Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Writing Coach agent skill: install and edit drafts
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
Writing Coach is an agent skill that turns your AI agent into a writing editor for drafts you already have. This guide explains what an agent skill is, how to install the writing-coach skill, how to ask for help in plain language, and what the skill does and does not do. By the end you will be able to share a draft and get specific, explained edits with a rewritten version to compare against.
Writing CoachRightNow-AI/openfang · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the writing-coach ZIP from this page and unzip it. You should see a folder containing SKILL.md.
- 2Choose an install location. Use ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install or the .claude/skills/ folder inside a project for a project-specific install.
- 3Place the skill folder. Move the unzipped writing-coach folder into the chosen skills folder so the path ends with writing-coach/SKILL.md.
- 4Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill there instead.
- 5Share a draft. Paste or attach your draft and describe the audience and medium in plain words.
- 6Review the edits. Read each suggested change and its reason, compare it with the rewritten version, and keep the changes that improve clarity.
What an agent skill is and what Writing Coach makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that tell an AI agent how to handle a certain kind of task. Once the skill is installed, the agent can use those instructions when your request matches them.
Writing Coach is a writing improvement specialist for grammar, style, clarity, and structure. When you share a draft, the agent checks structure, sentence clarity, filler words, and audience fit. It explains each suggested change and shows a rewritten version so you can compare the two. The skill is written to keep your voice rather than replace it with the agent's own style.
- Structure: leads with the main point, keeps paragraphs short, and checks that each paragraph connects to the next.
- Sentence clarity: prefers active voice, removes filler words such as "very", "really", "basically", "actually" and "in order to", and favours concrete wording over vague claims.
- Technical writing: flags undefined acronyms, inconsistent terminology, and procedures that should be numbered steps with one action each.
- Pitfalls it guards against: over-editing that removes your personality, changes that alter the factual meaning, and rewriting everything at once instead of prioritising the highest-impact changes.
Install the writing-coach skill from a ZIP file
Download the writing-coach ZIP from this page and unzip it. The skill package contains one file, SKILL.md. Put the unzipped skill folder into one of the following locations, depending on how you want to use it.
For a personal install available across your projects, place the skill in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder. Use the project folder if you want the skill to travel with one codebase or document set.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/writing-coach/
- Project install: .claude/skills/writing-coach/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Paste or attach your draft and describe what you want in ordinary words. The skill is designed for editing existing text, so make it clear that you want feedback on a draft you wrote.
The more you say about the audience and medium, the better the advice. The skill tailors standards to context, and a Slack message, an academic paper and a marketing email have different expectations.
- "Here is my draft email to a client. Can you tighten it and point out anything unclear?"
- "Review this blog post intro for clarity. Keep my tone and tell me why each change helps."
- "Check the structure of this README section and make the setup steps numbered, one action each."
- "This report is for non-technical managers. Flag jargon I should define on first use."
Read the output and apply changes
Expect each suggestion to come with a reason and a revised version of the text. Compare the two, then decide which changes to keep. The skill is built to prioritise the highest-impact fixes first, so you may get a shorter list than a full line-by-line markup.
Check that the rewritten text still says what you mean. The skill is instructed not to alter factual meaning, but you are the authority on your own content.
- Accept changes that clarify meaning and remove filler.
- Reject changes that flatten your tone or introduce claims you did not make.
- Re-share the revised draft if you want a second pass.
Safety notes: scripts and network use
The writing-coach skill, as published here, requires nothing listed, does not run scripts and does not use the network. It consists of instructions in SKILL.md only.
Writing Coach gives style advice only. It does not verify facts, citations or legal, medical or academic claims.
- Requires: nothing listed
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Files included: SKILL.md
Tips for better edits
Share the full draft if you can, and state the purpose and reader in one sentence. Advice is more useful when the skill knows whether it is reviewing a Slack message or documentation.
Ask for one focus at a time when a draft is long. Requesting structure first, then sentence clarity, gives you a clearer sequence of changes than asking for everything at once.
- State the audience and medium up front.
- Say if your voice matters more than strict style, since the skill is built to preserve it.
- Ask for numbered steps when writing procedures.
- Keep a copy of your original so you can compare.
What people use it for
- Polishing a client email so the main request appears in the first sentence.
- Tightening a blog post by removing filler words and splitting long sentences.
- Making an internal procedure into numbered steps with one action per step.
- Checking a report for undefined acronyms and inconsistent terms before it goes to managers.
- Helping a non-native writer understand why a phrase reads more clearly when revised.
Frequently asked questions
Is the writing-coach skill free?
The source for this page does not state a price or licence terms for the skill itself beyond its listing. The item is listed under the Apache-2.0 licence in the RightNow-AI/openfang repository, so check that licence text for the terms that apply.
What do I need to run the writing-coach skill?
The listing states that it requires nothing in particular. It does not run scripts and does not use the network, and the package contains only SKILL.md.
Where do I install an agent skill?
Place the unzipped skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Will Writing Coach rewrite my whole document?
The skill is designed to edit existing text and to prioritise the highest-impact changes rather than rewrite everything at once. It shows a revised version of the text alongside its explanations so you can compare.
Can I use Writing Coach to check facts in my article?
No. The skill gives style advice only and does not verify facts. Final legal, medical or academic submissions still need expert human review.
Does Writing Coach write documents from scratch?
No. The skill focuses on editing text you already have, so it is not the right tool for producing whole documents from nothing.
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Our verdict
Writing Coach suits anyone who wants clear, explained feedback on emails, blog posts, documentation or reports, especially technical writers and less confident writers who want to understand why a change helps. It is not suited to final legal, medical or academic submissions needing expert review, or to generating documents from scratch; pick a drafting tool or a human editor for those.
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