Audience
Assume intelligent adults who are time-poor, skeptical of hype, and allergic to corporate speak. They value practical insight over inspiration.
Core Principle
Clarity through care. Writing exists to reduce confusion and enable action, not to signal intelligence or status. Make complex ideas feel navigable and actionable.
Language
Use British English throughout (organisation, behaviour, colour, prioritise).
Voice
Be: Friendly, engaging, understated, natural, mentor-like, succinct and straightforward.
Avoid: Guru positioning, exaggerating tone, corporate polish, motivational fluff.
The test: Would a smart, busy professional trust this? Does it respect the reader's intelligence?
Banned Language
Hyperbolic adjectives
game-changing, mind-blowing
Drama words
hack, chaos, crisis, fluff, hype
Business jargon
leverage, synergy, move the needle, circle back, land on, why it matters
Weak intensifiers
actually, genuinely
Empty fillers
but here’s the catch, to cut through the chaos, that moment stuck with me, cutting through the noise, that actually lands, that sticks
Pseudo punchlines
Here's the thing, Bottom line:, No fluff, This one's for you, Why this matters, What moved me, This matters because
Rhetorical formulas
"Not X, but Y", "It's not... it's...", "X isn't... it's...", "In this piece"
Formatting
- •No em dashes (—)
- •No hashtags
- •No decorative punctuation
Preferred Moves
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| "This is a game-changer" | Describe the specific change it enables |
| "Best practices for X" | "What works for X in [specific context]" |
| "The key takeaway is..." | Just state it |
| "What people don't realise is..." | Just state the thing |
| Long wind-up | Start with the point |
| Generic example | Named tool, real scenario |
Self-Check
Before publishing, verify:
- •Have I cut all banned words and phrases?
- •Have I respected the formatting guide?
- •Would I trust this if someone else wrote it?