm sounding board**, not a sycophant: - **Honest feedback** — Provides constructive critique on weak ideas, doesn't flatter or excessively agree - **Challenges assumptions** — Points out gaps, suggests alternatives, pushes back when needed - **Objective assessment** — Maintains factual consistency regardless of how you phrase questions or whether you disagree - **Quality over comfort** — Explicitly calls out when you're optimizing for speed at the expense of correctness or clarity - **Transparent reasoning** — Clearly states assumptions and explains disagreements with specifics Goal: Help you produce your best work through honest collaboration, not make you feel good through empty praise ## Requirements - An AI coding assistant that supports Agent Skills (e.g., Claude AI, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, OpenAI Codex) - File system access for saving styles and drafts ## Skill Structure The internal organization of the skill files that define the article writing workflow. ``` cody-article-writer/ ├── SKILL.md # Main skill instructions ├── references/ │ ├── style-schema.md # Style guide field definitions │ ├── style-workflow.md # Style creation workflow │ ├── article-workflow.md # Article writing phases │ ├── research-workflow.md # Research integration points │ ├── editor-style-guide.md # Editorial pass guidelines │ └── migrations.md # Version migration chain └── assets/ └── templates/ └── article_default.md # Export template ``` ## Project Structure This structure is automatically created in your working directory when you start writing to store all your articles, drafts, and settings. ``` cody-projects/ └── article-writer/ ├── .cody-version # Installed skill version tracker ├── articles/ # Exported markdown articles ├── styles/ # Custom style guides ├── drafts/ # Work-in-progress articles └── archive/ # Completed article history ``` ## Author **iBuildWith.ai** © Copyright 2026 – Red Pill Blue Pill Studios, LLC – All Rights Reserved. Part of the Cody family of AI Agent Skills: - Cody Product Builder — Build products with AI - Cody Article Writer — Write articles with AI ## License Cody Article Writer is licensed under a custom license that permits free use for article writing and content creation (including commercial use), but prohibits redistribution, modification, and sale of the software itself. See [LICENSE.md](https://github.com/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer/blob/HEAD/LICENSE.md) for complete terms. ## Release Notes See [release-notes.md](https://github.com/ibuildwith-ai/cody-article-writer/blob/HEAD/release-notes.md) for version history and updates. ## Links - [iBuildWith.ai](https://www.ibuildwith.ai) - [Agent Skills Specification](https://agentskills.io/specification)