Doc Co-Authoring

Structured workflow for co-authoring documentation including proposals, technical specs, decision docs, and similar content. Three stages: Context Gathering, Refinement & Structure, and Reader Testing.

Prerequisites

• •Clear understanding of document purpose
• •Access to relevant context (channels, docs, stakeholders)
• •Time for iterative refinement

Instructions

Stage 1: Context Gathering

1. •

   Ask Initial Questions

   • •What type of document? (technical spec, decision doc, proposal)
   • •Who's the primary audience?
   • •What's the desired impact?
   • •Any template or format to follow?
2. •

   Encourage Info Dumping

   • •Background on project/problem
   • •Related team discussions
   • •Why alternatives aren't being used
   • •Timeline pressures or constraints
3. •

   Ask Clarifying Questions

   • •Generate 5-10 questions based on gaps
   • •Allow shorthand answers

Stage 2: Refinement & Structure

1. •

   For Each Section:

   • •Ask clarifying questions about content
   • •Brainstorm 5-20 options
   • •User curates (keep/remove/combine)
   • •Draft the section
   • •Iterate with surgical edits
2. •

   Use str_replace for edits - never reprint whole doc

3. •

   Quality Check - After 3 iterations, ask if anything can be removed

Stage 3: Reader Testing

1. •Predict Reader Questions (5-10 questions)
2. •Test with Fresh Context - no context bleed
3. •Check for:
   • •Ambiguity or unclear sections
   • •Assumed knowledge
   • •Internal contradictions
4. •Fix gaps found during testing

Error Handling

• •If user wants to skip a stage, allow freeform work
• •If context is missing, proactively ask
• •Address gaps as they come up, don't accumulate

Notes

• •Quality over speed
• •Each iteration should make meaningful improvements
• •Goal: document that actually works for readers

Source: anthropics/skills