writing_briefs v1.0.0

name: "writing_briefs" description: "Write a tight, decision-ready 1-page brief (TL;DR verdict, options, recommendation, ask + deadline). Use when a decision-maker or team needs to act on something in writing." metadata: { "includeInPrompt": true }

Writing Briefs

Purpose

Write a brief that earns its reading: every section must get the reader closer to a decision, nothing else survives.

Workflow

1. Name the decision before you write a word. One sentence: "This brief asks the reader to decide/approve/pick X by Y date." If you can't name it, you're not writing a brief yet — you're writing notes. Keep drafting the decision sentence until it's sharp.
2. Write the TL;DR first, last. Draft the whole brief, then write the 2–3 line verdict at the top: what happened, what you recommend, what you need. If the TL;DR can't stand alone, the brief isn't ready.
3. Sizing: decide what goes above the fold. The reader will read the TL;DR and skim the rest. Everything needed to make the decision (context in 3–5 lines, options, recommendation) goes before any appendix. Cut or append anything that only serves completeness.
4. Frame options as real tradeoffs, never straw men. Give 2–3 options max. Each option gets: what it is, upside, downside, cost/effort. If one option is obviously wrong, drop it — a padded option list erodes trust. Include "do nothing" only when it's genuinely live.
5. Separate your read from the reader's decision. Context is what happened; the recommendation is your judgment. Keep them in different sections so the reader can agree with your facts and disagree with your call — that's the brief working as designed.
6. Decide which reader you're writing for. Decision-maker briefing: lead with the ask, make the verdict unmissable, options stay shallow. Team briefing: the decision is shared context, so spend the space on context and implications, not persuasion.
7. Close with a concrete ask and a deadline. "Please approve option B by Thursday EOD" beats "let me know what you think." If no response by the deadline, say what happens by default ("I'll proceed with option B if I don't hear otherwise").
8. Appendix last, links not pastes. Evidence, numbers, raw quotes go at the bottom or behind links. If the body needs a number to make sense, keep the number and move the derivation down.

Output Contract

A finished brief contains, in order:

• TL;DR (2–3 lines): the verdict — what, your recommendation, what you need.
• Context (3–5 lines): the minimum facts needed to understand the options. No backstory the reader already knows.
• Options (2–3): each with upside, downside, cost/effort. Honest framing, no filler options.
• Recommendation: your call and one line of reasoning. Labeled as yours.
• Ask: the specific decision requested, the decision-maker named if applicable, and a deadline (plus the default if no reply).
• Appendix (optional): supporting detail, links, raw data.

Operating Rules

1. Put the verdict in the TL;DR before any context — the reader should be able to act without scrolling.
2. One decision per brief. A second decision gets its own brief, or a clearly separated "second ask."
3. Never bury the ask in the middle. It goes in the TL;DR and again, spelled out, at the end.
4. Cut any sentence the decision doesn't depend on. When unsure, move it to the appendix rather than deleting it.
5. No jargon without a one-line gloss the first time it appears.
6. Attribute opinions ("Ops prefers B because...") separately from facts. The reader should never have to guess which is which.
7. If the reader already knows the background, don't re-brief it — one line of pointer ("per the Q3 review...") is enough.

Template

markdown
# [Decision]: [short title]

**TL;DR:** [What happened] → [your recommendation] → [what you need and by when].

## Context
- [Fact the decision depends on.]
- [Fact the decision depends on.]
- [Fact the decision depends on.]

## Options
**A. [Option]** — Upside: [..] Downside: [..] Cost: [..]
**B. [Option]** — Upside: [..] Downside: [..] Cost: [..]

## Recommendation
[Option X]. Because [one line of reasoning].

## Ask
[Name or role]: please [approve/pick/decide X] by [date/time].
If I don't hear back by then, I'll proceed with [default].

## Appendix (optional)
[Links, data, quotes.]

Example (fictional)

markdown
# Decision: warehouse lease renewal

**TL;DR:** The Northside lease expires in 60 days and the renewal quote is 18% higher. I recommend moving to the Riverside unit (cheaper, larger, 3-week move). Please approve the Riverside lease by Friday.

## Context
- Northside lease ends Nov 30; renewal quote: $8,500/mo (+18%).
- Riverside unit: $7,200/mo, 20% larger, available Dec 1.
- Move cost estimate: $4,000; payback in ~3 months vs. renewal.

## Options
**A. Renew Northside** — Upside: no move, no downtime. Downside: +$1,300/mo forever. Cost: $8,500/mo.
**B. Move to Riverside** — Upside: cheaper, more space. Downside: 3-week move, one weekend of downtime. Cost: $7,200/mo + $4,000 move.
**C. Short-term extend + shop** — Upside: more time. Downside: 3-month premium (+25%), decision just moves.

## Recommendation
Option B. The move pays for itself in under a quarter and buys room to grow.

## Ask
Jordan: please approve signing the Riverside lease by Friday EOD.
If I don't hear back by then, I'll accept the Northside renewal to avoid a lapse.