Blog Writing: Tutorial Style
Write clear, actionable step-by-step guides that help readers implement specific solutions.
Prerequisites
Load blog-common skill for formatting, localization, quality standards, and writing principles.
When to Use
- •Step-by-step implementation guides
- •How-to articles for specific tasks
- •Setup and configuration tutorials
- •Practical walkthroughs with working results
- •Skill-building exercises
Example topics: "Building a Custom React Hook", "Setting Up CI/CD with GitHub Actions", "Implementing Dark Mode in Docusaurus"
Questionnaire-First Workflow
Start every tutorial with the questionnaire to gather structured input:
lean-spec create "article-slug" --template=tutorial
This creates a spec with embedded questionnaire covering:
- •Learning objectives and prerequisites
- •Step sequence overview
- •Environment and tools
- •Common pitfalls
- •Success criteria
Fill out the questionnaire, then tell AI "questionnaire complete". This ensures clear scope and helps structure the tutorial effectively.
[See questionnaire guide in references/questionnaire.md]
Workflow: 3-Stage Process
Stage 1: Outline (1 interaction)
Objective: Create clear step-by-step structure
Activities:
- •Define prerequisites: What readers need to know/have before starting
- •Map steps: Sequential tasks from start to working result
- •Identify checkpoints: Verification points to ensure progress
- •Plan troubleshooting: Common errors and solutions
Structure Template:
## Introduction (300-400 words) - What readers will build/achieve - Prerequisites (skills, tools, versions) - Time estimate - Final result preview ## Prerequisites - Tool/technology versions - Required knowledge level - Setup requirements ## Step 1: [Action] (400-600 words) - What you'll do in this step - Conceptual explanation (diagrams preferred) - Implementation approach (minimal code) - Verification checkpoint - Common errors and fixes [Repeat for 3-6 steps] ## Verification & Testing (200-300 words) - How to verify everything works - Expected output/behavior - Troubleshooting guide ## Conclusion (200-300 words) - What was accomplished - Next steps or extensions - Related resources
Deliverables:
- •Complete
specs/{spec-number}-{slug}/outline.md - •Clear step sequence
- •Checkpoint verification points
- •Common errors documented
Quality Gates:
- • Steps are sequential and logical
- • Each step has clear verification
- • Prerequisites clearly stated
- • Final working result defined
Stage 2: Writing (2-4 interactions)
Objective: Create clear, testable content step-by-step
Approach: Write ONE step per interaction directly to final files:
- •English:
blog/YYYY-MM-DD-slug.mdx(withunlisted: true) - •Track progress in spec folder
Step Standards:
- •Clear action: Each step starts with what reader will do
- •Conceptual explanation: Use diagrams/tables to explain approach
- •Minimal code: Only essential configuration/syntax (≤10 lines)
- •Checkpoint: How to verify this step worked
- •Troubleshooting: Common errors specific to this step
Step Completion Checklist:
- • Clear action statement at start
- • Conceptual explanation (diagram/table preferred)
- • Minimal essential code only
- • Verification checkpoint included
- • Common errors addressed
- • Transition to next step
[See complete writing guidelines in blog-common/SKILL.md]
Stage 3: Refine (1 interaction)
Objective: Validate, polish, and finalize
Activities:
- •Test walkthrough: Follow steps yourself to ensure they work
- •Clarity review: Ensure each step is self-contained and clear
- •Chinese translation: Apply 形不同而意同 principle
- •Final validation: Build, format, links
Quality Assessment:
- • All steps tested and working
- • Prerequisites accurate and complete
- • Verification points clear
- • Troubleshooting comprehensive
- • Code examples minimal but sufficient
- • Chinese reads naturally
- • Build succeeds:
pnpm run build
Publication Files:
- •English:
blog/YYYY-MM-DD-slug.mdx(removeunlisted: true) - •Chinese:
i18n/zh/docusaurus-plugin-content-blog/YYYY-MM-DD-slug.mdx
Tutorial-Specific Principles
Clarity and Actionability
Every step must be:
- •Actionable: Reader knows exactly what to do
- •Verifiable: Reader can confirm it worked
- •Self-contained: Can understand step without rereading whole article
Conceptual Over Code
Prefer diagrams and explanations over code dumps:
❌ 50 lines of code without explanation ✅ Mermaid diagram showing the flow + 5 lines of key configuration
Progressive Disclosure
Build complexity gradually:
- •Start with simplest working version
- •Add features incrementally
- •Explain why at each step, not just how
Error Handling
Address common issues proactively:
:::warning Common Issue If you see "Module not found", ensure you ran `pnpm install` in step 2. :::
Quality Gates (Tutorial-Specific)
Beyond blog-common standards:
- • Steps are testable and reproducible
- • Prerequisites clearly stated with versions
- • Common errors proactively addressed
- • Working end result demonstrated
- • Each step has verification checkpoint
- • Code minimal (≤10 lines per block)
- • Diagrams/tables explain concepts
- • Time estimate provided
References
- •blog-common/SKILL.md - Formatting, localization, quality, style
- •references/questionnaire.md - Questionnaire guide
- •LeanSpec template - Full spec template with questionnaire